Angela Ackerman - The Positive Trait Thesaurus: A Writers Guide to Character Attributes

THE POSITIVE TRAIT THESAURUS: A WRITERS GUIDE TO CHARACTER ATTRIBUTES Angela Ackerman
Becca Puglisi Copyright 2013 by Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi Published by: JADD Publishing No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in print, audio or electronic form without prior permission of the authors. Please respect the hard work of the authors and do not participate in or encourage the piracy of copyrighted materials. All rights reserved http://writershelpingwriters.net ISBN: 978-0-9897725-3-2 Original Source: The Positive Trait Thesaurus: A Writers Guide to Character Attributes, by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi Paperback Edition: October 2013 (ISBN: 978-0-9897725-1-8) Edited in part by: C. S. Lakin ( http://www.livewritethrive.com ) Book cover design by: Scarlett Rugers Design 2013 http://www.scarlettrugers.com Book formatting by: Polgarus Studio http://www.polgarusstudio.com ABOUT THE AUTHORS Angela Ackerman is a member of The Society of Childrens Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and writes on the darker side of Middle Grade and Young Adult. When she isnt creating new writing tools or plotting mayhem, shes carefully deleting her browser history and pretending to live the life of a normal, quiet Canadian.

Becca Puglisi is a YA fantasy and historical fiction writer who enjoys slurping copious amounts of Mountain Dew and snarfing snacks that have no nutritional value. She has always enjoyed contemplating the What if? scenario, which serves her well in south Florida. As a result, during hurricane season, you can find her stalking the local weather forecasters and muttering unkind words toward the Atlantic. Together, Angela and Becca host The Bookshelf Muse , an award-winning blog at the Writers Helping Writers website. This resource offers a number of unique thesauri to aid writers in their descriptive writing efforts. Their best-selling book, The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writers Guide to Character Expression , is the first in their Writers Helping Writers series.

MORE WRITERS HELPING WRITERS BOOKS The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writers Guide To Character Expression The Negative Trait Thesaurus: A Writers Guide To Character Flaws For more information on how to purchase these books or take advantage of the authors many articles and free writing tools, please visit us at Writers Helping Writers . You can also find Becca and Angela on Twitter, check out their Facebook page or sign up for their Newsletter , which offers a treasure trove of content for writers. DEDICATIONS To my parents, who taught me who I am, who I should be, andmost importantlywho I belong to. Becca Puglisi To Darian and Jarod, my greatest achievements. (Cheesy, but true!) Angela Ackerman A multitude of thanks to everyone who visits The Bookshelf Muse blog at Writers Helping Writers. We appreciate your endless support.

A & B PRAISE FOR THE EMOTION THESAURUS One of the challenges a fiction writer faces, especially when prolific, is coming up with fresh ways to describe emotions. This handy compendium fills that need. It is both a reference and a brainstorming tool, and one of the resources Ill be turning to most often as I write my own books. - James Scott Bell, best-selling author of Deceived and Plot & Structure PRAISE FOR THE POSITIVE TRAIT THESAURUS AND THE NEGATIVE TRAIT THESAURUS In these brilliantly conceived, superbly organized and astonishingly thorough volumes, Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi have created an invaluable resource for writers and storytellers. Whether you are searching for new and unique ways to add and define characters, or brainstorming methods for revealing those characters without resorting to clichs, it is hard to imagine two more powerful tools for adding depth and dimension to your screenplays, novels or plays. - Michael Hauge, Hollywood script consultant and story expert, author of Writing Screenplays That Sell and Selling Your Story in 60 Seconds: The Guaranteed Way to Get Your Screenplay or Novel Read TABLE OF CONTENTS , by Jeannie Campbell, LMFT The Positive Attribute Thesaurus (Character Profile Questionnaire) (Character Attribute Target Tool) (Attribute Categories) FOREWORD by Jeannie Campbell, LMFT The Character Therapist IVE READ A LOT of books about characterization, but none are so concise or all encompassing as Angela and Beccas Positive Trait Thesaurus.

The introductory chapters are a veritable goldmine for authors. Id liken them to a Cliffs Notes version of psychology textbooks and many writing craft books, condensed and super reader-friendly. Personalities are so complex, and figuring out what makes a real personmuch less a fictional persontick is what keeps therapists like me secure in our jobs. Understanding motivations, needs, and how both positive and negative traits and behaviors develop is an integral part to understanding a person. And the first step to writingmake that writing wellhas to be this deep understanding. As a therapist, the section on how positive traits develop (which, in turn, applies to negative traits as well) was the most interesting and thought-provoking.

Clearly the authors have done their research, for I might have picked up my Personality Psych book from college and read something similar. So authors, take note! Its more than just nature v. nurture. The information presented should be absorbed in such a way that itll aid you in brainstorming. Its highly unlikely that this will be a book you read front-to-back. Id also recommend that you come to this book with a character in mindyou know, the one that interrupts your sleep and begs to be written.

This thesaurus will help you the most when youre in the fleshing-out stages. Each entry includes the definition, similar attributes, possible causes, associated behaviors/thoughts, and positive aspects of the trait to help you solidify your characters uniqueness. But the entries also include the negative aspects of the trait, scenarios that would challenge a person with that attribute, and other characteristics that could be in conflict with that particular trait. These sections are equally as important in helping solidify conflict and introduce external plot points to showcase your characters internal arc. Plot-driven authors will really gain a lot from this book, but so will character-driven writers. Heck, I run a business where I profit from analyzing fictional characters, and this book was a great reinforcement to help me do what I do.

From understanding the roadblocks that prevent readers from connecting with characters to developing the right character arc for your protagonist, youll come away feeling like you took a crash course in characterization. THE ULTIMATE HOOK: CHARACTERS WORTH ROOTING FOR READERS TODAY HAVE A landslide of books to choose from, putting incredible pressure on writers to produce unique stories with dynamic, fascinating characters. According to Bowker stats [ reference ], in 2010 alone, more than three million books hit the market. Of those, a whopping 2.7 million were self-published titles, proof that this sector of the industry is actively growing. Within this flood of fiction, some books rise while others sink. Although eye-catching covers, professional editing, and a well-directed marketing campaign contribute to how well a title will do, without a great story to fill its sails, a book is doomed to drift.

And what sturdy mast supports any meaningful work of fiction? Multifaceted characters who make each moment so personal and compelling that readers cant help but care about them. Creating realistic, never-before-seen characters who take readers on an emotional journey should be the goal of every writer, yet this is no easy feat. Writers must delve into a characters personality to understand his desires, motives, needs, and fears. Both flaws and positive attributes help forge a well-constructed character. Flaws not only humanize the storys cast, they also give them something to overcome so they can achieve self-growth. Positive attributes are equally as important, because while human nature causes us to hone in on peoples flaws, it is a persons strengths we admire most.