Don’t let a smile do all the lifting!
One of the steps I take when editing a manuscript is search for particular words, such as smile. Every word matters especially when it comes to character’s gestures and facial expressions. I want to avoid stale or easy gestures such as shrugs, eye rolls and angry glares.
A smile alone shouldn’t be left to do all your heavy lifting. What exactly does that mean? There are as many different types of smiles as there are reasons a character might smile. Some people flash their teeth when they are nervous or afraid. Others want to appear friendly when they are not. Some people hide their teeth. Some people grin with their entire face, and some look oddly frozen.
There is a multitude of other ways you might express happiness or friendliness than to write The stranger smiled at me.
Two different ways I use smile in writing:
One is to couch the smile or grin in a description of the character:
- The girl covered her mouth, as if hiding a smile full of crooked teeth.
- “What is his name? I don’t remember,” Stephie said with a smile that showed her charming, crooked tooth.
- His smile creased the skin around his eyes.
- He flashed a half-smile and took a seat at the table.
- “This is Papi,” Raf said to me, his smile mirroring his father’s.
- An affable grin revealed a gap between two front teeth as big and square as Chiclets.
The second way I use smile is to hint at an emotion:
- Never dropping her pasted smile, she gave him a sideways glance.
- I hid my flinch with a smile.
- He swallowed his smile.
- Her photo showed a forced smile as she posed awkwardly with a paint brush in her hand.
- A self-satisfied smile plumped her cheeks.
- “Are you on a mission or something? Like, are you a detective?” He cracked a sly grin.
No smile is the same
Stronger imagery can convey a more radiant, joyful expression than simply a smile, making the scene visually and emotionally engaging. Word choice can reveal personality. A shy character might smile hesitantly, while an excited person might have a grin so big that their eyes disappear. To keep the writing fresh, use variety and avoid repetition. Allow for subtle shifts in tone and mood. For example, beamed suggests warmth and happiness; smirked suggests mischief or arrogance.
There’s nothing wrong with a simple “He smiled at her” when you’ve already fleshed out a scene. But part of the writer’s job is to create a more evocative passage when possible. Stretch yourself. Take a look at this list: 17 Types of Smiles and What They Mean.
Here’s six distinctly different smiles. How would you describe them? How might you write them? What do they reveal about the characters or their emotions?
Thank you for visiting.
Linda K. Sienkiewicz is a wrangler of words and big messy feelings in fiction and poetry.
In the Context of Love | Gordy and the Ghost Crab | Sleepwalker
Love and Other Incurable Ailments, coming 10/27/2026 from Regal House Publishing
Connect with Linda on social media: LinkTree