BoM/TWS Message Forum

To start off, I'll repost (and maybe even keep up permanently) the reference photo for our hero, Will Prescott:



I'll also reprint here some of the comments that were made about it in the other thread:

Nostrum: "Given the usual description, Will's reference photo isn't half-bad. He's not even unassuming."

rugal: "I think Will's problem has always been his personality more than his actual looks. He's a nervous spaz which makes him come off as more unattractive than he actually is. You can see this in the sophomore brach where Will!Gordon pretty much carves out a niche for himself pretty quick and seems to have little problem getting girls interested in him."

Nostrum: "The description always places him in an unfavorable spot, though.

Take the teeth, for example. Most of the times Will's teeth are described, they're done so as comically large - yet, comparing the reference photos, Joe has larger teeth. Though it works as a way to emphasize his low self-esteem (particularly when describing himself on the mirror, or on a "out-of-body" experience), when it comes to visualize him as-is, it leads to a less flattering mental picture than the reference shows.

Of course, not everyone's mental picture is the same - a reference photo can bring up two different descriptions because people focus on different things, and a description can conjure two vastly different mental pictures because you draw from what you know.

That's why I was surprised that Will's reference photo shows he's not that bad looking. For one, though it demonstrates his stiff hair, I imagined it a lot drier. And as for the teeth, I imagined him with a slight overbite - the reference shows a full smile but not an unpleasant one. Because the description didn't support a different image, I was led to believe that his looks were a big part of the lack of attractiveness - that it was an equal complement to his poor charisma and sense of self, rather than one magnifying the other. ("You'd look better if you fix up a bit" doesn't necessarily help.)"

Seuzz: "Much of what has been said is one reason I really like the reference photo. It is capable of supporting some complex and even contradictory assessments.

It is undoubtedly a handsome face. But it is unkempt--particularly the hair and the whiskers--and could stand a good clean up. I think it is easy to see a lack of confidence in the eyes: a wary squint. The teeth are probably smaller than Joe's, but the mouth is also much smaller than Joe's, so they seem relatively big and slightly ill-proportioned, like they're just a bit too much of a mouthful. Joe's teeth may also fill his mouth, but his mouth fills his face, and more. Joe's smile, IMO, says "Daddy's here to eat you all up with love!" Will's says "Are we done here can I go?"

You can look at Will from the outside in that photo, and assess him as someone who just needs a good stiffening and a brighter opinion of himself -- which he gets in The Wandering Stars (in most sections). But the photo also does a good job of reminding me of what I see as his inner character. Uncertain, a little nervous, ready to bolt. That's his character. His story in BoM, when it has a happy development, is of the inner character evolving to more accurately reflect his outer appearance."

ThePrussian: "As best I can recall, most of the people who comment about Will's appearance have complaints about things that he could fix with better self-care, i.e. his unkempt hair, sloppy unshaved facial hair, style of dress, et cetera. Lucille mentioned in TWS that he would be handsome if he kept his hair under control even. Most of the negative comments about his appearance that isn’t something he could change with better discipline is Will’s poor self-esteem coloring any description of himself imo."

EDIT: Hey hey, I managed to get the AI to replace Will's infamous hat with the hair that is likely underneath it!