Angela Ackerman's Blog: Writers Helping Writers, page 35

Character Type and Trope Thesaurus Entry: Creator

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.

Creator (Archetype)

DESCRIPTION: Imaginative and highly driven, these characters are the artists, inventors, and scientists who feel compelled to create something totally new and innovative. Their motivation may come from a desire to write a wrong, solve a problem, meet a need, fill a personal void, or simply provide fulfillment for themselves.

FICTIONAL EXAMPLES: Victor Frankenstein (Frankenstein), Willy Wonka (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), Jo March (Little Women), Mozart (Amadeus), Zeus (Greek mythology)

COMMON STRENGTHS: Adventurous, Ambitious, Bold, Creative, Curious, Disciplined, Focused, Idealistic, Imaginative, Independent, Industrious, Inspirational, Intelligent, Meticulous, Passionate, Persistent, Quirky, Resourceful, Talented, Uninhibited

COMMON WEAKNESSES: Compulsive, Disorganized, Irresponsible, Manipulative, Oversensitive, Perfectionist, Possessive, Self-Indulgent, Stubborn, Uncooperative, Volatile, Workaholic

ASSOCIATED ACTIONS, BEHAVIORS, AND TENDENCIES
Being a visionary; imagining things that don’t yet exist
Thinking outside the box
Asking lots of questions
Being gifted in a given area (science, music, art, coding, etc.)
Using unconventional methods
Being highly disciplined where work is concerned
Embracing risk
Making personal sacrifices to bring their vision to fruition
Recognizing failure as a necessary part of the process
Having a long-haul perspective; understanding that creation is a process that takes timePreferring to work alone
Being hyper-focused on their work, to the exclusion of everything else
Difficulty managing their time
Struggling with deadlines
Being impatient with details and minutia
Being quirky or odd
Living on the fringes of acceptable or “proper” society
Exhibiting obsessive behaviors
Prioritizing their creative efforts over everything and everyone else
Neglecting self-care (forgetting to eat, not showering, etc.) when a project is underway
Using drugs, caffeine, or other stimulants to stay awake
Perfectionism
Seeing the flaws in even an extraordinary creation
Being hard on themselves
Foregoing marriage and children so they can be fully devoted to their art
Moodiness
Feeling misunderstood
Difficulty taking criticism from others
Sacrificing ethics and morality on the altar of creation
Struggling with personal relationships because people will always come second to the muse

SITUATIONS THAT WILL CHALLENGE THEM
Encountering a creative block
Being unable to create (due to time constraints, social pressures, lack of resources, etc.)
A physical or mental challenge requiring medication that saps their creativity
Having to take a job that provides financial stability but means less time for creative efforts
Having a clear vision but being unable to develop it with current technology
Being actively discouraged from pursuing a dream
Being distracted (by a new love interest, current events, other creative ideas, etc.)

INNER STRUGGLES TO GIVE THEM DEPTH
Doubting their abilities
Wanting to grow but being resistant to constructive criticism
Struggling to innovate while others in their field are having great success
Perfectionism keeping the character from enjoying small successes
Struggling with ethical and moral questions surrounding their work
Using creation to fill an internal void, but it doesn’t bring satisfaction or fulfillment
Wrestling with addiction
Refusing to acknowledge a mental health condition because the treatment would impact the character’s creative abilities

TWIST THIS TROPE WITH A CHARACTER WHO���
Works well with others and values collaboration
Is incredibly talented but keeps their creations hidden from others
Is inspired by the act of creation itself and is unconcerned with the quality of their work
Embraces any physical or mental conditions and incorporates them into their process
Is an extrovert who loves being with people
Works with an off-putting medium or creates things that are disturbing
Has an atypical trait: analytical, cautious, organized, fussy, lazy, traditional, etc.

CLICH��S TO AVOID
The tortured artist, plagued by their own demons
The creator who uses drugs to enhance their abilities
The mad scientist whose obsession has driven them insane
Megalomaniac creators with a god complex

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 and Trope Thesaurus Entry: Creator appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.

Adversarial Conflict: Who Is Making Trouble In Your Story?

Is there anything better than well-written conflict? The vengeful enemy, sharks circling a sinking boat, a carefully guarded secret getting out in the open.

Readers, fearful for the characters they love, grip the book tighter when conflict is close.

What will happen? Will everything be okay?

The more dire the threat, the more uncertain they feel.

Conflict holds power in storytelling because it touches everything: pacing, plot, stakes, characterization, character arc, emotion, you name it. Internal or external, subtle or obvious, readers invested in the book will find themselves in a near-constant state of tension as they worry about the character���s ability to dodge story knives.

One of the biggest sources of conflict comes in the form of an adversary���someone (or something) that has goals, needs, desire, or a purpose that clashes with the protagonist���s own. Once their paths cross, BOOM. Friction, tension, conflict! A battle of wills, might, and minds ensues until one is victorious.

Adversaries generate a lot of conflict, meaning it���s important to know their motivations and intentions. If they have a big role, we should brainstorm them just as we would the protagonist (here���s a tool to help with that) to understand what���s driving them. But are all adversaries the same? Not at all. Depending on what you need, you have a variety of adversarial players to choose from. Here are some considerations for each.

Competitor

This foe is someone who has the same goal as the protagonist and will compete for it. Whether your character is up against a peer for a scholarship, a job, an award, or something else, make sure their competitor has abilities, skills, resources, or other assets that will make the outcome uncertain.

Rival

Like a competitor, this opponent wants the same thing as your protagonist. What���s different though is that the rival is also invested in defeating the protagonist. The victory is personal because there���s some sort of history between the two.

Consider the ongoing friction between Johnny Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso (and, later, their competing dojos) in the TV series, Cobra Kai. Johnny and Daniel took very different paths since their initial battle in The Karate Kid. Daniel became a wealthy and successful businessman while Johnny worked handyman jobs and flirted with alcoholism as an escape from his personal failings, losses, and abuse trauma. Old wounds are reopened when Johnny reopens Cobra Kai to empower youths, and Johnny���s son trains with Daniel to get back at his dad. Further complications abound as their teenage kids start dating and Johnny fights to become someone better while Daniel holds firm to old biases. The result of all this friction? A boatload of rivalry-fueled conflict.

