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PansyOHara t1_ixxcgcv wrote

IMO all of these are fine—but can definitely be overused very easily. If such a phrase recurs more than a couple of times in a medium-length novel or more than once in a short story; or if several of these examples are sprinkled throughout, it’s a sign that the author is overly fond of cliches (and I’m guilty of that!)

A good editor will help the author spot these and encourage either more creativity or something more stark and understated in some cases. Certainly IMO when an author wants to convey emotional distress, these descriptions help to convey the character’s state of mind. So it’s very tempting to use familiar phrases that are likely to come off as trite instead. Not easy!

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