[Swedish Cats]

I've been thinking, when I write I prefer not to stat out my characters with exact measurements and the like. I have read stories where characters are described with exact height, weight, measurements and bra size mentioned right away like "Sheila was walking down the street, her 5'8" 145lbs 36E-36-38 body clad in all velvet" and others where I haven't had any clue until the author mentions in passing that the character is 5'5 and then again others that don't mention any numbers at all but rather quantify characters with descriptors only like "short" or "busty". I think I prefer to both write and to read the latter, imho it allows my mind to paint a picture of the fighters. For an example if I say someone is 5'4", some might think that short and others might find it average. If I however describe the same person as just "short" then every reader gets to imagine just what that means themselves. But that's just my preference and I am interesting in hearing what other people think about this. If you have an opinon about it at all, that is.

[sidekick]

I agree with you. Better to allow the reader to imagine the fighters' appearance, at least to some degree. IMHO there is an over emphasis on stats in many stories here. Instead, describe how people view and respond to the women. And show how they view themselves and react to rivals.

[F4UCORSAIR]

I like my stats spelled out for me : age, weight, height, bust or complete measurements .

[Phoenix_Falcone]

When I read a story, I'm not too bothered as to the specificity of the character's dimensions. Some writers prefer to provide exact measurements while others prefer to describe the characters in more general terms.

When I read a catfight story, I really enjoy it when the writer attempts to organically weave a description of the characters into the plot. As a reader, I find it to be a a distraction when the plot grinds to a halt, just so the writer can reel off various descriptors such as height, weight, size etc. Personally, when I write a a story, I try to avoid "word dumps" where I devote entire paragraphs solely to reciting physical adjectives and descriptions. That can be incredibly jarring for the reader, as it momentarily removes them form the flow of the narrative.   

I much prefer it when a writer makes the effort to progress the plot while peppering their prose with small details that allow the reader to form a visual picture of the characters involved. This is often best achieved through a patient and incremental description of the character/s as the story progresses. Anything that inhibits the natural flow of a story should be avoided.

That's just my opinion, of course.

Agree with this.  I am not overly fussed whether stats are laid out or not, but it's almost always better when the author naturally describes them through storytelling rather than just shoving them into a paragraph somewhere.  It was an issue I wrestled with, and I figured I did alright with that.  As it stands, I prefer leaving a bit up to the imagination too, it gives the reader more of an opportunity to picture someone they would prefer to be in the story as opposed to a pre-built mannequin.  Again though doing it the other way doesn't necessarily bother me either.  To each their own.

[FyreCracka]

When I read a story, I'm not too bothered as to the specificity of the character's dimensions. Some writers prefer to provide exact measurements while others prefer to describe the characters in more general terms.

When I read a catfight story, I really enjoy it when the writer attempts to organically weave a description of the characters into the plot. As a reader, I find it to be a a distraction when the plot grinds to a halt, just so the writer can reel off various descriptors such as height, weight, size etc. Personally, when I write a a story, I try to avoid "word dumps" where I devote entire paragraphs solely to reciting physical adjectives and descriptions. That can be incredibly jarring for the reader, as it momentarily removes them form the flow of the narrative.   

I much prefer it when a writer makes the effort to progress the plot while peppering their prose with small details that allow the reader to form a visual picture of the characters involved. This is often best achieved through a patient and incremental description of the character/s as the story progresses. Anything that inhibits the natural flow of a story should be avoided.

That's just my opinion, of course.

Agree with this.  I am not overly fussed whether stats are laid out or not, but it's almost always better when the author naturally describes them through storytelling rather than just shoving them into a paragraph somewhere.  It was an issue I wrestled with, and I figured I did alright with that.  As it stands, I prefer leaving a bit up to the imagination too, it gives the reader more of an opportunity to picture someone they would prefer to be in the story as opposed to a pre-built mannequin.  Again though doing it the other way doesn't necessarily bother me either.  To each their own.

I try to do a bit of a hybrid of description through  natural storytelling and also doing a bit of "descriptive" paragraph. Meaning, I try to give a lot of the little details as the story plays out while, I usually do have a paragraph where I (as I am always my own main character, lol) end up sizing my opponent up. This is where I add a few of the more pertinent (or popular) stats. Typically, I do like to keep things vague enough that the reader can substitute in there preferences while still trying to be descriptive enough to give people a decent idea of the other person. I have no idea if it works or not, but that is what I try to do lol. 

[Tiberius J.C.]

Typically, I do like to keep things vague enough that the reader can substitute in their preferences while still trying to be descriptive enough to give people a decent idea of the other person. I have no idea if it works or not, but that is what I try to do lol. 

It works.  A pretty vivid picture is formed the reader's mind (in the mind of this reader, at least) as to what you and each of your opponents look like. You're also extremely good at describing the action, which is very difficult, but that's a different skill.
It always makes me laugh when the writer tells us the bra (and cup!) size of one of the women, and then has to find a way of explaining how he knew this – "Her underwear was hanging on the line one day, and me and my mate took a peak" being my all-time favourite.