Antagonist

This is often a catchall term for the main adversary. If the antagonist is a person, they will have a mission or agenda that counters the protagonist���s and most likely are prominent enough to have a character arc of their own.

Antagonist Force

The foe standing between your character and their goal doesn���t need to be a person. Depending on the story, the antagonistic force could be an element of nature (the brutal polar vortex in The Day after Tomorrow), an animal (the wolf pack hunting plane crash survivors in The Grey), or even a type of technology (The Terminator).

Villain

A villain is different than an antagonist in the sense that there is an element of evil or a specific intent to hurt others. Something has skewed their worldview and made them into who they are���a person whose moral code runs on a completely different track. Villains have no qualms about mowing down anyone who gets in the way of their goal.

Enemy

This type of foe is a threat to your protagonist and those they���re aligned with. An enemy can be a person, collective, family, or even a concept that threatens to do great damage. If the enemy is someone your character once had an amicable relationship with, the moment the two choose opposition, previous attachments are cast aside.

Invader

Some people are all about disrupting the status quo; they want what others have���be it land, power, resources, or lives���and are there to take it. Invaders are the aliens in Independence Day, the death-eaters laying siege to Hogwarts, and the highwaymen from Alas, Babylon.

Frenemy

This adversary is someone your character may align with at times, but a competition exists that requires an emotional shield to always be in place. Frenemy relationships are often between peers (co-workers, members of the same social clique, etc.), and peace is kept if conditions remain stable. As soon as one character���s position is elevated (they���re given more attention, an advantage, offered an opportunity, etc.), the competition is on. Frenemy relationships are prone to jealousy and so can devolve quickly.

Hater

This character is someone who sees your protagonist as being undeserving of the good that comes to them. In general, haters struggle with the success of others, possibly due to envy, jealousy, and feelings of personal inadequacy. Haters are disruptors and saboteurs who look for opportunities to cause problems and ���take someone down a peg.���

Bully

This opponent gains power by controlling others. Bullies can exist in any environment, from the mean-spirited boss who enjoys pushing your character around, to the adult sibling that never lost his adrenaline rush at sliding the brotherly (or sisterly) knife in. The closer a bully is to your character, the more they can exploit their weaknesses.

Aggressor

Some who struggle to manage their feelings have a go-to response to discomfort or fear: aggression. When a threat is perceived, the aggressor responds impulsively, using intimidation, verbal and emotional abuse, or violence to neutralize the threat. Aggressors are volatile and dangerous because once triggered, they don���t back down.

Meddler

Chances are, some people around your character have strong opinions and aren���t afraid to share them. But if they consistently try to insert themselves or interfere, they become meddlers. This type is somewhat passive-aggressive, offering unsolicited feedback and intrusive advice���or, worse, actively interfere to achieve a specific end. Meddlers are those the character has an emotional attachment to, so rather than directly calling them out, your character may put up with it until they eventually explode.

Nemesis

Once in a great while an adversary comes along who is powerful, relentless, and enduring. This is a foe that, to date, has not been bested and so their very presence is a thorn your protagonist obsesses over but can���t remove. Superman has Lex Luther, Harry Potter has Voldemort. Both parties long for the destruction or removal of the other but have been unable to bring that about.

Challenger

Sometimes your character is at the top of the food chain���happy, secure, and in control. They might be the director of an important area of the government, have the most prosperous grocery store in town, or they���re dating the prom queen. In other words, life is good. Enter the challenger���someone in a position to take what your character has.

Supernatural Force

Inhuman adversaries present a specific challenge because they usually have powers and abilities your protagonist does not. This makes the matchup uneven and will require your character to rethink what they know and believe to find a way to overcome this threat.

Adversarial conflict can be direct or indirect, but always requires a reason for existing.

Choosing an antagonist just because your character ���needs someone to beat��� will lead to hollow conflict, so develop each character to unearth their why instead. Who has something to prove and why? Is this about payback or something else? Is a belief or identity on the line? Adversary or protagonist, when readers can clearly line up the character���s motivation to their goals and needs, it gives credibility to their actions, choices, and behavior.

Need more ideas?

You���ll find problems, obstacles, ticking clocks, temptations, moral dilemmas and more in The Conflict Thesaurus: A Writer���s Guide to Obstacles, Adversaries, and Inner Struggles Volume 1 and Volume 2.

Let the conflict brainstorming begin!

The post Adversarial Conflict: Who Is Making Trouble In Your Story? appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.

Using Wound Categories & Pointed Questions to Identify a Character���s Past Trauma

The wound is a fascinating and vital piece of your character���s past that has lasting, formative effects on who they���ll be at the start of your story. As such, it���s super important to figure out which wound is crippling your character so you���ll know how to write them realistically and consistently. Whether you���re building characters from the ground up or they come to you fully formed and you just have to figure out their backstory, it���s imperative to identify this important event.

What Is an Emotional Wound?

Simply put, a wound is a negative past experience or series of experiences that causes extensive emotional pain. It could be a devastating moment (a life-threatening accident), repeated traumatic episodes (living with an abusive caregiver), or an ongoing damaging situation (growing up in poverty).

However it manifests, this excruciating event births powerful fears that begin to drive the character���s behavior and choices. New personality traits develop as a way of protecting the character from re-experiencing that trauma or the emotions associated with it.

How Do You Discover Your Character���s Wound?

There are a number of ways to ferret out this information, but today I���d like to share a simple brainstorming method involving the different kinds of wounds. It can be difficult to examine these events closely, but knowing the categories and asking some pointed questions about your character can help you figure out which kinds of trauma are a distinct possibility. The list of potential wounds becomes much more manageable.

1. Traumatic Events

These are the ones that most easily come to mind because of their dramatic nature.

A school shooting, a diagnosis of terminal illness, a fatal car crash���these are singular moments of devastation that easily stand out as changing the course of a character���s life. Because of this, these wounds are often the easiest to identify.

Questions to Ask: Is there a specific traumatic moment from the past that haunts your character?

2. Misplaced Trust and Betrayals

Being betrayed by a sibling, getting dumped, suffering childhood abuse by a trusted adult���wounds like these are often the hardest to overcome because they���re inflicted by the people who should love and protect us. It���s those closest to us who can do the greatest harm, so wounds like these are sadly common.

