Writer's Guide

Looking

Do you want to describe how your characters look at each other? How they look at things? See if the following lines inspire you...

Uncle Peter shot a glance at the open cockpit door.

My sister was about to say something snarky, but my mother cut her down with a steel-eyed look that said "Don't even think about it."

"Hello, Samber!" said Uncle Peter, cutting his eyes to Bryce. "Would it be safe for me to hug you?"

She fixed him with a amorous gaze.

I followed Uncle Peter's line of sight.

Uncle Peter shot Jack a look, and he buried his head back into his book.

I looked at the ___. Samber followed my eyes.

I looked over at Samber, eyebrows raised in silent question.

Jeannie stuck her head around the corner and gave Samber the evil eye.

He had a look in his eye that gleamed of mischief.

Samber looked at me in a way that said she wasn't going to stand for any half-truths or evasive responses.

He glanced apologetically.

He looked at me mirthlessly.

She fixed him with a (passionless/hateful/amorous/vengeful) gaze.

She shot her with a spiteful gaze.

They locked eyes.

He looked at her, gauging her response.

She gave the ____ a critical glance.

She had her eyes on me in unblinking, almost clinical assessment.

He looked at me over the rim of his coffee mug.

Samber cut her eyes to me.

Our eyes cut to the ____.

Samber looked fake-hurt. "Don't you trust me?"

She made a quick visual scan of the room.

Uncle Peter's gaze sharpened as he ____.

Her expression mocked sympathy.

She tilted her head, as though she could better understand my words by viewing me from a different angle.

She fixed him with a most serious look.

She regarded him briefly.

They exchanged bemused looks, then... (bemused = slightly confused)

His expression darkened.

She acknowledged us with a curt nod of her head.

She turned to follow their gazes.

Her thin brows knitted together in disapproval.

She stared distractedly at ___.

I shot a glance at Uncle Peter to find him sharing a look.

Uncle Peter watched thoughtfully as she left.

I writhed inwardly under the angery man's scrutiny.

He reassembled his features into the closest approximation of (sincerity/sadness/support/empathy) he could muster.

Peripherally I saw the chickens scatter.

She gave me a sidelong look.

Uncle Peter couldn't hold back the pleased light in his eyes.

Kim gave me a suspitious sideways look that seemed to measure me, inside and out.

She gave me a venomous look.

Frank looked up abrutly

Frank's scowl promissed no peaceful intentions.

I squatted on my haunches to take a closer look.

The two men glared at each other, the coldest, most rigid, glare that ever passed between two people.

She gave me a withering glance.

Frank looked around the room with the air of a man who was doing the room a favor by looking at it.