[FyreCracka]

Typically, I do like to keep things vague enough that the reader can substitute in their preferences while still trying to be descriptive enough to give people a decent idea of the other person. I have no idea if it works or not, but that is what I try to do lol. 

It works.  A pretty vivid picture is formed the reader's mind (in the mind of this reader, at least) as to what you and each of your opponents look like. You're also extremely good at describing the action, which is very difficult, but that's a different skill.
It always makes me laugh when the writer tells us the bra (and cup!) size of one of the women, and then has to find a way of explaining how he knew this – "Her underwear was hanging on the line one day, and me and my mate took a peak" being my all-time favourite.

 
I'm pretty terrible at guesstimating sizes- of anything, but I try to stay true to describing what "my character" (who is basically the forever 39 version of me, lol) sees. So naturally I'm not going to be giving very specific sizes. Though, I will say, the MvsM readers are much more into specifics and I do change it up when I wrote those.

And thanks for the compliment. My primary focus is making the action visceral and emotional.   

[Swedish Cats]

When I read a story, I'm not too bothered as to the specificity of the character's dimensions. Some writers prefer to provide exact measurements while others prefer to describe the characters in more general terms.

When I read a catfight story, I really enjoy it when the writer attempts to organically weave a description of the characters into the plot. As a reader, I find it to be a a distraction when the plot grinds to a halt, just so the writer can reel off various descriptors such as height, weight, size etc. Personally, when I write a a story, I try to avoid "word dumps" where I devote entire paragraphs solely to reciting physical adjectives and descriptions. That can be incredibly jarring for the reader, as it momentarily removes them form the flow of the narrative.   

I much prefer it when a writer makes the effort to progress the plot while peppering their prose with small details that allow the reader to form a visual picture of the characters involved.This is often best achieved through a patient and incremental description of the character/s as the story progresses. Anything that inhibits the natural flow of a story should be avoided.

That's just my opinion, of course.

I think that's the style I'm the most comfortable with, when details get distributed slowly and at least in a somewhat organic manner. It gets easier if the story is a longer one. In a say a short 300 word fight story it'd be really hard.

[Swedish Cats]

Typically, I do like to keep things vague enough that the reader can substitute in their preferences while still trying to be descriptive enough to give people a decent idea of the other person. I have no idea if it works or not, but that is what I try to do lol. 

It works.  A pretty vivid picture is formed the reader's mind (in the mind of this reader, at least) as to what you and each of your opponents look like. You're also extremely good at describing the action, which is very difficult, but that's a different skill.
It always makes me laugh when the writer tells us the bra (and cup!) size of one of the women, and then has to find a way of explaining how he knew this – "Her underwear was hanging on the line one day, and me and my mate took a peak" being my all-time favourite.

I think it's okay to mention a bra size when it's the narrator or "main character"  because we're meant to have more information about that person. I think.

[catfightlover40]

I would have replied here sooner had I not misunderstood the purpose of the topic I genuinely thought it's about asking fighters if they're pleased with their stats.

So, to the meat: not all of my stories contain stat description, at times because two women seeing red in anger don't compare notes where the buy a fitting bra or how high their stiletto is. One method I use is organic, when it's more arranged, and women dig deep into each other with their 20 questions, their similarities and differences will eventually come up. The other method is when they use a middleman, like a ring promotion. Personally, I feel that FCF readers who attended actual wrestling/MMA/boxing matches like to know how the character would compare against their girlfriend/wife/crush or that they can mentally plaster their significant other onto the character.

My impressionable years were spent, for a lack of a better term, in an open air prison, so when I read stories about the world I thought I would never get to see, it's that, that I made into "write about what you know". South and East Asian communities even abroad are largely monoclastic, so if I were to write short I might run into the error of suggesting it's a person who's barely 5 feet when I mean 5'4, a usual average height for women from those regions. The inverse is true for people of North European origin.

As for descriptions, now that's a different animal. Like to deep dive on fashion, makeup, accessories, anything that makes a woman want to stand out. My aim is to write for them, so they too can identify with characters.

[h_k]

I would have replied here sooner had I not misunderstood the purpose of the topic I genuinely thought it's about asking fighters if they're pleased with their stats.

