I noticed years ago that when I was at all uncertain while writing, I’d have the characters smile. It served no story purpose, just a nervous tic, attempting to ensure they were likable. I stopped doing it, and it made my writing stronger.
Just now, seeing yet another post about women being told to “smile more,” I realized the connection between that attitude and the bad habit I had developed in my writing.
My characters are often too busy saving the world against great odds to smile.
Being likable isn’t Kipper’s priority when raptor ships attack in Otters In Space 2. It isn’t Clarity’s priority when the universe begins ripping apart in Entanglement Bound. And it’s not Witch-Hazel’s priority when she’s attacked by crab sorcerers in The Snake’s Song.
Women have more important things to do than smile and try to be likable. Both in real life and in fiction.
My characters got a lot better and more interesting when they stopped smiling so much without reason.
And when true smiles happen, it makes them all the more meaningful.