The Mirror Trap

One of the most common ways beginning writers show a character’s physical appearance involves posing the character in front of a mirror.  This setup lends itself to a quick list of eye color, hair color, skin color, and face and body shape, which can be efficient, but it also risks being boring or cliché.  More fun is invading a character’s body, like when Gaia moves through a tight tunnel, bracing her fingertips against the walls, I can give a sense of how that feels for her.  She feels her hair warm against her cheek because she’s often hiding the scar on her face.

When she does finally encounter a mirror, she’s reluctant to look into it, which matches how she considers herself ugly.  Of course, what matters about Gaia is what’s inside, where she’s strong and brave.

On the Promised Blog Tour today, I answer a smattering of questions about Gaia and my TBR pile over on Nancy’s Tales of the Ravenous Reader. She’s running a giveaway, too!