I hate myself for posting this...

L.Blake · Aug 23, 2012

ccarver30...thank you for asking this question, I needed the answer too[

)]

ccarver30 · Aug 24, 2012

L.Blake said:
ccarver30...thank you for asking this question, I needed the answer too[)]

I've already cut 20+ of them out.

It's kind of freeing. lol

Sirion · Aug 24, 2012

ccarver30 said:
I feel like I am using the word "smile" too much. Smile, grin, smirk, lips twitching with amusement...- these too.

Yes, I have used a thesaurus but nothing else seems to really fit. My peeps are happy to see one another though! Any thoughts as to what else I can use to convey a smile?

Stop being so damn happy all the time!

August Talok · Aug 24, 2012

Hit the nail on the head.

truemay said:
or simply say at the start of the book.She had a strange habit of greeting everyone or any situation with a smile.It was something she had been doing since she was a child.

This is how I would solve it as well. Establish it early on, then it's planted in the readers mind for the rest of the story.

rwm4768 · Aug 24, 2012

If you're using it in place of a dialogue tag, you might just want to switch to the dialogue tag.

Bob smiled. "I'd love to go."

vs.

"I'd love to go," Bob said.

Said is generally invisible, and the reader can probably infer that Bob is happy from what he's saying.

ccarver30 · Aug 25, 2012

rwm4768 said:
If you're using it in place of a dialogue tag, you might just want to switch to the dialogue tag.

Bob smiled. "I'd love to go."

vs.

"I'd love to go," Bob said.

Said is generally invisible, and the reader can probably infer that Bob is happy from what he's saying.

Generally, I would agree- but upon reading the two lines I got a different feeling from them. The first one was definitely more pleasant. :-S

ccarver30 · Aug 25, 2012

truemay said:
or simply say at the start of the book.She had a strange habit of greeting everyone or any situation with a smile.It was something she had been doing since she was a child.

That's not her though. I can't just create an attribute to cover up my shotty writing. Know what I mean?

Jennn · Aug 27, 2012

Maybe you can just show the characters eyes crinkling at the corners and the reader will get the idea.

I hate myself for posting this...

L.Blake

Soaking up information.

ccarver30

Nicole Castro

Sirion

practical experience, FTW

August Talok

Don't Eat the Grot!

rwm4768

practical experience, FTW

ccarver30

Nicole Castro

ccarver30

Nicole Castro

Jennn