Replacements for overused literary phrases

[nfdaniel85]

We all know "once upon a time" is a pretty classic literary phrase. How about, "I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding" or, my personal favorite, "spots danced behind my eyes"?

I thought after reading my last book that I cannot be the only one who notices those terms transcend boundaries in the book world.

Maybe we could come up with some other good options? Like, "I finlly let out a breath I knew I was holding" or, more seriously, "the gray faded from my vision".

I'm not complaining, all my favorite authors use the same terms and I still love them, I just want to maybe help them and not feel like I'm the only crazy one.

[DustinPBrown]

I feel like I've read anything describing facial expressions or laughs a million times. "He cocked an eyebrow." "They laughed easily." "She smiled from ear to ear." It's difficult to describe emotions on a face, so I get it, but I honestly think there's so much cliche in them because people these days write fiction like they're watching a movie.

[WingTaken]

Yeah, I totally get what you mean, I noticed those reappearing expressions too.
I think the problem is that we read them so often that when we try to write, we automatically put them to paper because they spring to mind so quickly.
The only solution I have discovered so far is to just develop your own writing voice. As soon as I find that (and it's not always easy to find), the flow picks me up and my brain kicks down those confining expressions, eager to find new ways to describe scenes and characters. Sometimes, it can help to try writing in a different place, or just in your second language (if you have one), or to approach a scene from a different angle.

[Lincolnshirelass]

I am fascinated by the phrase 'pricked up his ears', not so much from a purely linguistic view as because I once read that some humans, but a constantly dwindling number actually can waggle their ears, and the demise of this skill is an example of evolution in action. On reflection maybe I should get out more