Angela Ackerman's Blog: Writers Helping Writers, page 21

Character Type & Trope Thesaurus: Mafia Don

In 1959, Carl Jung first popularized the idea of archetypes���”universal images that have existed since the remotest times.” He posited that every person is a blend of these 12 basic personalities. Ever since then, authors have been applying this idea to fictional characters, combining the different archetypes to come up with interesting new versions. The result is a sizable pool of character tropes that we see from one story to another.

Archetypes and tropes are popular storytelling elements because of their familiarity. Upon seeing them, readers know immediately who they’re dealing with and what role the nerd, dark lord, femme fatale, or monster hunter will play. As authors, we need to recognize the commonalities for each trope so we can write them in a recognizable way and create a rudimentary sketch for any character we want to create.

But when it comes to characters, no one wants just a sketch; we want a vibrant and striking cast full of color, depth, and contrast. Diving deeper into character creation is especially important when starting with tropes because the blessing of their familiarity is also a curse; without differentiation, the characters begin to look the same from story to story.

But no more. The Character Type and Trope Thesaurus allows you to outline the foundational elements of each trope while also exploring how to individualize them. In this way, you’ll be able to use historically tried-and-true character types to create a cast for your story that is anything but traditional.

DESCRIPTION: This patriarch of a crime family is cutthroat, calculating, fiercely loyal, and holds to a deeply ingrained moral code that may not translate for others.

FICTIONAL EXAMPLES: Don Vito Corleone (The Godfather), Tony Soprano (The Sopranos), Carmine Falcone (the DC Universe)

COMMON STRENGTHS: Analytical, Bold, Confident, Courageous, Decisive, Focused, Industrious, Loyal, Observant, Patient, Persistent, Private, Proactive, Protective, Responsible, Traditional

COMMON WEAKNESSES: Abrasive, Callous, Confrontational, Controlling, Devious, Evasive, Hostile, Inflexible, Manipulative, Obsessive, Prejudiced, Pushy, Sleazy, Stubborn, Suspicious, Temperamental, Unethical, Vindictive, Violent

ASSOCIATED ACTIONS, BEHAVIORS, AND TENDENCIES
Being a strong leader
Being loyal to their family and expecting unquestioning loyalty in return
Commanding respect
Following a specific code of ethics and expecting their family to do the same
Viewing their crime family as blood family
Displaying wealth and living an opulent lifestyle
Thinking critically and strategically
Pandering to, blackmailing, and coercing people in high places who can be of use to the family
Having few (or no) people they are truly vulnerable with
Using violence and intimidation to achieve their goals

SITUATIONS THAT WILL CHALLENGE THEM
Another crime lord horning in on their territory or criminal niche
Being betrayed by someone they���ve been grooming to replace them
Coming under intense investigation by law enforcement

TWIST THIS TROPE WITH A CHARACTER WHO���
Is reluctant to take over the role of don because they lack the necessary ruthlessness and cunning
Is a strong and capable female don
Has an atypical trait: Empathetic, Nervous, Needy, Sentimental, Trusting, etc.

CLICH��S TO BE AWARE OF
The traditional Italian-American, cigar-smoking mob boss who lavishes care on his family while maintaining his position in the community with an iron fist
The ruthless and violent don with a spiderweb of connections within corrupt law enforcement

Other Type and Trope Thesaurus entries can be found here.

Need More Descriptive Help?

While this thesaurus is still being developed, the rest of our descriptive collection (16 unique thesauri and growing) is accessible through the One Stop for Writers THESAURUS database.

If you like, swing by and check out the video walkthrough for this site, and then give our Free Trial a spin.

The post Character Type & Trope Thesaurus: Mafia Don appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.

Differentiate Your Character with a Talent or Skill

One worry that can plague writers is whether their characters are original enough or not. After all, readers meet a lot of characters over time, so how can writers make sure their characters are fresh and interesting? How can they make sure their story���s cast has that WOW factor that ensures they stay with readers long after the book closes?

Luckily there���s a myriad of ways to make a character stand out through their personality, belief system, struggles, interests, and more. Characters will also have their own unique backstories, motivations and needs. This is why making time to uncover their inner layers is always worthwhile.

Today, let���s look at a specific area of characterization that can help you individualize your character: Talents & Skills.

Got Skills?

In the real world, we all have certain abilities. Maybe we have strong listening skills that help us get to the heart of a matter quickly so we can undo misunderstandings. Or we can haggle well and always manage to get a better price. Whether it���s singing, skiing, welding, or transforming pop cans into an ingenious whirligigs, talents and skills help make us interesting and memorable, and can do the same for characters.

As you can imagine, there���s a cargo ship of possibilities when it comes to special abilities. Some will have a big impact on the story too, so we want to think carefully about what talents our characters might possess. Start by considering���

A special ability should originate from your character. What fits with their personality, interests, education, or environment?

Think about what will happen in the story, and the problems the character must navigate. What skills might help them get past hurdles (and hopefully encourage inner growth)?

Consider their story role. A main character will face a crucible of conflict to reach their goal, and their special ability may influence events and/or be part of their growth arc. A lesser character���s skills, however, may not have the same level of importance.

