Anorexia

Hey so in the book I am currently writing one of my main characters is anorexic. At the moment I am writing a scene where she is looking in the mirror and I want to describe her appearance, but I want her to see herself as fat, but the readers to know she is thin. My friend gave me an example: her thin flabby arms, but some parts I am having trouble with.

This is kind of hard to explain, so if you need more explaining PM me

Thanks,
Nicole

Is it in first person or third? If it's third, then you, the narrator, could comment on how she looks. But if it's first, I'd suggest not tampering with her description. She sees herself as fat, so she wouldn't say how they were thin, but flabby. Just that they were flabby. Do other people in the story realize that she's anorexic? If they do, you can use their actions and reactions around her to make it obvious she's too thin. Or have someone compare themselves to her. Also, if it's said that she's anorexic, or she actively refrains from eating, then people will probably assume that she's thin and that she simply has a warped view on herself, especially if, when looking at the mirror, she exaggerates almost too much, in such proportions that are almost impossible. The girl in "Wintergirls" by Laurie Halse Anderson did this.

loveness, ultravioelt <3

Hey The story is in third person, and it is all knowing so sometimes it'll be like "I hate him," April thought. Right now in the story no one knows that she is, I'm just starting off with her, like thinking about it. I'm doing a mirror scene and I want her to describe her appearance, but it's tricky.

Thank-you for your help, ultraviolet

I have to agree with Ultraviolet.
There is a scene in one of my works where she is talking about another girl and what she admires about that girl's body to her boyfriend. His responses tell the reader what her body is really like, but it is important to show how she sees herself.

I don't like the word flabby.....I've been there and that was not a word I used to describe myself. I would've said that I had thick arms, but that is probably because I heard it from someone else first. Just something to think about....

Oy, you might have her focus--over focus--on one part of her body. 'Tis common with women, and others, who suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorders, or eating disorders. She might not be able to look away from her stomach--and it just seems too much, too there. She might pick at her thighs, notice the skin hanging, tug at at it. I rather think it would work best if she had one piece of herself she couldn't stop seeing--and it's just too much. Try to convey that no matter what, she feels she's too there, and she's got to whittle herself away to all right or perfect.

I don't know if that helps much. I've worked with eating disorders though, and I've had my own rather distressing bouts with OCD.

If you've questions, feel free to PM, da?


IMP ^_^