greed.

Anonymous asked: I’m having a problem when it comes to describing kisses and smiles without using the word lips and still sound natural. Usually, I don’t mind the word, but it seems like I’ve been using it far too often in my writing, especially when it comes to smiles or smirks. Do you have anything to help with that?

Writing smiles and kisses without using the word “lips” is pretty tricky, but it can be done. Just don’t go overboard in trying to avoid using the word. Lips are crucial to both of those actions, so you can’t avoid them entirely. One thing to keep in mind with describing kisses is that lips touching lips or skin isn’t the only thing going on. Hands are roaming, hearts are speed-thumping, and hormones are going crazy—so just spending a little time on what else is going on will both flesh out and lengthen the scene without having to keep describing what the lips are doing. Smiling, at least, gives us a little more to work with. For one thing, there are multiple ways to indicate that someone is smiling:

grinning

beaming

laughing

giggling

chuckling

simpering

sneering

There are also many ways to describe the face of someone who is smiling:

face brightened

face glowing

eyes lit up/sparkled/twinkled

looking delighted/happy/amused/pleased/satisfied

cheeks dimpled

upturned face

And there are ways to describe what the mouth is doing when someone smiles:

mouth upturned

mouth twitched (quick smile)

mouth quirked/quirked up/quirked at the corners

mouth twists with [emotion]

And, instead of smiling, you could describe other visible aspects of the emotion causing them to smile:

doing things with enthusiasm

a bounce in their step, skipping, dancing

swinging arms, tapping feet

showing interest

happy tears

fist-pump, clapping, moving excited

Also, internal aspects that the person smiling might be feeling:

radiating joy

lighthearted

feeling good

being content