Bottom line, a character���s giftedness shouldn���t be random. Considering the different types of talents and skills and how they can serve the story can provide lots of ideas, too.

An Unusual Talent or Skill

Some abilities are rarer than others, like the ability to talk to the dead, start fires with the mind, throw one���s voice, or use mentalism to gain information and influence others. When we want a character to really stand out we often think about giving them an unusual talent. And that���s fine as long as we know there���s a trade off: unusual talents generate questions that readers will expect to be answered in the story:

*How did this talent come about?

*When did the character discover it?

*Are they alienated because of this ability, or embraced for it?

*And finally, how will their skill impact the story?

This last one leads us to another reader expectation: that this exceptional ability will influence the story in a bigger way. So, if you choose an unusual talent, make sure to follow through on this expectation.

An Ordinary Talent or Skill

Some abilities seem a bit bland, like being skilled at fishing, sewing, or being good with numbers. You might be tempted to skip these and move on to something cooler like being able to hot-wire a car or throw knives.

Spoiler alert: ordinary skills can save the day, too!

*A skilled fisherman can be the only thing standing between villagers and starvation during a harsh winter in a lakeside community.

*A talented seamstress might save lives on the battlefield.

*Having a head for numbers might be how your character helps everyone survive when an Escape Room excursion turns into a psychopath���s maze of puzzles and traps.

Ordinary skills can have a big impact on the story in the right situation. They also resonate and feel realistic to readers. And there���s a message readers connect with, too: that anyone can make a difference, not just the Alphas of the world.

A Useful Talent or Skill

Most often writers choose a skill because it will help their character win. To find the right match, think about what problems the character will face and list out what abilities would help them navigate these situations. Then, challenge yourself to find options that aren���t obvious.

For example, a captive who is a skilled chess player can use strategy and out-of-the-box thinking to escape her captor. A teen who loves parkour might be the group���s only hope of climbing a cavern wall to the surface after a cave-in collapses the tunnel leading out.

���The perfect skill for X situation��� can feel contrived to readers, so work to find something that fits the character���s personality, interests, and everyday life.

A Genre-Friendly Talent or Skill

Some talents and qualities show up consistently in certain genres. Billionaire playboys in romances are often charmers with money-making abilities, and tech-thrillers will have someone skilled in computer hacking. Write fantasy? Chances are your band of adventurers will have wilderness navigation, archery, lying, and leadership skills covered.

It���s okay to choose talents and skills common to your genre if you challenge yourself to twist them into something fresh. Maybe your billionaire doesn���t use his charm to bed anyone���instead he smiles his way into securing fat donations for his charitable foundation. Your computer hacker could be a Robin Hood in disguise by taking the paydays of online scammers and returning money to bank accounts of those scammed. Your adventurers can have the perfect skills for a hallmark quest but when they are transported to a foreign landscape full of unknowns, they must adapt their talents to suit.

With a bit of extra thought, there���s always a way to turn a common trope or premise into something fresh.

An Unwanted Talent or Skill

Sometimes a character has an ability they wish they didn���t have. Maybe being a natural peacekeeper means constantly being embroiled in family drama, or good intuition means less mistakes, sparking jealousy among peers. An ability to build explosives could land your character into trouble when a cruel king forces him to make bombs that kill those who stand against the crown.

An unwanted skill can also open the box to internal reflections part of character arc. The unhappiness tied to their ability causes them to think about who they are, who they want to be, and how much this skill controls how they see themselves. This can lead to finding a positive way to use their skill so they gain greater fulfillment.

A Seemingly Useless Talent or Skill

Finally, a great way to subvert expectations is to give your character a talent that seems deceptively useless. Maybe they can solve a Rubik Cube puzzle one-handed, or their steady hands come in handy as a house painter who has to tackle the window trim. Exciting stuff, right?

But what if their dexterity saves them in an emergency? Maybe to help a friend escape wrongful imprisonment they have to they have to pickpocket a key card. Or to undo a curse they must collect magical berries nestled within a thicket of poisonous thorns. Useless talents can transform your story if used the right way!

TIP: Choose a talent or skill that makes your character memorable and helps them achieve their goals.

If this is something you���d like to learn more about, you might find these resources helpful. You can also see the full collection of talent and skill entries in their entirety at One Stop For Writers, where all our thesauruses are cross-referenced and linked for easy navigation. If you���re interested in seeing a free sampling of the Talent and Skill Thesaurus and our other descriptive collections, head on over and register at One Stop!

The post Differentiate Your Character with a Talent or Skill appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.

Three Essentials for Engaging Reader Emotion in the Setup

As authors, we all know the importance of engaging our audience within a book���s first few pages. Grabbing the reader: captivating them in a way that makes them want to stick with the story to its end.

But Michael Hauge prefers a different term for this phenomenon:

No one likes to be grabbed. It’s a jarring, unpleasant experience. A far better way to approach the opening of your script (or novel) is to realize you’ve got to seduce the reader in the first ten pages. Everybody likes to be seduced; it’s a gradual, enjoyable, and emotionally involving experience that thoroughly captures our attention.
(Writing Screenplays That Sell)

Whatever your terminology, drawing in readers is a vitally important process that needs to happen at the beginning of your story. Also called the setup, it���s everything that occurs before the all-important catalyst that propels your character out of their regular world into a new one.