Questions to Ask: Which people from your character���s past did he trust and look up to the most? How might any of them have betrayed him?

3. Childhood Wounds

I joke a lot about how my parenting mistakes will provide good therapy fodder for my kids. I hope that doesn���t happen, but it���s true that some of the most lasting wounds occur in childhood. Children are more vulnerable than adults, and they���re less capable of coping positively when something horrible happens. As a result, these traumas can be more difficult to overcome.

Questions to Ask: Which memories from your character���s childhood does she shy away from? Who were the trusted and most-loved people in her life, and how might they have mistreated her? Which of her caregiver���s techniques, beliefs, or philosophies does she adamantly reject and will never use with her own children?

4. Injustice and Hardship

Very often, our difficult circumstances come about due to an inequity (real or perceived) that someone exploits, such as when a character is bullied, experiences discrimination, or is wrongfully imprisoned. Moments like these often result in disillusionment with the people, groups, or establishment that failed the character, making it easy to unearth the wounding event: just follow that trail of breadcrumbs back to the originating event.

Questions to Ask: Does your character harbor resentment or anger toward a person, people group, or organization? On the flip side, does he feel apathy toward anyone, believing the person is too powerful or established to be confronted? What happened that caused these feelings?

5. Crime and Victimization

Wounds in this category come about when the character is targeted and victimized, making them fairly straightforward and easy to identify. Examples include having your identity stolen, being stalked, and having one���s home being broken into.

Questions to Ask: At what point was my character the victim of a crime?

6. Disabilities and Disfigurements

These kinds of wounds can be both physically and emotionally crippling because they set the character apart from others. Her difference (whether physical, mental, or emotional) is often perceived to be a weakness or limitation by the character herself or by the people around her. It makes her ���less than,��� setting real or imagined limitations on what she can do and achieve.

Questions to Ask: How did the physical disfigurement or disability occur? Is my character haunted by that event or by something that resulted afterward, such as being bullied about her disability or failing in some way because of it?

7. Failures and Mistakes

Mistakes are a normal, everyday part of life that don���t usually result in lasting harm. But some are more devastating, such as when the fallout is great, the event negatively affects other people, or it impacts the character���s sense of self-worth and esteem. Wounds like these might include making a very public mistake or accidentally killing someone.

Questions to Ask: Which negative experience from the past is my character in some way legitimately responsible for? Is there an event that dredges up feelings of extreme guilt, making him wish he could go back and undo it?

Once you���ve decided which kind of wound makes sense for your character, it becomes easier to zero in on the exact trauma that has befallen him. To this end, we���ve put together an extensive (though far from comprehensive)��list of possible wounding events��broken down by category. Then it becomes a simple matter of examining a short list of possibilities to determine which one is haunting your character, impacting him even into the current story.

For more information, you might want to check out��The Emotional Wound Thesaurus.��You can also add it to your��Goodreads��shelf or view a sample entry:��Accidentally Killing Someone.

Finally, if you want to use an��expanded version of the Emotional Wound Thesaurus, hop on over to��One Stop for Writers, where you���ll find it in the largest fiction-focused description database online.

Why not give the��free trial��a spin?

The post Using Wound Categories & Pointed Questions to Identify a Character���s Past Trauma appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.

The Ruler Archetype

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.

Ruler (Archetype)

DESCRIPTION: Rulers are those who preside over others, keeping order, protecting, and taking responsibility for the welfare of their people and lands. Rulers have vast power, which can be used to do good, or evil, and their position hinges on their ability to maintain power and control, whether achieved by good works and earning the love and respect of others, or through threat, manipulation, and fear.

FICTIONAL EXAMPLES: Aragorn (Lord of the Rings); President Snow (The Hunger Games Trilogy), Mufasa (The Lion King), Vito Corleone (The Godfather)

COMMON STRENGTHS
Ambitious, Analytical, Bold, Confident, Courageous, Decisive, Disciplined, Intelligent, Just, Loyal, Objective, Patient, Patriotic, Perceptive, Persistent, Persuasive, Protective, Responsible, Socially Aware, Tolerant, Traditional, Wise, Witty

COMMON WEAKNESSES
Cocky, Confrontational, Controlling, Evasive, Haughty, Hypocritical, Impatient, Inflexible, Judgmental, Manipulative, Materialistic, Perfectionist, Possessive, Pretentious, Violent, Volatile

ASSOCIATED ACTIONS, BEHAVIORS, AND TENDENCIES
Displaying authority and leadership
A powerful sense of duty
A strategic mindset that never turns off
Being somewhat risk-adverse and acting with caution
Always thinking about the big picture
Putting the good of the many first
Respecting traditions and customs, understanding their importance
Viewing every interaction as a way to reinforce alliances, secure needs, and further goals
Being in control of their environment (what happens and when)
Being direct when communicating (and expecting orders to be followed without question)
A defined set of morals (and high standards to go with them)
Taking ownership of failures and missteps and rarely making the same mistake twice
Being very good at masking emotion
Displaying wealth and other symbols of status and prestige
Perfectionist tendencies and having high expectations of others
Maintaining appearances even in times of stress to never appear weak or not in control
Becoming upset when things do not go as planned
Having a defined set of rules and following them (and expecting others to also)
Relying on trusted agents who have proven themselves loyal over family or class
Living in a way that maintains their reputation (be that a fair ruler, an unforgiving one, etc.)
Following through on promises, threats, and consequences
Forgetting people are people, not chess pieces for furthering goals
Having few close relationships
Rarely (or never) letting down their guard to reveal insecurities or worries
Finding it difficult to ask for help
Being mindful of their reputation and appearance
Being able to make the hard decisions when necessary
Adopting a ���the ends justify the means��� mindset at times

SITUATIONS THAT WILL CHALLENGE THEM
Having to let go of control or transfer power to another
Having to rely on someone or something that is unproven
A chaotic environment when structure and order is disrupted
Hard choices that go against their morals or ethics
Having a personal vulnerability become known
Discovering disloyalty among their inner circle
Being challenged by a competitor
Moments that require patience
Having to make concessions or compromise
Needing information to make decisions that impact others and not having it
A cognitive challenge that impairs memory or the ability to make clear decisions
Having no choice but to act in a way that will make someone an enemy
Being asked to put personal welfare first (work-life balance, tending to personal relationships, etc.)
When someone knows their secrets or has a form of leverage

