Alternatives to raising eyebrows to show surprise

Question

I’m trying to reduce the number of clichés in my manuscript, and I’ve found 11 instances of characters raising their eyebrows. A couple I don’t mind, but it feels like too many.

What other actions can be used to indicate “mild surprise”?

Answer 1

Alternatives:

Every expression conveys subtly different messages. All these are in the same family, but each means a tiny bit different thing.

• Glare: Implies a bit of hostility.
• Just stared: Suggests more shock that you'd even suggest such a thing.
• Cough: A bit of a challenge, but subtle, and your reader might miss the significance.
• Throat clearing: Similar to the cough, a bit more overt and challenging.
• Choke: Significant shock, almost less incredulity than disbelief.
• Face scrunch: Mild disgust, but can just be incredulity.
• Deep breath: Suggests you don't know what you're talking about, or the following conversation will be uncomfortable.
• Pause of action: Establish the character is doing something beforehand. When they suddenly pause, they seem to be evaluating the statement.
• Snort: Like they think what you said is a little funny/absurd.
• Squint: Like they are evaluating what you are saying, thinking hard and not just accepting.
• Finger tapping: This conversation just became a waste of time/stupid because of what you said and I'm anxious to stop talking to you.
• Eye Roll (possibly followed by exhale): Oh, great, here comes the crazy/stupid thing I feared was going to be said.
• give a sideways glance: An old-fashioned expression that is essentially identical to raising an eyebrow, with perhaps a tad more open skepticism. Best when two people are walking or sitting next to each other.
• To look askance: Again, an old-fashioned expression almost identical to giving a sideways glance. Perhaps a bit more shocked.

This isn't complete, but it certainly gives you a few alternatives in the right contexts.

Answer 2

There are different flavors of surprise: Some are delightful, some make you angry, some raise your curiosity, some are hard to believe. Each flavor may cause a different reaction.

Raising an eyebrow, I think, often has an ironic undertone, like in a lovely child story I read a while ago: "'Dad says that he always did his homework in time when he was my age.' Grandpa raised an eyebrow. 'Is that so?' was all he said to that."

If news or events are puzzling one might also frown.

A very mild surprise that only needs some time to process may just cause a little hesitation.

In a conversation that was so far unremarkable, a surprising statement may cause the listener to look up, or turn and look (perhaps sharply) at their counterpart.

At unwelcome news or at an unwelcome touch somebody may stiffen.

Stiffening is (perhaps partially) an unconscious physical reaction. There are others: A heartbeat quickens, cheeks flush, hands flutter, goosebumps appear, words stumble, things get knocked over. But, of course, with ever more dramatic involuntary responses we may be leaving the realm of "mild" surprises.