According to Blake Snyder (Save the Cat), the setup should consist of roughly the first 12% of your story. This is a guideline you can set in stone or take with a grain of salt, depending on your plotting/pantsing style. But 12% is a good rule of thumb because it���s enough real estate to set the stage and draw readers in without it dragging on and putting them to sleep.

Unfortunately, we can get the length of the setup right and still not achieve the goal of pulling readers in. To do this, we have to tap into their emotions. If we don���t make them feel, they won���t be invested in the character; if they���re not invested in the character, they won���t care what happens and won���t keep reading to see what happens. So it���s incredibly important that the setup elicit emotion from the reader. There are a few things you can include in your opening pages that will help accomplish this.

Character Empathy

Readers start reading a book for a variety of reasons: they liked the premise, it was a recommended by a friend, they���re a fan of the author. Readers keep reading because they connect with the characters. We have a very small window���that first 12%���to achieve the reader-character connection, and eliciting empathy is a great way to make it happen. Here are a few ways to encourage that special something between the reader and your protagonist.

Universal Needs

Readers like characters they can relate to in some way. One way to bond your audience of unique individuals to the protagonist is to remove one of their basic human needs, such as belonging or surviving. Because everyone understands these needs, taking one of them away from your hero can endear readers to them.

This is one reason Katniss Everdeen was such a successful protagonist. Most readers couldn���t relate to her circumstances of having to kill others to survive, but they could understand needing to protect a vulnerable loved one or providing for one���s family. If you want to increase your reader���s empathy for the hero, try taking away a universal need, and the reader will stay tuned to see if she can get it back.

Admirability

People are drawn to those they admire, so it���s a good idea to give your hero some qualities that readers will appreciate or aspire to themselves. Intelligence, a sense of humor, kindness, generosity, honor���these are attributes people long for. Seeing them personified in the hero opens us up to them, making us want them to do well.

Notice that I didn���t say a protagonist must be likable (though that works, too). As a selfish and manipulative character, Scarlett O���Hara isn���t exactly a glowing role model, but people relate to her because of her shrewdness, tenacity, and confidence. It���s her admirable qualities that win readers over.

Uniqueness

Readers, along with editors, agents, and publishers, are tired of seeing new versions of the same old characters. We want someone who surprises us with something new. A janitor who anonymously and effortlessly solves impossible math theorems at M.I.T. (Good Will Hunting). An art student in Prague who collects teeth for the demons who raised her (Daughter of Smoke and Bone). When you���re creating your protagonist, see what you can do to make them stand out from the crowd and be remembered.

Remarkability

Few people truly excel in any area, but most would like to. Characters who are remarkable in some way speak to our need for esteem and recognition, whether it���s because they���re intelligent, incredibly talented, or have an unusual ability. Make your character extraordinary and readers will often respond.

Conflict

Well-written conflict inherently elicits emotion���anticipation, yes, as the reader worries about the protagonist���s well being, but it also can generate feelings like nervousness, frustration, or fear. Create a situation many readers have experienced or can imagine going through, and you���ve added relateabilty, too.

This conflict can be overt and obvious, such as a fistfight, terrorist attack, or someone fleeing for their life. But this doesn���t always work in the setup because the reader hasn���t had enough time to get to know the protagonist and care about what happens to them. Conflict at this stage is often more effective when it���s hinted at or implied.

In Stephen King���s Under the Dome, we first see Dale Barbara as he���s leaving town after ���taking a pretty good beating at The Mill.��� That���s the only reference to his altercation, but it���s enough to tweak the reader���s empathy meter and pique interest. Why���d he get beaten up? Who did it? If he���s innocent, why is he leaving town?

Conflict can also be internal rather than external. A character struggling with an important decision, questioning themselves, or denying a wounding event from the past can be just as compelling as a five-care pileup. However it manifests, be sure to include some conflict in your setup; done well, not only will it tug the reader���s heartstrings but it will keep up the pace, too.

The Need For Change

Most people���readers included���want to improve and grow, to be better tomorrow than they were yesterday. They understand that change, though difficult and sometimes painful, is needed in order to achieve growth. This is why, at their most basic level, stories are about necessary change. Sometimes this change is internal, played out through the character���s arc as they work to overcome fears or wounding events and embrace the fullest version of themselves. Sometimes it���s external���something within the world itself that needs fixing, such as the existence of the one ring in Tolkien���s Middle Earth. The most compelling stories often contain elements of change that are both internal and external.

The setup is the perfect place to show what needs to be changed for your character; it allows you to hint at what has to happen for them to be fulfilled by the story���s end. Sometimes this means showing their biggest flaw, the one they think is a strength but is really crippling them. In other cases, it might require showing an inequality or injustice in the world that they must alter in order to pursue her dreams. What has to change before the character can achieve their overall goal? Reference this in your opening pages and you���ll clue readers in to what has to happen for your hero to emerge victorious.