INNER STRUGGLES TO GIVE THEM DEPTH
Feeling anxiety and doubt and being unable to show it or confide in anyone
Yearning for the burden of duty to be lifted, and feeling guilt for this desire
Feeling the more they embody a role, the more they lose their sense of self
Wanting to pursue something but knowing they cannot because of their duty, a custom, expectations, etc. (like choose whom to marry, be friends with, or where to live)
Struggling with burnout and having little to no opportunities for self-care
Being terrified of failing or making a mistake but having to mask it
Wanting to confess to something (a mistake, a betrayal) but knowing they cannot

TWIST THIS TROPE WITH A CHARACTER WHO���
Enjoys leading, and is good at it
Faces temptations and struggles just as anyone else would
Is not afraid to share power, and co-leads because two is stronger than one
Is a respected ruler despite not fitting the tall, strong, handsome type
Is an effective and respected leader who just happens to also have a condition, physical challenge, or other atypical factor

CLICH��S TO AVOID
Ruling with the ���iron fist��� and yet never being challenged by those unhappy with status quo
Being an inept leader and yet somehow staying in power
Treating soldiers, supporters, and staff poorly, yet somehow they all remain loyal
Being in charge due to a family legacy when others in the story make better leaders

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 The Ruler Archetype appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.

Selling a Million Books: What Worked for Us (and Can Work for You, Too)

As you may know, Angela and I have recently reached the unbelievable milestone of having sold a million books.

Meet the kids

I say ���unbelievable��� because this was never in our sights. We started out as two writers with no formal education in the field. We had no publishing experience. What did a couple of stay-at-home moms really know about succeeding as authors?

Needless to say, when we sold our thousandth book in 2012, we were over-the-moon excited. And then we hit the 10,000 mark. Then 100k��� With every milestone, people asked us how we had done it���because I think a lot of writers can relate to our feelings of uncertainty, of having a goal but not knowing how to get there, and not wanting to dream too big.

But here���s the truth: if we can succeed, you can succeed. Full stop.

Granted, it would have been easier with a little more information when we started. So we���d like to share some of the things that have worked for us, because we believe they can work for you���no matter what you���re writing or what goals you���ve set for yourself.

Give the Readers What They Want

Some of you may not know that the very first thing we blogged about in 2007 was The Emotion Thesaurus. As critique partners, we had both struggled with how to show emotions in new and realistic ways, and we knew it was also a problem for the other members of our group. So we thought: maybe this is something other writers need help with, too.

That suspicion was confirmed almost immediately. We started putting up a new emotion post each Saturday, and our readership just blew up. Before long, people were asking for the content in book form. And that���s when we knew we had something people wanted to read.

Takeaway: Whether you���re writing nonfiction, cozy mysteries, thrillers, steamy romances, or a memoir, you have stories that people want to read. Write what excites you. Hone your craft so you can write those stories well. And start building connections with the people who want to read what you���re writing.

Take Risks

Angela and I had always dreamed of being traditionally published, so when it came time to turn The Emotion Thesaurus into a book, we assumed we���d go that route. Then we started seeing our thesaurus content popping up on other people���s sites, and being distributed as a PDF. Suddenly, we couldn���t afford to wait two years or more for our book to be available; we had to get it out quickly before someone else did, and that meant publishing it ourselves.

But this was 2011. Self-publishing was openly poo-poohed in the industry, with many people bemoaning the substandard quality of self-pubbed books (and some asserting that authors only went this route if they couldn���t get a traditional contract). Oh, and we had zero idea how to publish a book. Going down this path was a huge risk for us, but Ange and I knew we needed to do it, so we got to work figuring out file formats, and distributors, and cover designers, and the logistics of co-authoring a book. And we made it work, and in 2012, we launched The Emotion Thesaurus.

Original proof, pre-logo

Takeaway: Don���t be afraid to take risks with your writing. Try new things. Dive into uncharted waters and educate yourself. Sometimes, the scariest opportunities have the biggest payoffs, but you won���t reap the rewards if you don���t try.

Put Your Own Spin on Your Work

Another thing that made us nervous was the unconventional format of our books. Instead of the typical narrative structure, our thesauruses consisted mostly of two-page entries full of lists and phrases. It was a risk to deviate from the norm, but we went for it because our blog readers liked it.

Not only did readers love the ���user-friendly��� structure, other writing books with lists soon began popping up all over Amazon.

Unfortunately, it’s also led to copycat covers and many books that have similar titles to those in our series. We feel bad every time someone tells us they bought a book they thought was one of ours only to discover it wasn’t. So if you are trying to find our thesaurus guides, just look for the Writers Helping Writers�� logo.

Takeaway: Always put your own spin on your writing. Infuse it with your unique voice. Explore the themes that interest you and the subject you���re passionate about. Write as your authentic, one-of-a-kind self and you���ll end up creating books that will stand apart from the others in your genre.

Make Your Books Available to as Many Readers as Possible

Because readers have their own preferred storefronts and formats, we wanted to reach as many of them as possible by going wide and making our books available in lots of places. We also offered PDF versions, since people like having their book files open on their computer while working. We even created a Character Traits Boxed Set to sell directly from our website.

The bulk of our sales do come from Amazon, but by distributing through many digital storefronts and independent bookstores, and making our books available in PDF, we ensured that readers could get our books where they liked to show and in the format that worked best for them.

Takeaway: Make it easy for people to buy your books. Sell through multiple distributors, in different formats. Listen to what your followers are saying about how they like to read and make those options available to them.

Explore Every Opportunity

As you grow, opportunities are going to come along that you never considered. Ange and I had published three books and were working on the fourth when we got an email from a publisher asking if the Korean rights to The Emotion Thesaurus were available. Foreign translations weren���t on our radar at all. We didn���t have an agent, couldn���t negotiate an international contract ourselves, and couldn���t market a book overseas if we wanted to. So it would���ve been easy for us to dismiss the request as being too far outside our wheelhouse and something we just didn���t have time for.

Foreign editions (and Angela’s zombie bookends)

Instead, we looked into it. We found an agent who specialized in negotiating rights deals with foreign publishers. We talked to her about the email we���d received, and we realized this was a gift that had fallen into our laps. So we sold those rights. And, boy, was that the right decision. We now have books in 9 languages that have sold almost 400,000 copies to date in markets we never would have reached on our own.

