Subconscious movements are the habitual responses we have to situations or emotions.
~ talking with hands
~ playing with hair
~ biting lip
~ bouncing knees while sitting
These are examples of things we do without necessarily intending to.
I just found myself pacing the house and clenching my hands together between composing sentences for this blog post. I know from experience that I pace whenever I'm restless, stressed, or thinking hard. I don't intend to pace or clench my hands, I just do it.
What are examples of subconscious responses you have?
I do a presentation on Creating Credible Characters at writer's conferences and for writer's groups, and I always bring "body language" into the spotlight. If you want readers to relate to your characters, they have to talk and act like real people, including things like you have described. My leading male character, for instance, bites his lip when he is nervous, emotional, or uncertain. He has also been known to do it when he is feelin guilty about something. Just this little characteristic makes him appear more real to my audience.
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