Story setups are tricky; we always want to include more information than they need. To stay on the straight and narrow, remember the two-fold purpose of the setup: introduce the character in their everyday world, and draw readers in by activating their emotions. Stay focused on these outcomes, and you���re on your way to drafting a story start that will keep readers engaged well beyond the opening pages.

PRO TIP: The Story Maps tool at��One Stop For Writers��can help you organize your setup and other important turning points while keeping them in proper proportion.

The post Three Essentials for Engaging Reader Emotion in the Setup appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.

Character Type & Trope Thesaurus: Nice Guy/Girl

In 1959, Carl Jung first popularized the idea of archetypes���”universal images that have existed since the remotest times.” He posited that every person is a blend of these 12 basic personalities. Ever since then, authors have been applying this idea to fictional characters, combining the different archetypes to come up with interesting new versions. The result is a sizable pool of character tropes that we see from one story to another.

Archetypes and tropes are popular storytelling elements because of their familiarity. Upon seeing them, readers know immediately who they’re dealing with and what role the nerd, dark lord, femme fatale, or monster hunter will play. As authors, we need to recognize the commonalities for each trope so we can write them in a recognizable way and create a rudimentary sketch for any character we want to create.

But when it comes to characters, no one wants just a sketch; we want a vibrant and striking cast full of color, depth, and contrast. Diving deeper into character creation is especially important when starting with tropes because the blessing of their familiarity is also a curse; without differentiation, the characters begin to look the same from story to story.

But no more. The Character Type and Trope Thesaurus allows you to outline the foundational elements of each trope while also exploring how to individualize them. In this way, you’ll be able to use historically tried-and-true character types to create a cast for your story that is anything but traditional.

DESCRIPTION: Nice guys and girls are decent, kind, morally upright, and are generally liked by everyone. They’re similar in personality to the Girl or Boy Next Door, but while the latter is often a love interest for the protagonist, nice people make great friends and allies.

FICTIONAL EXAMPLES: Samwise Gamgee (The Lord of the Rings), Beth (Little Women), Cassian (A Court of Thorns and Roses), Neville Longbottom (the Harry Potter series), Goose (Top Gun)

COMMON STRENGTHS: Affectionate, Cautious, Courageous, Easygoing, Empathetic, Friendly, Generous, Honest, Honorable, Humble, Innocent, Just, Kind, Loyal, Nurturing, Patient, Responsible, Sensible, Supportive, Trusting, Wise

COMMON WEAKNESSES: Childish, Cowardly, Foolish, Gullible, Indecisive, Inhibited, Insecure, Needy, Oversensitive, Subservient, Timid, Weak-Willed, Worrywart

ASSOCIATED ACTIONS, BEHAVIORS, AND TENDENCIES
Being a good listener
Thinking more about others than about themselves
Being protective of friends and family
Authenticity
Checking on people regularly
Being a great ally and friend
Remembering birthdays and personal events
Not always practicing good self-care (because they���re caring for others)
Being an easy mark for someone with selfish motivations
Being viewed as boring

SITUATIONS THAT WILL CHALLENGE THEM
Being betrayed by someone close to them
Being wrongly accused of unkindness, cruelty, or hypocrisy
An emergency occurring when the character is needed elsewhere

TWIST THIS TROPE WITH A CHARACTER WHO���
Is flawed and wrestles with personal demons
Has a short fuse
Is the protagonist instead of a supporting character
Has an atypical trait: Catty, Flirtatious, Jealous, Nosy, Rowdy, Scatterbrained, etc.

CLICH��S TO BE AWARE OF
The one-dimensional nice guy with no flaws or nuance to their character
The nice girl who���s so busy helping others she doesn���t have a life of her own

Other Type and Trope Thesaurus entries can be found here.

Need More Descriptive Help?

While this thesaurus is still being developed, the rest of our descriptive collection (16 unique thesauri and growing) is accessible through the One Stop for Writers THESAURUS database.

If you like, swing by and check out the video walkthrough for this site, and then give our Free Trial a spin.

The post Character Type & Trope Thesaurus: Nice Guy/Girl appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.

Does Your Scene Need More Tension? Add an Emotion Amplifier!

Emotion and tension often go hand in hand. If character emotion is low, story tension is also probably waning. On the flip side, tension is likely on the rise when emotion is high and it���s written effectively.

Dramatic tension is the feeling of anticipation surrounding what happens next. It���s the golden ticket for reader interest, because when a character is in trouble and the outlook is grim, readers worry. This worry translates into empathy and a need to read on to see if the character will be okay. For this reason, it���s important to keep the tension in each scene at an engaging level.

Consider the first book in The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. Tension is high throughout the story because of the primal stakes: death is constantly on the line. But Collins ramps it up even more by adding stressors in the form of amplifiers. At the start of the games, she removes fresh water from the arena, threatening dehydration and adding another life-threatening factor to worry about. She introduces the tracker jackers and their psychosis-inducing stings, increasing reader suspense and fear for Katniss���s safety while she���s incapacitated. After Rue���s death, Katniss slips into a period of bereavement that���s almost as worrying to readers as her delusions, because anything could happen to her in such a vulnerable state.