Takeaway: No matter how busy you are, explore every opportunity that comes your way. You don���t have to invest a ton of time. Just do some basic research, keep an open mind, and see if it���s something you should pursue. When in doubt, see Point #2.

Run Experiments

It can be hard to know if an opportunity is a good one or not. In those cases, it doesn���t hurt to experiment.

In 2018, KDP started contacting us with requests to highlight our Kindle books in their daily and monthly deals. We were skeptical about how this would affect our sales. Sure, more people might buy our Kindle book if it was priced at $1.99. But wouldn���t we end up making less money that way? Would those discounted sales cannibalize our paperback sales?

Writers Helping Writers series breakdown 2023

So we ran an experiment and started participating in those deals. It became clear that while we made less per book, our revenue still increased. Why? Because it lowered the barrier to test out one of our thesauruses, and if the person found it helpful, they often would go on to pick up more volumes in the series. Also, because we have observed our readers prefer print to digital, some kindle deal buyers would go on to pick up a print copy also. So this experiment has really paid off for us.

Takeaways: New opportunities don���t have to be permanent. If you���re not sure about something, set aside a prescribed period of time to test it out. Setting a timeline and recognizing that the experiment is temporary can ease your mind about trying new things.

Know When to Cut Bait

But remember that not every experiment is a success. Prior to 2019, we hadn���t utilized ads on any platforms. Sales were flagging a bit at Amazon and a lot of people were finding success with ads there, so we decided to give it a shot. After eight months, we realized that the investment just wasn���t paying off, and we stopped.

Takeaway: Accept that some experiments won���t pan out. Keep a close eye on those trial runs and the risks you���ve decided to take. And do the same with your day-to-day tasks���you know, the processes and systems you���re using because that���s the way you���ve always done them. Be deliberate about monitoring what you���re doing and assessing if it���s worth the ROI. If it���s not working, stop doing it or find a new way.

Seek Out Multiple Revenue Streams

Let���s face it: it���s hard to make a living from book sales. But Ange and I learned early on that our skills as writers lent themselves to other ways of bringing in money. So we branched out as speakers, running workshops for local writing groups and at larger conferences. Then we explored another collaboration that resulted in One Stop for Writers, a subscription-based website that contains all our thesauruses (not just our books) and writing tools and resources designed by us that help writers in a new way.

Workshops and One Stop for Writers have provided additional revenue for us in and of themselves, but they also generated more sales by introducing us to new people who had never heard of our books.

Takeaway: What additional career opportunities could you pursue that utilize your writing skills? What else could you be doing ���on the side��� while you���re writing books? Here are some options you may not have considered.

Partner with the Right People

If there���s any one secret to Angela���s and my success, it���s that we found each other. It���s really, really hard to do this job alone. I can���t imagine having to handle everything by myself. At some point, most writers will need to partner with other people, be that a business partner, editor, agent, cover designer, copy editor, bookkeeper, etc. Those partnerships can save you���as long as you choose wisely.

Takeaway: Research potential partnerships carefully. Look for people who complement you, people who are strong where you���re weak. Find people who share your values and work ethic and are pulling in the same direction.

There’s more we could share, but this post is long enough already, and we’d rather hear what has worked for you. Let us know in the comments!

More quick facts about the books
Enter our celebratory giveaway

The post Selling a Million Books: What Worked for Us (and Can Work for You, Too) appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.

We’ve Reached the One Million Books Milestone!

Once upon a time…

Two novice writers met in an online critique group called the Critique Circle and became fast friends. Angela (a Canadian) wrote about zombies and pirates and a magical bookstore that kidnapped customers. Becca (an American) wrote everything from a coming of age YA during California’s Gold Rush to a dark tale of a doughy gingerbread boy being baked alive (and here you thought Angela was the weird one).

First in-person meet-up, Disney World, 2007

The two also shared something else: a passion for learning and helping others. So they turned to studying the craft of writing and how they could help others work through common writing struggles.

One of the bigger hurdles writers faced was showing and not telling character emotion, so the two collaborated on a list of ways to show fear. This brainstorming list was well-received, and led to the next, and the next. Then in January 2008, they decided to start a blog so they could share these lists more widely. At The Bookshelf Muse, this collection of lists was given an official name: the “Emotion Thesaurus.”

This thesaurus became the first of many on different aspects of description, and finally, on May 9, 2012, they self-published their first writing guide: The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression.

The first book!

Truth be told, it was terrifying. The industry wasn’t so keen on self-publishing back then, and some experts were vocal about how they believed writers were throwing their careers away if they self-published. To know about this bias and then put a book on the same industry-dominated shelf anyway took a lot of inner convincing, especially as this was their first publication, meaning they had no bestselling-this or editor-that to give them credibility.

But they did have something special. You.

Right from that first list, first blog, and first book, YOU were in their corner. You supported, cheered, and encouraged. You helped spread the word, told other writers about the helpful nature of this book, and then did the same for all the ones that followed.

Thank you for being in our corner!

Becca and I are stunned that a million of our books are in the world. Never could we have dreamt of being able to help so many writers, but we’ve been able to because of all of you. Your kindness, generosity, and support is unmatched. We are so grateful–thank you so, so much!

(Find Out More: Press Release & Quick Facts)

Giveaway Alert

A milestone like this calls for a special giveaway, so we reached out to our Resident Writing Coaches for help.

And boy, did they ever deliver!

Look at this incredible load of writerly things you can win…

The Prizes

A Story Audit from RWC & Editor, Lisa Poisso

This small but powerful diagnostic examines your one-page synopsis, a comprehensive assessment of the story’s narrative elements (story structure, plot, character arcs, conflict, and more), and an overview of the writing in your full manuscript. It will help you determine if your book is ready for editing, saving you time, energy, and money by diagnosing any big-picture issues before you pay someone for editing. A winner can redeem this Story Audit anytime after July 2023. (Psst. Lisa is great to work with!)

First 5000 Critique from RWC & Editor Michelle Barker

Your query letter and synopsis are important parts of the submission package, but your writing sample is the true test. In fact, many agents read the sample first. This service includes a developmental edit of your first 5000 words & complimentary access to Query Quest. Find out more.

