Body Language

I recently read an article online from Cosmopolitan about the signals men send when they're interested...or not. When writing, I'm always looking for facial expressions or body language to convey what a character is thinking or feeling. I just might use a few of these:
  • chest and shoulders positioned toward you: he's interested; whatever a man is interested in he aims his upper body toward it
  • holding a long, piercing gaze: don't get too excited; holding intense eye contact for more than 5 seconds is unnatural, so he may just be playing you
  • a half smile: careful! he may just want a no-strings fling (or enjoy if that's what you want too!)
  • lifts his eyebrows: he's soooo into you
  • touches his belt or jeans pocket: run - away from him or toward him, as he's subconsciously drawing your attention to his package
  • stands or sits with his toes pointed toward each other: he's feeling insecure (or he's five years old)
  • grins with only the corners of his mouth upturned: he doesn't want to reveal too much too soon and may be a bit shy
  • tilts his head slightly to the side when your eyes meet: a subconcious "come get me" signal - so what are you waiting for?
  • smiles with his top lip stretched wide and his teeth barely showing: sounds kind of creepy to me, but it's a polite signal that while he may enjoy your company, the romantic spark isn't there
  • a devilish smirk where he raises one side or the other of his closed mouth: do we really have to explain this one? "devilish smirk" says it all; this guy's going to play hard to get and you'd better pull out all the stops

Enjoy the montage below and see if you can interpret any signals. (I swear Johnny Depp is lifting his eyebrows at me!) Darn! My use of the montage expired - you'll just have to take my word for it that Johnny is soooo into me... In the meantime, interpret these - until they expire.

14 comments:

Carly Carson said...

Hi Mia,

I love the whole study of body language. It tells you why your intuition works. When you think someone is interested in you - or not - it's because of the body language signals you're reading. When in doubt, trust your intuition! Great post.

Carly

Terry Spear said...

I just read this too. I think it's great, though I think some can hide the way they really are, giving mixed signals.

Liane Gentry Skye said...

What a great primer in body language. Thanks so much for sharing it with us.

Mia Varano said...

Carly, I always watch for the crossed arms or the palms up. Crossed arms means not receptive and palms up are the opposite.

Terry, you're right. I think that's why subconscious signs are so important. It's the stuff people don't realize they're doing!

Thanks, Liane. I had to replace the image. Hope you come back to see the new one!

Sandy said...

Hi Mia,

Love the images, they demonstrate what you posted very well. lol

Sandy

Nicole North said...

Great post, Mia! I love studying body language! And thanks for the hot pics! ;)

Donna Marie Rogers said...

Well, hey, thanks for the sexy pics. What a great way to start the day...LOL I love the study of body language. I can tell exactly what my husband is thinking by the tilt of his head, the cross of his arms, the way he shakes his head. :-)

Mia Varano said...

Sandy, I'm glad you got to see them before they "expire."

Nicole, I think paying attention to body language really helps writers. I use a lot of "dialogue tags" and they give the dialogue so much more depth when the action reflects what the character is saying...or is opposite.

Donna, glad I started your day with a "bang."

Jill James said...

This is why I love that new show "Lie to me". It is like a writer's dream come true. Not only do you get body langague but you get an explaination of what it means as well.

Mia Varano said...

Jill, Someone else mentioned that show before. I'll have to check it out.

Stacey Joy Netzel said...

I've heard of some of these, but some are new. Thanks!

Carol Burnside aka Annie Rayburn said...

Interesting. You say those guys in the pix have expressions? Maybe I should study them more carefully...

Chiron said...

I love the study of body language and facial expressions. There's an interesting show called "Lie To Me" on Fox which focuses on the supposed signals people send with their gestures and expressions.

Intriguing premise. Ironically, sometimes a signal for 'flirtatiousness' is also a sign of insecurity! I know if I'm feeling nervous, I'll play with my hair. Little did I realize I was sending a "come hither" signal to the world! *Groan*

Thanks for a fascinating post!

Smiles,
Chiron O'Keefe
www.chironokeefe.blogspot.com

Mia Varano said...

Stacey, yes, some are obvious, others a little strange. LOL

Carol, I found I had to study those guys VERY carefully indeed!

Chiron, you're the third person who has mentioned that show - must find it and "DVR" it...