Bonus points if the author first mentions a specific trait, physical build, or whatever else halfway through the novel and totally fucks up my mental image.
I don't expect a biology model description for each character, but write me something brief and evocative of how they should look, you fucking dork author. I don't even know how tall she should be, her hair colour, anything. Why are you like this, author?
Glad I'm not the only one who thinks this way. It seems to be so common to not have physical descriptions, that I was wondering if this was normal and I was the weird one for being so visual. There are some people with aphantasia, after all. I can see if they want you to use your imagination, but then you can't just suddenly mention something half way through the book that totally messes up my mental image! Ugh. Books are basically mental movies playing in my brain while I read. It's jarring to have to recast suddenly in the middle of the movie.
Yeah exactly!!!! To me "using your imagination" is not "I'm giving you nothing so freestyle it until I contradict your mental image", seriously.
I think it varies by genre, but I see the problem in lots of places & I hate it.
It’s a modern (like within the last 100 years trend) convention, right?
Victorian authors make it very clear exactly what everyone looks like. And if the character is anything but English, they do so very racistly.
Angloids