Online Confidential Platform & Networking On Demand Course from RWC, Script Editor & Author, Lucy V. Hay

Marketing and platform building can be a challenge, but this step-by-step guide will help you utilize the online space to your best advantage as a writer or screenwriter. If you feel you aren’t getting traction online now, or you just don’t know where to start, this course will help you! Find out more.

A Wicked Good Bootcamp Seat from RWC, Editor, & Author Suzy Vadori
The 8-week virtual book coaching experience will teach you to write a book that readers will love. Get clear on the story you���re dying to tell (and WHY you want to tell it), so you can turn it into a book readers actually want to read without compromising your creative vision. Skip the writers��� learning curve and get over a decade���s worth of Suzy’s insider writing industry tips in just 8 weeks to make your writing as strong as possible. Come away with a detailed action plan to get your ideal book written and into the world this year.

A Crime Scene or Climax Critique, (Winner’s Choice) from RWC & Thriller Author Sue Coletta

Attention, thriller & crime writers! This unique prize has been designed just for you from an expert in crime scenes, serial killers, tension, and suspense! (Did I mention she has her own Murder Blog?) Sue will assess your scene and offer feedback to help you ramp up the intensity. Note: the winner will need to provide a short synopsis of the story so Sue has context for the scene.

A $150 credit toward a Cruising Writers Writing Retreat with RWC & Author Christina Delay

Have you ever dreamed of joining a bunch of writers on a writing retreat in some beautiful location? Then imagine a situation where you get to visit several stunning locations, be pampered as you relax, and have a chance to learn and network with industry pros! Cruising Writers is a fantastic option for retreaters – rest, relax, and fill your creative well aboard a stunning cruise ship. The winner will get a hefty $150 discount on your package when you book! (Stating the obvious, but you must be a writer to win.)

A 20-Page Critique of Your Middle Grade or YA Novel by RWC & Editor, Marissa Graff

Wouldn’t it be great to have help with the opening of your story, especially from someone who was a freelance editor and reader for former literary agent Sarah Davies (ranked #2 in middle-grade fiction sales) for over seven years? Someone who has had clients go on to nab agents, sell their books, and even win the Newbery Award? Heck yes it would! Marissa Graff will help you bring out the best elements of your MG or YA opening by critiquing your first 20 pages.

A Full Picture Book Critique from Our WHW Blog Wizard & “PB Fairy Godmother” Mindy Alyse Weiss

Mindy is the mastermind behind PBParty, an annual contest that connects talented picture book writers and author/illustrators with agents and editors. This has led to many success stories. Mindy has a ton of experience in what agents and editors are looking for in a picture book. The winner of this prize can send up to three PB manuscripts. Mindy will give light comments on two and in-depth feedback on the PB with the most potential.

A 1-Year Subscription to One Stop for Writers from your biggest fans… Becca and me!

We have created many thesauruses over the years, but not all of them become books…some go straight to a THESAURUS Database at One Stop for Writers. This web app is how we help writers beyond our books using powerful tools we’ve built to make it much easier to plan, write, and revise your way to a publish-ready book. Take the tour, start a free trial, and make sure to enter for a chance to win a 1-year membership! We’d love to help you bring your best story to the page.

To Enter:

Want a chance to win one of these amazing prizes? Click the link below.

WHW’s 1 Million Book Milestone Giveaway

(Final day to enter is May 9th, 2023, EST).

Note, one entry per person. Prizes have no cash value and cannot be transferred. For full legal rules and conditions, please go here.)

Thank you again for all your kind support. We are honored to be part of your storytelling journey!

If you’d like to help us celebrate this milestone, feel free to share this post. And good luck in the draw!

The post We’ve Reached the One Million Books Milestone! appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.

Character Type & Trope Thesaurus Entry: Hero

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.

Hero (Archetype)

DESCRIPTION: Heroes are driven to fight for the oppressed and defend the defenseless, and they succeed by employing their own specific mix of strengths, talents, and skills. In addition, some form of sacrifice is usually required for them to win.

NOTES: In the context of storytelling, the terms hero and protagonist are used interchangeably, but when it comes to archetypes, the two are distinctly different. A protagonist (the main character whose goal drives the story) with the characteristics described above will be a hero. But not every protagonist is a hero; it’s actually quite common for secondary characters to play this archetypal character. As an example, in Where the Crawdads Sing, Kya is the protagonist of the story, but its her lawyer, Tom Milton, who represents the hero type.

Secondly, please note that ���hero��� in the context of this entry is used as a gender-neutral term, similar to artist, athlete, or doctor.

FICTIONAL EXAMPLES: Atticus Finch (To Kill a Mockingbird), Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games series), Aibileen, Minny, and Skeeter (The Help), Luke Skywalker (Star Wars: A New Hope), Elle Woods (Legally Blonde)

COMMON STRENGTHS
Adventurous, Bold, Confident, Courageous, Disciplined, Focused, Honorable, Idealistic, Independent, Industrious, Inspirational, Intelligent, Just, Persistent, Resourceful, Responsible, Talented

COMMON WEAKNESSES
Cocky, Nosy, Obsessive, Perfectionist, Pushy, Stubborn, Workaholic

ASSOCIATED ACTIONS, BEHAVIORS, AND TENDENCIES
Having a specific goal in mind and working toward it
Gathering allies that complement them and assist in the pursuit of the goal
Having a strong moral code
Being sensitive to injustice
Speaking up or stepping forward when others won���t
Utilizing certain strengths or skills in the pursuit of their goal
Making sacrifices to achieve the goal
Struggling with personal flaws or demons
Learning from their mistakes
Seeking to learn or improve skills and abilities that will aid them in their task
Persistence
Standing up for the vulnerable or defenseless
Difficulty accepting viewpoints that go against their own moral code
Overconfidence and cockiness
Trying to do things on their own instead of depending on or working with others
Taking too long to self-correct
Difficulty taking orders or advice from others

SITUATIONS THAT WILL CHALLENGE THEM
Losing a minor confrontation with an adversary
Being betrayed by an ally
The death of a mentor
Facing a setback that makes success seem impossible
Having to make a decision that will result, either way, in someone being hurt
Being unable to save someone
Being pitted against a seemingly undefeatable enemy
Not being in control
Loved ones not supporting the character in the pursuit of their goal