Like a sadistic head gamemaker, Collins never lets the heroine off the hook. She continues to throw Katniss new and more alarming problems that make it more difficult to survive an already impossible situation. And the agony pays off. Each new amplifier accomplishes two important things for the character and the reader.

1) Katniss experiences elevated stress. We���ve already covered the impact of emotional stress on a character, and this example demonstrates how stress makes it difficult for Katniss to think clearly and make the best decisions. Poor choices lead to bigger problems, which causes more stress . . . It���s a continuing cycle that keeps readers riveted as the tension rises from page to page.

2) These amplifiers heighten Katniss���s emotions to the point that they can���t be ignored. With each new stressor, she grows more afraid, paranoid, angry, or depressed. As readers, we feel those emotions right along with her. We���re drawn into her story and root for her in a way that guarantees we���ll keep reading to the very end.

If you suspect the tension is flagging in your story or scene, it could be time to add an emotion amplifier. Pain, arousal, dehydration���conditions and states like these make it difficult for a character to self-regulate and think things through logically, increasing the chance they’ll make bad choices and mistakes. Here are a few examples of how amplifiers can be used to jack up the tension.

To Introduce Temptation

Mandy���s a smart kid, but in her financial situation, the only way she���s getting into college is with a sports scholarship. Rumors are swirling about scouts coming to the next game, so she needs to outdo herself on the field.

Unfortunately, daily practices, community service hours, and homework make it hard for her to prepare, and her stupid busy schedule has left her exhausted. She can���t possibly do her best in this game. But then she remembers that guy in AP Chemistry, the one who sells Adderall to kids looking for a pick-me-up. Mandy has never stooped to that level���she doesn���t use drugs���but she���s so tired and has worked so hard. Maybe a little boost would be okay, just this once . . .

Here, the temptation to use a stimulant to overcome exhaustion tips the balance of Mandy���s internal weighing-and-measuring process as her desire for short-term relief threatens to override her morals. Readers have much more to worry about now than whether Mandy will perform well at the game; we all know the danger of just this once. If she gives in, this moment could morph into a secret she���ll have to hide or an addiction that could put all her goals in jeopardy.

To Force Difficult Decisions

Since his wife���s death, Juan has raised their three young kids by himself in a rural, impoverished village. Relocating to a better area with more opportunities would require an arduous trek through the jungle, and for that, they���d need to be strong and healthy, a challenge considering the lack of resources and clean water.

Then one day, food supplies to the village are cut off. As hunger sets in, Juan is faced with an impossible decision: leave now, knowing not all his children will survive the trip, or stay and hope against hope that things turn around.

In this heartbreaking scenario, things start out bad enough as Juan struggles to manage his family���s unstable circumstances on his own. The addition of hunger not only exacerbates the situation, but it also creates a horrible Sophie���s choice dilemma. It���s a no-win scenario because whatever he chooses, pain and regret will follow.

To Increase Vulnerability

The number seven bus squeals to a stop and the doors wheeze open. Ed gingerly exits, favoring his bad hip. Eager to get home, he shuffles along a cracked sidewalk bordering a row of buildings with torn awnings and graffiti-scrawled walls. Wait. This isn���t right. Where���s the park entrance and tall pines lining his route home?

The bus pulls back into traffic, and Ed���s heartbeat stutters. He���d gotten off at the fourth stop. That was the way home. Or was that to get to the doctor���s office?

A group of young people slouch nearby, smoking something pungent and eyeing him. One peels away from the building he���s leaning against. ���Hey, old man. You lost?���

���I . . . I don���t know.��� Where was he? And where was he supposed to be going?

This senior is far from home in a not-so-safe area, and our uncertainty about the intentions of the local boys increases the dramatic tension. When it becomes clear that Ed is also dealing with cognitive decline, our worry escalates because his mental fog pushes the situation from unsettling to dangerous. Vulnerability always enhances an already tense situation, and it���s a natural offshoot of many amplifiers, so keep it in mind when you need to up the ante.

Exhaustion. Hunger. Cognitive Decline. See how well emotion amplifiers juice a scene with tension? And this is just one of their functions. So useful!

The Emotion Amplifier Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Stress and Volatility releases May 13th. If you’d like a notification when it’s available, add your email here if you’ve not yet done so, or head over to Goodreads and add it to your reading list.

The post Does Your Scene Need More Tension? Add an Emotion Amplifier! appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.

A Mother Lode of Resources on Talents and Skills

Talents and skills can serve many purposes in a story by revealing truths about the character, making them more likable or relatable for readers, and contributing to story arc by helping the character achieve their goals. As such, they can do a lot of good things for our stories and characters���if they’re chosen well.

This is why Angela and I created the Talent and Skill Thesaurus at Writers Helping Writers. We wanted authors to have a resource that could help them explore special abilities they might want or need in their story. With over 60 entries, it’s a great jumping-off point for figuring out what your character might be good at.

It may not seem like it, but there’s a lot to think about when you’re making this decision for a character. So we’ve compiled a list of posts to help you learn about identifying talents and skills for your character and incorporating them into a story.

