Alright, in my current WIP, the MC's love interest has these really pretty, clear green eyes. I actually based him a little on my husband, who really does have gorgeous green eyes. But now, as I'm reading back through the MS, it just feels so cliched to have this guy who makes the MC's heart flutter every time she sees his eyes. Are the "beautiful eyes" just way too played out now? Will it still feel unique or seem like the same tired old love interest?
The cliched "Beautiful Eyes"
- Thread starter brmerry
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Gorgeous eyes are awesome. But personally, I'd give that not more than two flutters and a sideways notice. It's the reaction that stands to become overdone.
Also, it will be truer and more in depth if your character is reacting to her love interest as a human being, not just getting hung up on a physical feature. She may be seeing him, but unless she's seeing him, things can get tired pretty easily.
(Heck, I gave my latest heroine gorgeous eyes. And made her stunningly beautiful to boot. It's fun.)
Also, it will be truer and more in depth if your character is reacting to her love interest as a human being, not just getting hung up on a physical feature. She may be seeing him, but unless she's seeing him, things can get tired pretty easily.
(Heck, I gave my latest heroine gorgeous eyes. And made her stunningly beautiful to boot. It's fun.)
I'm description challenged but I found Google has a wealth of descriptive resources. There are plenty more where these two came from.
400+ Ways to Describe Eyes
Words for eyes
400+ Ways to Describe Eyes
Words for eyes
Unless his eyes have further significance to the plot, I wouldn't dwell too much on them, although a few mentions isn't a big sin.
Just know that YA LIs have a greater proportion of green eyes than most see in real life. More likely than not, that will be called a cliche.
Just know that YA LIs have a greater proportion of green eyes than most see in real life. More likely than not, that will be called a cliche.
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Hi brmerry. I think it's ok to focus on the love interest's "beautiful eyes" in a YA book. I don't see beautiful eyes as more cliché than beauty in general, since eyes tend to be a focal point when we look at others.
Teens are more visual and usually think more about how others look, so to me it makes sense to have her fixated on his eyes. If you describe them (and his appearance in general) too much, you might get criticized, but then some of the most popular YA books are similarly criticized.
I do see green eyes as more of a cliché (like red-haired girls), but you're basing it on someone and if it's important to you, go for it. Maybe your passion for the green eyes / beautiful eyes will add to the story and outweigh problems some may have with it.
I think it's OK to get hung up on eyes, we all look at them, and they are an attractive feature. But often it goes beyond the mere color. There's size, shape, expression, etc. My first crush had big brown eyes that I thought were attractive because they were magnified (he wore glasses) and because he always turned his head to look at me (his side vision was poor.)
It doesn't have to "feel unique" at all. Quite a few authors have made fame and fortune by describing ordinary, non-unique things. A book is made of many ingredients, just like a meal is made of many ingredients and it's the final result that matters. If it fits the character to talk about "beautiful eyes" then they should do just that. Regular Joe would talk differently than Artful Joe. Regular Joe might not know how to say any other compliments, or maybe he's so smitten that he can't think of anything else to say at that moment. The whole situation is important, not just one word.
Beautiful eyes are great. Does your book have a picture? No? Well then there's not all that much you can do with them.
It's not what they look like. What do they do? Eyes are the windows to the soul. Eyes are expressive. What do your character's eyes express?
It's not what they look like. What do they do? Eyes are the windows to the soul. Eyes are expressive. What do your character's eyes express?
I don't think there is anything cliche about eyes, we all have them and everyone's eyes are unique regardless of color. My own husband has blue eyes with long black lashes and black hair, a true cliche for novelists(black hair/blue eyes) but they are the most gorgeous eyes I've ever seen and after 19yrs together I've yet to grow bored of them. If a your mc is attracted by that feature I don't see why you can't mention it a few times.