INNER STRUGGLES TO GIVE THEM DEPTH
A strength becoming a weakness���e.g., John Nash’s mental acumen being compromised with the onset of schizophrenia (A Beautiful Mind)
Having to change course and not knowing what to do
A significant failure causing the hero to doubt themselves
Recognizing a weakness but struggling to deal with it or do things differently
Having to make a decision between the goal and important people in the hero’s life
Being tempted to give in to temptation or take a shortcut along the way
An ego-driven mistake harming the people the hero is trying to help or protect

TWIST THIS TROPE WITH A CHARACTER WHO���
Has a moral code that’s in flux, making it difficult for them to know right from wrong
Wants to right a wrong or save others but can’t find a person or cause to fight for
Has unresolved trauma that gets in the way of their success
Is physically or mentally weak in a key way
Tries to be a hero but fails in a fumbling way
Is running from their goal instead of working toward it
Has an unexpected backstory
Has an atypical trait: cowardly, apathetic, disrespectful, unethical, etc.

*Heroes are one of the most common archetypes found in stories, so they have been tweaked, altered, and reworked to avoid clich��s many times over. Thus, it can take some ingenuity to come up with a new spin on this character type. It may help to explore tropes that represent alternative versions of this archetype to see how they’ve been rewritten, such as the reluctant hero, the tragic hero, the chosen one, superheroes, and antiheros.

CLICH��S TO AVOID

The perfect hero: lots of positive traits but short on flawsThe hero who already has everything they need to defeat the enemy; they just have to look within and tap into it to succeedHeroes with predictable journeys and story endings

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 Entry: Hero appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.

Phenomenal First Pages Contest – Guest Editor Edition

Hey, wonderful writerly people! It���s time for our monthly critique contest! This month, winners will receive feedback from a professional editor. So exciting! Five winners will receive a critique of their first six pages.

If you���re working on a manuscript and would like some objective feedback, please leave a comment. Any comment :). As long as the email address associated with your WordPress account/comment profile is up-to-date, I���ll be able to contact you if you’re chosen. Just please know that if I���m unable to get in touch with you through that address, you���ll have to forfeit your win.

Here’s the editor you’ll be working with:Erica Converso

I���m Erica Converso, author of the Five Stones Pentalogy. I love chocolate, animals, anime, musicals, and lots and lots of books – though not necessarily in that order. In addition to my work as an author, I have been an intern at Marvel Comics, a college essay tutor, and a database and emerging technologies librarian. Between helping adult patrons in the reference section and mentoring teens in the evening reading programs, I was also the resident research expert for anyone requiring more in-depth information for a project.

As an editor, I aim to improve and polish your work to a professional level, while also teaching you to hone your craft and learn from previous mistakes. With every piece I edit, I see the author as both client and student. I believe that every manuscript presents an opportunity to grow as a writer, and a good editor should teach you about your strengths and weaknesses so that you can return to your writing more confident in your skills. Visit my website astrioncreative.com for more information on my books and editing and coaching services.

Contest GuidelinesThis month���s contest will work the same as it usually does���except our amazing guest editor will be the one sending feedback if you win.

Please be sure your first six pages (double-spaced in 12-point font) are ready to go so our guest editor can critique it before next month���s contest rolls around. If it needs some work and you won���t be able to get it to me right away, please plan on entering the next contest, once any necessary tweaking has been taken care of.

This contest only runs for 24 hours, start to finish, so get your comment in there!

Five commenters��� names will be randomly drawn and posted tomorrow morning. If you win, I’ll contact you with information about sending it to me. Then, I’ll forward it to our amazing editor for feedback.  

We run this contest on a monthly basis, so if you���d like to be notified when the next opportunity comes around, consider subscribing to our blog (see the right-hand sidebar). 

Good luck! I can’t wait to see who the winners will be.

PS: If you want to amp up your first page, grab our helpful First Pages checklist from One Stop for Writers. And for more instruction on these important opening elements, see this Mother Lode of First Page Resources.

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

5 Ways to Crash Your Character���s Pity Party

We generally craft characters with the intention of making them someone the reader cares about. One of the primary ways to achieve that is to tap into reader empathy, and that���s largely achieved by showing what the character lacks in their ���ordinary world��� life. But sometimes, we unintentionally present our characters in ways that turn readers off. Without meaning to, we miss the mark of empathy and instead conjure pity. And though you���d think a pitiful character tugs at readers��� heartstrings, pity creates a divide between the reader and the character. Readers don���t want to identify with someone who is self-pitying or who perceives themselves as a victim.

The good news is that there are things we can do to earn empathy and to avoid pity. Let���s talk through 5 techniques that make the reader need to know how the story turns out because they can imagine themselves in the character���s shoes.

Let Your Protagonist Be Ignorant to Their Circumstances.

Story can arguably be distilled to one question that drives it from start to finish: Is your character capable of change? If the character is blaming or envying others, directly pointing to what they lack and how terrible life is without it, overly-aware of their plight, or exuding any other behaviors that spell ���victim,��� you���re veering into The Danger Zone. Self-pity is one of the primary ways readers are turned off, no matter how likable we think our characters are. Worse, if it seems your character suggests that their circumstances are someone else���s fault or they���re just not as fortunate as others, you���ve written your character���s story off right out of the gate. Readers need to see that the ability to change is within the character���s own hands���not in those of anyone else. If it seems it���s someone else who needs changing, why tell your protagonist���s story at all?

How to avoid the pity party? Avoid using direct phrasing for what your character wants or needs, even if done through a third-person narrator. Let us glean those wants and needs indirectly in what they say and do. Avoid language that suggests envy, blame, or other characters needing to realize something or change in some way. Instead, craft actions and dialogue for your character that have them wrestling with what they can do to change their own circumstances in order to deliver themselves to what they ultimately want or need.

Limit the Amount of Time Your Narrator Has the Microphone.

Sometimes, our writing can suffer from a case of ���chatty-narrator syndrome.��� The narrator talks at the reader too much, letting them in on every thought and feeling, including pointing to the things the character wants and needs. This doesn���t leave any space for the reader to work, and the character begins to feel high-maintenance. Needy. And even too controlling because they overly handle the narrative. Direct narrative is a notorious gateway to self-pity. Though first-person narrators can be especially guilty of this, it���s important to note that this can happen with a third-person narrator, too.

