Forum: Author Hangout

I'm working on a story in which the main character is a physically small female. The MC is shorter than Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I saw many obits that referred to the 5-foot-1 RBG as "tiny."
Then I saw a photograph of Joe Biden, who I never thought of as particularly big. But in this photo, he was standing behind a stand with his arms outstretched and he looked big. I recall photos of Ike and Richard Nixon in which they used outstretched arms, and I never thought either of them looked especially big.
The MC in my story is too small to wear "petite" size women's clothes, and must buy ready-made clothes among the "girl's" selection (what she actually does is buy used stuff from thrift stores and, with the help of a next-door seamstress friend, re-does them to fit.)
Having explained more than was probably necessary, the question is, what can I have the MC do that can make her LOOK larger than the munchkin she is? High-heels come early. Her best feature is her very long hair (it comes down to below her butt).
Any suggestions welcome.

Give her an even shorter friend.

Graduate from regular high heels to platform shoes.

If it were a movie, you could have her in the foreground while others are further from the camera (This is how the did the hobbits and Dwarves for the Lord of the Rings movies).

Attitude.

If she can pull off overbearing and bossy, she can make people react to her personality rather than her stature.

Whatever you do, don't have her date a NBA center, since being more than two feet shorter than someone she stands next to frequently won't help.

If she has a office, make the legs of all extra chairs a couple inches shorter than normal, and give her a slightly taller than normal desk with a chair she can adjust the height on. This should let her look people in the eye (or even look down at some.)

Look? As in descriptions of physical actions? Or, are you talking about interactions with other characters that focus attention on her? I've got a character that's under five feet. In one scene, she curls her feet under her in a chair, something she will only do because the man she is talking to (her boss) has already shown that he sees and respects her strengths and plans to use them. Without that, she would never have done something that would emphasize her small size.

Doesn't matter if it's a person, animal, book, painting, sound, or whatever you choose. Contrast is an integral part of perception. Without contrast, there is no perception.

In this case, the character should not change, but rather the contrasting elements that allow the perception of the character.

QQQQQQQQQQOQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQOQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQOQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQOQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQOQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQOQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQOQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQOQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQ

Example of contrast. Look for the 'O' in the field of 'Q's.

Conversely, look for the Q in the field of 'O's.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOQOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOQOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOQOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOQOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOQOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOQOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOQOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOQOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOQOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOQOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Which is easier to make out? Q in the second field or O in the first?

In Robert Heinlein's "Number of the Beast", he has a physically tiny woman named "Sharpy" Real name Hilda, that tends to take over any situation by the force of her personality. She even manages to get Lazarus Long to toe the line.

Clothing can make her look bigger. Tops with shoulder pads, poodle skirts, winter clothing, heavy boots. Clothing with vertical stripes.

dd

(Also never stand next to anyone but people her height!)