Mirroring: An Easy Way to Deepen Your Novel

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

Copying the actions of someone is an instinctual behavioral trick to get someone to consider you favorably. They smile, you smile, they take a sip of a drink, you take a sip--con men and pick up artists have been using it for ages, and a similar technique can help readers feel a stronger connection to our novels.

Mirroring.

The most common mirror is how the ending often mirrors the beginning, showing how the protagonist's life has changed and why she's better off (or worse if that's the type of story it is). If she starts the story alone and watching Friends on TV, by the end of the tale she's out living her life in a Friends-type style. If the novel opens with her making a huge mistake, it ends with her catching someone else before they make that mistake. However she's grown, that growth is reflected in the "mirror" that is the ending.

Mirrors aren't just copies, but ideas and themes reflected in characters and situations around the protagonist. Sometimes they match the protagonist's emotions or choices, other times they reflect the opposite, but they deepen the story by allowing the protagonist (and reader) to "experience" other potential outcomes without derailing the story. Stakes become more real when we see them occur, and the right mirror can do a world of foreshadowing and raise the tension.

Other mirrors we can employ include:

The Path Not Taken

Another character represents the consequences the protagonist will face if she doesn't fix what's wrong in the novel. This might be a plot path, a character arc path, or a subplot. Whatever bad thing is facing the protagonist is also happening to someone else, and that struggle helps show the protagonist what her life would be like if she doesn't get her act together.

• What character would make a good sacrifice to show the stakes of the story?
• Who has similar traits or flaws the protagonist needs to fix? Who might disagree with the protagonist and take this other path? 

The Example

Similar to the Path Not Taken, this character has already suffered all the consequences the protagonist fears. She's broken and enduring the protagonist's worst nightmare.

• Who might have made all the same mistakes and paid the worst price for them?
• Where might the protagonist encounter this person?
• How might this character affect the protagonist?

The Road to Salvation

On the flip side, someone might represent all or some of the benefits of the protagonist doing what's right and growing as a character. Maybe it's a person she envies, or a life she wishes she had. It's visual proof that she can get what she wants if she's willing to put in the work to get there.

• Who has everything the protagonist wants (or thinks she wants)?
• Which character exhibits traits the protagonist is striving for?
• What life or situation might the protagonist be striving for?

The Conflicting Opinion

Quite often the antagonist mirrors the opposing view of the protagonist, but sometimes another character (often a sidekick or best friend) can take the other side. This character can show why the protagonist is fighting so hard, and can even show the redeeming aspects of the other side.

• How might a character share opposing views to the protagonist?
• Is there any merit in the antagonist's opinion?
• Who within the protagonist's circle of allies might voice an opposing opinion?

The Voices in Your Head

Different characters can offer perspectives that mirror the internal conflict the protagonist might be having. They can even help the protagonist keep it real and consider all sides of an argument.

• Which characters (both allies and enemies) have views or lives that represent something the protagonist is struggling with?
• What situations might force the protagonist to think about or face those conflicting ideas?
• Who might represent the various outcomes of choosing one of the sides the protagonist is debating?

Mirrors don't have to be major elements of the novel, and small mirrors can be just as effective as large ones when used in the right place. A peek at the worst consequence she faces when the protagonist is at her lowest can spark her to action, same as a look at all she can have if she pushes through the pain.

What mirrors do you use in your novel? 

Find out more about characters, internalization, and point of view in my book, Fixing Your Character & Point-of-View Problems.

Go step-by-step through revising character and character-related issues, such as two-dimensional characters, inconsistent points of view, too-much backstory, stale dialogue, didactic internalization, and lack of voice. Learn how to analyze your draft, spot any problems or weak areas, and fix those problems.

With clear and easy-to-understand examples, Fixing Your Character & Point-of-View Problems offers five self-guided workshops that target the common issues that make readers stop reading. It will help you:

• Flesh out weak characters and build strong character arcs
• Find the right amount of backstory to enhance, not bog down, your story
• Determine the best point(s) of view and how to use them to your advantage
• Eliminate empty dialogue and rambling internalization
• Develop character voices and craft unique, individual characters 

Fixing Your Character & Point-of-View Problems starts every workshop with an analysis to pinpoint problem areas and offers multiple revision options in each area. You choose the options that best fit your writing process. It's an easy-to-follow guide to crafting compelling characters, solid points of view, and strong character voices readers will love.

Available in paperback and ebook formats.

Janice Hardy is the award-winning author of the teen fantasy trilogy The Healing Wars, including The Shifter, Blue Fire, and Darkfall from Balzer+Bray/Harper Collins. The Shifter, was chosen for the 2014 list of "Ten Books All Young Georgians Should Read" from the Georgia Center for the Book.

She also writes the Grace Harper urban fantasy series for adults under the name, J.T. Hardy.

When she's not writing novels, she's teaching other writers how to improve their craft. She's the founder of Fiction University and has written multiple books on writing.

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