Looking in the Mirror

It's that turning point in your story.

Something grave has happened, and your main character is having to face a defining moment. A moment where they need to really look inside themselves, and weigh their options of who they are, who they want to be, and what it will take to get there.

It is a moment of contemplation, of powerful emotions, of pivotal change. Unfortunately, often such a thing happens without any capacity for actual dialogue or even interaction with others. People contemplate about who they are and whether they need to change course in their lives in private rather than with someone else (unless they're in therapy, but that's a different situation and a different trope).

And while in a novel that isn't much of an issue, since thoughts and emotions can be described without the need for dialogue, when it comes to webcomics or movies, a silent scene poses a challenge.

One way is to tell more than show: get the character sitting in a chair or something, and go to town with thought bubbles. This can work, but it can also come across as 'wall of text' or generally less interesting or too static.

Or you can use a mirror.

A character looking in the mirror is a solid illustration of exactly what they are doing: contemplating about their own self, situation, direction, existence.

A 'look in the mirror' scene can be very powerful. How the character reacts to their own reflection can get across how they are feeling a lot more efficiently than a diatribe in a thought bubble. It can be a subtle reaction (a simple aversion of the eyes like they can't hold their own gaze, smirking at their reflection, cringing, etc) or a super dramatic one (spitting at their reflection, punching the mirror, etc).

Either way, it will tell the viewer a lot about the emotional and mental state of the character and how they feel about their own self in just a few wordless panels- or the bubble real estate can be used for other dialogue, making the scene even more organic.

Of course, the mirror doesn't need to be an actual mirror. A still body of water, some random reflective surface, the ever-popular polished sword blade, anything that can provide a reflection can serve as a means for the character to wordlessly display how they feel about themselves.

Have you ever used a mirror scene?

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