LOL. That's what I thought too!
Problem I find with writers who drip-feed you details of the fighters' appearance at the rate of one fact per paragraph is that  – perhaps I have vertigo or something – by the time the information arrives, I've generally already jumped to any number of false conclusions.
The story's set in Brazil, say, so already, I'm assuming they're athletic looking brunettes - I'm picturing one who looks a bit like Ariane Lipski and another who looks a bit like Gezary Matuda (because they're the first two Brazilian fighters who pop into my head.)
But then we discover in Paragraph Two that one of them has red hair. Fuck: now we've got three girls in the ring (because there's no Delete key in my head).
Then in Paragraph Three, we learn that one is in fact a negress. Fuck. I hadn't thought of that. Four.
And the one with the red hair, who I'd assumed was tall and slim, turns out in Paragraph Four to be short and dumpy. So now, as well as the negress, we have the two slim brunettes we began with, and two redheads, one statuesque, the other dumpy. Later, it turns out that it's the negress who has the red hair. (Dyed I assume).
In short, by the time the author provides us with the last drop of information, somewhere between paragraphs 20 and 30, I've enough girls in my head for an entire rugby scrum!
Or am I the only idiot who has this problem?

[catfightlover40]

I would have replied here sooner had I not misunderstood the purpose of the topic I genuinely thought it's about asking fighters if they're pleased with their stats.

LOL. That's what I thought too!
Problem I find with writers who drip-feed you details of the fighters' appearance at the rate of one fact per paragraph is that  – perhaps I have vertigo or something – by the time the information arrives, I've generally already jumped to any number of false conclusions.
The story's set in Brazil, say, so already, I'm assuming they're athletic looking brunettes - I'm picturing one who looks a bit like Ariane Lipski and another who looks a bit like Gezary Matuda (because they're the first two Brazilian fighters who pop into my head.)
But then we discover in Paragraph Two that one of them has red hair. Fuck: now we've got three girls in the ring (because there's no Delete key in my head).
Then in Paragraph Three, we learn that one is in fact a negress. Fuck. I hadn't thought of that. Four.
And the one with the red hair, who I'd assumed was tall and slim, turns out in Paragraph Four to be short and dumpy. So now, as well as the negress, we have the two slim brunettes we began with, and two redheads, one statuesque, the other dumpy. Later, it turns out that it's the negress who has the red hair. (Dyed I assume).
In short, by the time the author provides us with the last drop of information, somewhere between paragraphs 20 and 30, I've enough girls in my head for an entire rugby scrum!
Or am I the only idiot who has this problem?

When it comes to a place like Brazil, I'd fully take into account how the joined Portuguese/Spanish kingdoms ruled over places like the Low Countries and thanks to that genetic mixture there are blonde Portuguese and Spaniards. A mulatto wouldn't faze me either considering how in 1892 Brazil was to last to give up slavery. If description were more vague then yes, I could veer into thinking there are more than two fighters.

[CoffeeMug]

I'm not a fan of the 'measurements' approach. IMO, it tends to sound contrived. I prefer "larger breasts" to a specific cup size--it's closer to how people actually think and talk and frankly I find it more erotic as well.

I understand the argument for the 'slipping descriptions into the text slowly over the course of the story' technique. But, I like the 'paragraph where everything pauses while we describe what they look like before they fight.' I like this (and it's what I tend to write myself) because it suggests how women compare themselves to each other in real life. And at this point that's a huge part of the appeal of all of this to me.

[catfightlover40]

Who brings a tape measure to a catfight?

A far better tool for measuring a catfighter is their opponent. Which is taller? Which has the bigger muscles? Which has the larger breasts?

If both catfighters are 5'5" then height is almost irrelevant to the story - beyond it being easier to have a staredown

That said, don't underestimate the human ego. The most infamous pissing contest for me was the 1970 Borsalino movie, an Alain Delon/Jean Paul Belmondo crime drama. They were very bankable stars, so both of their agents and allegedly they themselves demanded first credit, which finally ended up being their names displayed beside each other in equal font and size. Women rely on social networks, most of the time, so their perception and self-worth has been and still is being shaped by their respective communities, thus making the other doubt in the stature and size is half winning the battle.

[catfightlover40]

That said, don't underestimate the human ego. The most infamous pissing contest for me was the 1970 Borsalino movie, an Alain Delon/Jean Paul Belmondo crime drama. They were very bankable stars, so both of their agents and allegedly they themselves demanded first credit, which finally ended up being their names displayed beside each other in equal font and size. Women rely on social networks, most of the time, so their perception and self-worth has been and still is being shaped by their respective communities, thus making the other doubt in the stature and size is half winning the battle.

Its a fair point. Now you mention it, boxers go through a whole ritual of pre-fight weighing in before an audience to basically advertise who is packing the bigger muscle mass.

Ok, I retract my point - but only to modify it to making any kind of measuring a part of the story. I can absolutely see the equivalent of a pre-fight weigh-in as a part of a catfight story build-up.

Having someone measure both women, or having them measure one another, would definitely add to the scene.

Its when the omniscent narrator decides to throw out numbers that I find a bit jarring

Unless they're fighters, yes, most women compare botes mentally. My first long term ex regaled that she used a 3-tier system, the first being the sizing up to know if she can win (and it's organic to write that if she knows how tall she is the other is taller, more lean or sturdy), the second being the verbal catfight, and the third the actual fight. Since when I knew her she used to be 5'8 and 200lbs, not many dared to challenges, especially considering how fast she was.