Helpful Posts

4 Reasons Your Hero Needs a Talent
7 Ways a Talent or Skill Will Enhance Your Story
Using Talents and Skills to Characterize
Make Your Character Unique with a Talent or Skill
How a Skill Can Liven Up a Quiet Protagonist
How to Use Hobbies to Flesh Out a Character
Add a Talent to Make a Character More Likable

Other Mother Lode Posts

If you found this collection of resources helpful, you might be interested in some of our other compilation posts.

How to Write about Character Occupations
How to Show (Not Tell) Character Emotions
How to Create Phenomenal First Pages
How to Write Conflict that Has Maximum Impact
How to Write about Your Character���s Pain
How to Write about a Character’s Emotional Wounds

The post A Mother Lode of Resources on Talents and Skills appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.

Character Type & Trope Thesaurus: Cowboy

In 1959, Carl Jung first popularized the idea of archetypes���”universal images that have existed since the remotest times.” He posited that every person is a blend of these 12 basic personalities. Ever since then, authors have been applying this idea to fictional characters, combining the different archetypes to come up with interesting new versions. The result is a sizable pool of character tropes that we see from one story to another.

Archetypes and tropes are popular storytelling elements because of their familiarity. Upon seeing them, readers know immediately who they’re dealing with and what role the nerd, dark lord, femme fatale, or monster hunter will play. As authors, we need to recognize the commonalities for each trope so we can write them in a recognizable way and create a rudimentary sketch for any character we want to create.

But when it comes to characters, no one wants just a sketch; we want a vibrant and striking cast full of color, depth, and contrast. Diving deeper into character creation is especially important when starting with tropes because the blessing of their familiarity is also a curse; without differentiation, the characters begin to look the same from story to story.

But no more. The Character Type and Trope Thesaurus allows you to outline the foundational elements of each trope while also exploring how to individualize them. In this way, you’ll be able to use historically tried-and-true character types to create a cast for your story that is anything but traditional.

DESCRIPTION: The traditional cowboy or rancher.

FICTIONAL EXAMPLES: Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist (Brokeback Mountain), Woody (the Toy Story franchise), Curly (City Slickers), John Dutton (Yellowstone)

COMMON STRENGTHS: Adventurous, Alert, Calm, Confident, Courageous, Decisive, Disciplined, Honorable, Humble, Independent, Industrious, Nature-Focused, Observant, Patient, Persistent, Resourceful, Simple, Traditional

COMMON WEAKNESSES: Abrasive, Cocky, Impulsive, Inflexible, Macho, Rebellious, Reckless, Stingy, Stubborn, Tactless, Uncooperative, Uncommunicative

ASSOCIATED ACTIONS, BEHAVIORS, AND TENDENCIES
Preferring solitude
Being a hard worker
Having simple needs���not being fussy about what they eat or where they sleep
Preferring to be outdoors
Having strong knowledge of local plant and animal life
Having a way with animals and being fond of them
Being humble
Being stoic; not showing much emotion
Rejecting any organization or person trying to exert authority over them
Resisting change and progress
Believing in vigilante justice

SITUATIONS THAT WILL CHALLENGE THEM
Having to spend time in an urban environment
Being stuck with someone who is entitled or ���soft���
Meeting someone he���s interested in who is very different from him
A situation where he has to ask for help

TWIST THIS TROPE WITH A CHARACTER WHO���
Likes to work with others
Is from a culture or religious background that���s different from the people around him
Is able to appreciate moral and ethical complexities
Has an atypical trait: Extroverted, Gentle, Materialistic, Philosophical, Verbose, etc.

CLICH��S TO BE AWARE OF
The lone wolf character who has no friends except his horse
The cowboy who only sees the world in black and white
Tough and gruff cowboys

Other Type and Trope Thesaurus entries can be found here.

Need More Descriptive Help?

While this thesaurus is still being developed, the rest of our descriptive collection (16 unique thesauri and growing) is accessible through the One Stop for Writers THESAURUS database.

If you like, swing by and check out the video walkthrough for this site, and then give our Free Trial a spin.

The post Character Type & Trope Thesaurus: Cowboy appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.

Phenomenal First Pages Contest – Guest Editor Edition

Hey, wonderful
writerly people!

It���s time for Phenomenal First Pages, our monthly critique contest. So, if you need help with the beginning of your novel, today’s the day to enter for a chance to win professional feedback.

Two winners will receive feedback on their first 20 pages!

Entering is easy. All you need to do is leave your contact information on this entry form (or click the graphic below). If you are a winner, we’ll notify you and explain how to send us your pages.

Contest DetailsThis is a 24-hour contest, so enter ASAP.Make sure your contact information on the entry form is correct. Two winners will be drawn. We will email you if you win and let you know how to submit. Please have your first 20 pages ready in case your name is selected. Format it with��1-inch margins, double-spaced, and 12pt Times New Roman font.��You���ll need to supply a synopsis (a rough one is fine) so Stuart has context for his feedback.The editor you’ll be working with:Stuart Wakefield

With 26 years in theatre, broadcast media, and coaching under my belt, I have a visceral understanding of what makes stories work, and I���d like to share it with you because writing a novel doesn���t always have to be difficult and daunting, especially if it���s your first time. Understanding the process, getting started, and seeing it all come together can seem like an impossible mountain to climb.

