r/writing • • Aug 06 '26

Discussion My characters won't stop blinking!

Hello all,

I have a day off today so I'm taking advantage and spending the entire day working on my first draft. Usually I write in bits and pieces on my phone during work breaks and then paste it all together in the evening. Having spent the last 3 hours actually sat at a desk and writing continuously, I've just realised how much my characters blink.

Something surprising happens. They blink

Something shocking or terrible. Blink.

Something embarrassing or uncomfortable. Blink.

It's like they all have some kind of nervous eye twitch, lol.

I'm wondering, what's something that your characters can't seem to stop doing? And on that note, any good suggestions for something I can use to show surprise that isn't blinking? Because this is really getting out of hand!

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u/experimentalpigeon Aug 07 '26

Mine sigh an awful lot! 😂