Sometimes I run across “rules” for writing which makes me roll my eyes. These rules dictate which words I should and should not use. 

• Don’t let your characters sigh
• Characters shouldn’t smirk
• A character doesn’t chuckle

Why not? Because they are overused or in the case of smirk and chuckle, people don’t do those things in real life. Such silliness.

I don’t believe in telling someone what words to use and not to use. There are times, yes, when grammatically speaking a word shouldn’t be used, but for the most part a writer is free to choose whatever suits them best. People chuckle, people sigh, and they smirk too. A writer shouldn’t feel held back by what someone else dictates. They should write what feels natural to the scene and to the character.