As an Author Accelerator Certified Book Coach, I���m passionate about helping new writers craft stories with passion and purpose, momentum and meaning. I have an MA (Distinction) in Professional Writing, and my debut novel, Body of Water, was one of ten books long-listed for the Polari First Book Prize. My latest novel, Behind the Seams, was a 2021 BookLife Fiction Prize Contest semifinalist.

My first TV show aired on the UK���s Channel 4 in 2023.

So, if you have a story in your heart, just waiting to be shared with the world, I���m here to offer you guidance and support from developing your story right through to pursuing publication. You can find my website, blog, and free self-editing cheat sheet right here: https://linktr.ee/thebookcoach

Sign Up for Notifications!

If you���d like to be notified about our monthly Phenomenal First Pages contest, subscribe to blog notifications in this sidebar. 

Good luck, everyone. We can’t wait to see who wins!

PS: To amp up your first page, grab our  First Pages checklist from One Stop for Writers. For more help with story opening elements, visit this Mother Lode of First Page Resources.

The post Phenomenal First Pages Contest – Guest Editor Edition appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.

Three Easy Steps to Generate a Goal Using Fear as Motivation

There���s so much emphasis on making sure that we give our character a goal that���s clear starting from their very first scene. Win the game. Find someone to marry. Land the job. Solve the crime.

We tend to think about goal in terms of the character obtaining the thing they don���t have when the story begins. It���s out there. They can grab it, touch it, and get it if they just do the right things and keep going.

But what if you���re like me and so many of my clients, completely unsure of what your character wants, much less why? What if they���re not an athlete, or in a personal crisis, or craving revenge right out of the gate? What if there isn���t a big mystery to solve starting in your first scene?

Cue creative crisis!

If our character isn���t trying to land a record deal or catch a killer or get some other obvious, tangible thing they don���t currently have, does this mean our story is a total bust?

No.

We���ve just been looking at this elusive concept of goal and motivation all wrong. In fact, I���m here to argue the opposite. That starting from a point of fear���losing something the character already has���can be every bit as motivational and arguably more compelling than starting out with a precise goal of obtaining something they don���t have.

How Can You Mine Your Character���s Preexisting Fear in Order To Give Rise to a Goal In 3 Simple Steps?

Consider What Your Character Currently Has in The Novel���s Opening That They Value.

What does your character cling to, possibly (and likely!) to their own detriment? Is it the approval of someone else, the need to control some uncontrollable aspect of their life? An unhealthy role they play largely to the benefit of another character? What do they care for and how can we see it through what they say and do? What do they believe they must continue doing behavior-wise, or what can���t they imagine living without? Again, focus on what they already have in their lives, well before page one.

For example, in Suzanne Collins��� THE HUNGER GAMES, we meet Katniss as being attached to her younger sister Prim. Katniss is committed to this role of providing for and protecting Prim, and it���s clear that while she loves her, it���s almost to Katniss��� own detriment. Her life seems to revolve around caring for Prim and trying to keep her safe in all forms. Is Katniss even remotely thinking of having something for herself, much less winning the Hunger Games as a goal? No. Her goal is to keep the status quo. This might be the same for your character, whatever their status quo is.

Plan An Event���An Inciting Incident���That Threatens That Valuable Person or Thing.

What might happen to this person or thing your character clings to? Does the person they seek approval from reject them somehow? Does someone new come along and shift the existing dynamic? Is that person or thing your character clings to threatened in some way by an outside force? Does your character lose control of something they thought they had control over? Is their ability to continue to fulfill their unhealthy role compromised?

Returning to Suzanne Collins��� THE HUNGER GAMES, this would be where Prim���s name gets drawn to be a tribute in the Hunger Games���a government-run, fight-to-the-death event where it���s very unlikely Prim will survive. The author directly threatens that unhealthy role Katniss has that���s fueled by the fear of losing her sister, or perhaps being a failure in protecting her. This event directly hits what matters to Katniss. It���s something she already has, and Collins mines Katniss��� fear to force the birth of a new external goal.

Focus On the Logical Outward Act/Choice Your Character Would Then Take, Fueled By Their Original Fear In Point 1 Above.

Even though the event you plan should give birth to a clearer external goal���yay!���it���s important to note that their original fear is in play in whatever choice they make as a result. In other words, whatever the goal may now be, it���s wrongly motivated.

So while it seems bold and pivotal that Katniss volunteers herself in her sister���s place in THE HUNGER GAMES, in all actuality, she is still acting out of her original fear. The same fear as the one we observed on page one. She only forms the goal of winning the games in order to protect her sister (the original fear). To try and control Prim���s safety. But even though her motivation is still driven by a detrimental, unrealistic role (a misbelief), it���s enough to get Katniss out the door with an external goal���one we didn���t have in the very beginning. She is now set up for the external objective of winning the Hunger Games so she can come back home and (so she thinks) keep protecting Prim.

If you���re in the first quarter of your draft, all the guidance I���ve offered might help you to generate a clearer goal for your character by dealing a blow to something they already value. But it���s important to remember that the character���s motivation needs to reflect their initial fear, or misbelief, until the 25% mark (Point of No Return). At that point, the motivation will then shift away from their old fear, letting it go, and replacing it with a different fear���not attaining what they actually need���even if the external goal stays the same.

