Chris gets his hair tousled three times in my MS. Once on page 50, once on page 79, and once on page 105. By three different people: a stranger, the good maternal-like character (Michelle), and the good paternal-like character (Paul).
Too much?
He hugs a dog twice, both on page 134. That's definitely a problem . . . I'm noting it here so I remember to take care of it.
He gets squeezed twice. Once on page 79 and once on page 118. And on page 192, Paul squeezes Michelle.
I apparently never used the word "playful," though I could have sworn I did. Must have gotten it on a previous edit. Good on me.
Chris rolls his eyes four times and begins to roll them once more but stops. Two or three other characters roll their eyes once. He's a teenager, though . . . if he couldn't roll his eyes his head would probably fall off.
The word "eyes" occurs 53 times in my MS. I don't know if that's too much or not. I tend to think the eyes are a window into the soul. People roll their eyes, their eyes water, their eyes hurt when they are tired, and so forth. I don't think I use any single construction too many times, but it's something to watch and think about.
This is the sort of picky detail-level stuff I'm focusing on now. I'm thinking it's in these little details where the difference between polish and . . . its absence . . . lies.
UPDATE: I used the phrase "after an eternity" twice. Once on page five and once on page 134.
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