Comments on: Can We Please Outlaw Mirror Descriptions of Characters?

By: Scott at Slushpile.net

Scott at Slushpile.net — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 03:56:54 +0000

Admittedly, talent and experience can pull off a mirror scene. No doubt about that. You’re exactly right.

But all too often, we see such mirror scenes painfully put into use without doing anything new to it. I’d like to see a mirror scene where the character gazes into his open mouth to look at a filling. The mirror could reveal a mouth full of fillings (indicative of poor hygene, lack of care, or just bad teeth) or could reveal a pristine set of choppers marred by this one small filing that drives the character bonkers (indicative of a need for perfectionism, or some compulsion of some sort). But just something different with the mirror.

Instead, it’s usually, just the same old obvious amateurish thing.

By: Marfisa

Marfisa — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 00:36:08 +0000

Don’t discount all mirror scenes just because you were taught to in a class. Mirror scenes have been used very effectively, such as in Beauty Lessons by Cofer.

This puts it very nicely-
“These rules aren’t exactly arbitrary. Having a character gaze into a mirror is evidently an involuntary reflex for amateurs and writers without talent. But the rule makes no allowances for the possibilities of a mirror scene in the hands of a writer with talent. (See Katherine Manfield’s “Prelude.”).”
http://www.newyorkpress.com/18/48/books/SamSacks.cfm

By: TChambers

TChambers — Mon, 19 Sep 2005 06:39:16 +0000

Hilarious! Thanks! Why aren’t you a published writer? OOops! Maybe that’s a loaded question. I’ll have to go back and read your posts – I just stumbled onto your page.