In other words, at that first-quarter mark, your character���s external goal may or may not change after the Point of No Return. Katniss continues to want to win the Hunger Games for the length of the story. But the fear fueling the why changes.

The motivation of what your character is scared to lose evolves so that around 25%, they must choose to let go of what they initially feared losing, and instead, go after something representative of a bigger loss should they not attain it. A fear that outweighs the fear they had in the beginning. And oftentimes, that fear can be facing, wrestling, and coming to terms with a hard truth related to that initial fear.

In Katniss��� case, she starts to see there isn���t any safety for her sister within their wider dystopian world, regardless of what Katniss tries to do. She has to let go of that protective role and risk dying in order to face a bigger fear���a world like the one they live in. Her motivation pivots toward impacting the larger world conflict in hopes that she can make it better for many more people.

What does your character fear losing when we meet them? If they don���t yet have a clear external goal, what could happen that might threaten their ability to avoid that fear? Does the decision they make then give rise to a concrete goal, still driven by their attempt to avoid their fear? At the Point of No Return, are you able to stick with the same external goal but fuel it by another healthier fear? Or, does your character���s goal change to reflect the fear of losing what they truly needed all along?

Happy writing!

The post Three Easy Steps to Generate a Goal Using Fear as Motivation appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.

Character Type & Trope Thesaurus: Hotshot

In 1959, Carl Jung first popularized the idea of archetypes���”universal images that have existed since the remotest times.” He posited that every person is a blend of these 12 basic personalities. Ever since then, authors have been applying this idea to fictional characters, combining the different archetypes to come up with interesting new versions. The result is a sizable pool of character tropes that we see from one story to another.

Archetypes and tropes are popular storytelling elements because of their familiarity. Upon seeing them, readers know immediately who they’re dealing with and what role the nerd, dark lord, femme fatale, or monster hunter will play. As authors, we need to recognize the commonalities for each trope so we can write them in a recognizable way and create a rudimentary sketch for any character we want to create.

But when it comes to characters, no one wants just a sketch; we want a vibrant and striking cast full of color, depth, and contrast. Diving deeper into character creation is especially important when starting with tropes because the blessing of their familiarity is also a curse; without differentiation, the characters begin to look the same from story to story.

But no more. The Character Type and Trope Thesaurus allows you to outline the foundational elements of each trope while also exploring how to individualize them. In this way, you’ll be able to use historically tried-and-true character types to create a cast for your story that is anything but traditional.

DESCRIPTION: Talented and successful in their field, this character is cocky and loves taking risks. While hotshots have often been written with static arcs (as characters whose flaws don���t need addressing) recent years have seen a revisitation of these characters as ones with weaknesses that need to be addressed.

FICTIONAL EXAMPLES: Jack Reacher (the Jack Reacher series), James Bond (the James Bond series), Maverick (Top Gun), Han Solo (A New Hope), Axel Foley (Beverly Hills Cop)

COMMON STRENGTHS: Adaptable, Alert, Bold, Charming, Confident, Courageous, Decisive, Efficient, Focused, Independent, Industrious, Intelligent, Observant, Passionate, Perceptive, Persistent, Resourceful, Spontaneous, Talented

COMMON WEAKNESSES: Abrasive, Addictive, Cocky, Compulsive, Confrontational, Impatient, Impulsive, Inflexible, Irresponsible, Macho, Obsessive, Rebellious, Reckless, Self-Destructive, Stubborn, Uncooperative, Vindictive

ASSOCIATED ACTIONS, BEHAVIORS, AND TENDENCIES
Refusing to follow rules or protocol
Preferring to work alone
Being able to read a room and assess people and threats
Being an adrenaline junkie
Freely speaking their mind
Being expert in a certain area (marksmanship, flying a plane, fighting, gambling, etc.)
Not caring what others think of them
Tending toward risk-taking and recklessness
Thinking they know best
Disregarding customs and traditions that get in the way of the job
Having an addictive personality

SITUATIONS THAT WILL CHALLENGE THEM
Being paired with an incompetent partner
Being in a situation where the rules must be strictly followed
Having a superior who is a rule-follower or micro-manager
Being forced to compromise their beliefs or practices
Being ignored or minimized

TWIST THIS TROPE WITH A CHARACTER WHO���
Is exceptional in some way but otherwise lives an average, simple life
Has a surprising or mundane hobby
Has an atypical trait: Nature-Focused, Nurturing, Spiritual, Pensive, Worrywart, etc.

CLICH��S TO BE AWARE OF
The loner hotshot who can���t get along with anyone
Loose cannons who are respected but mistrusted by colleagues

Other Type and Trope Thesaurus entries can be found here.

Need More Descriptive Help?

While this thesaurus is still being developed, the rest of our descriptive collection (16 unique thesauri and growing) is accessible through the One Stop for Writers THESAURUS database.

If you like, swing by and check out the video walkthrough for this site, and then give our Free Trial a spin.

The post Character Type & Trope Thesaurus: Hotshot appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.