Chatty-narrator syndrome fails to build trust between the writer and the reader. As writers, we worry readers aren���t noticing how messed up our character���s situations are or how they came to be that way. We fear readers aren���t seeing what the character needs, and we decide to point it out. Heavily. Directly. Annoyingly. Chatty-narrator syndrome is almost always due to us as writers not trusting ourselves to show what we need to show, and not trusting our readers to notice it. Tell your narrator to step away from the microphone, and let the scenes of your story show us what we are meant to notice and feel about your character���s life.

Put Your Character into Circumstances That Reveal Their Wounds.

Sometimes we craft opening scenes because they just came to us or because we imagine that���s where the story starts. But intentionality in crafting scene events is crucial. What external action might your character experience that lets us glean what they lack? Consider characters that can provoke your character to reveal hints of their wounds to us. What might other characters do or say to reveal your character���s baggage? Consider locations and external events that might bring your character���s wounds to the surface. What type of event would trigger ���side effects��� of your character���s backstory wounds in a way that relies on showing instead of telling?

In Deb Caletti���s HEART IN A BODY IN THE WORLD, protagonist Anabelle encounters teenage boys as she waits in line for her fast-food order. Her anxiety rises as she notices sensory-based details about the boys, and she takes off running. Literally. And that event with those carefully-chosen characters is enough to let us start working out what���s possibly gone wrong in her backstory.

Think of circumstances that can noticeably make your character uncomfortable, or show them deliberately ignoring what���s happening around them. The first quarter is all about the character resisting change. Refusing to act. Reluctant to try new actions. What might you throw your character���s way that can elicit those types of responses?

Start Developing the Logic For Your Character���s Wounds Early And Often.

It���s crucial that your narrator���whoever they may be���start offering up clues about your character���s backstory and why it���s still in play. If all we do is hint at things that trigger our characters, the reader will start to feel frustrated. They will see us behind the words pointing to the character���s wounds, which will begin to feel like pity if the why piece of things isn���t developed.

As you let the reader glean your character���s ���lack,��� offer them steady puzzle pieces that begin building out the full picture of why your character carries the exact baggage that they carry. Resist the urge to withhold. The more we think we���re manipulating tension by not showing clues of why our characters are how they are, we risk readers leaving our stories. Still, it���s worth a word of caution that giving the why away too quickly and in one fell swoop can overwhelm a reader, too. Instead, piece by piece, one scene at a time, help the reader work through what your character lacks and how that lack came to exist.

In HEART IN A BODY IN THE WORLD, we meet protagonist Anabelle as closed off and unable to openly talk about whatever past she has. This starts to signal to us that whatever went wrong in her backstory, it���s painful. Traumatic. It���s so horrific that it���s going to take time to reveal it. And because we���re only getting clue drops, we���re intrigued, free to feel empathy, and not overwhelmed by a massive suitcase of woe. Caletti masterfully doles out one puzzle piece at a time of how Anabelle is in her ordinary world life, and how she became that way.

Employ a Narrative Perspective That Puts Your Reader Inside Your Character���s Skin as Much as Possible.

Readers are more likely to empathize and identify with our protagonist if we use an intimate point of view, one that puts the reader inside the character���s mind and body. An intimate point of view gives readers exclusive access to a flawed character���s perspective. It allows readers to make an easier connection with a character. Consider the use of a viewpoint such as first-person, or third-person close. In using a viewpoint that brings readers as close as possible to your character, you maximize their engagement with the story. Think of ways to help readers feel as though they are one and the same with your protagonist. To feel the character���s lack as though it���s the reader���s own. Just be sure to avoid that dreaded chatty-narrator syndrome.

What other ways do you find help you as a reader empathize with the character? Which craft techniques tend to make you pity the character? As a reader, do you mind pity in a character, or do you prefer to see the character positioned to change their circumstances as a result of their own actions? Chime in!

The post 5 Ways to Crash Your Character���s Pity Party appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS��.

Character Type & Trope Thesaurus: Caregiver

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.

The Caregiver

DESCRIPTION
Caregivers are compassionate and put the needs of others first. Their role is to help, protect, and provide emotional support for characters they care about or feel responsible for.��

FICTIONAL EXAMPLES: Mary Poppins (Mary Poppins), Samwise Gamgee (Lord of the Rings), Molly Weasley (Harry Potter)

COMMON STRENGTHS: Affectionate, Appreciative, Calm, Diplomatic, Empathetic, Gentle, Kind, Loyal, Nurturing, Observant, Optimistic, Patient, Perceptive, Protective, Supportive, Unselfish, Wise

COMMON WEAKNESSES: Fussy, Gullible, Perfectionist, Subservient, Worrywart

ASSOCIATED ACTIONS, BEHAVIORS, AND TENDENCIES
Providing a warm welcome
Seeing to the needs of others
Being a calming presence when emotions are activated
Asking questions to show interest and encourage others to open up
Providing food, comforts, a place to stay, etc. when needed
Standing up for others (especially those in need of advocacy or protection)
Being able to read people and their intentions
Lying or misdirecting in order to protect those in their care
Offering to help, run errands, or take on duties to help out
Sharing what they have
Being a peacekeeper��
Being the voice of reason
Being a good listener
Validating the feelings of others
Offering advice that���s balanced and encourages people to think
Setting aside their own personal needs for others
Mending, fixing, or procuring the things others need
Letting others know they���re here to help or listen
Giving time, energy, and resources if it will help
Providing a safe haven to those who need it
Putting their own desires or needs on hold
Acting as a teacher or paternal/maternal figure
Showing unconditional love and support
Telling people what they need to hear, but respectfully
Displaying patience and understanding
Stepping in with childcare, offering a ride, etc.��
Sharing what they have
Speaking up for others
Putting others first
Offering encouragement��
Being open with praise and pride of others

SITUATIONS THAT WILL CHALLENGE THEM
Misunderstandings where their actions are misunderstood
Dealing with people who are entitled and expect help rather than appreciate the gift of it
Setting boundaries with others��
Making time for their own needs and self-care
Wanting to help but being asked not to
Letting go of worry when they have done all they can
Dealing with someone who is demanding or difficult
Offering advice and wisdom but not having it taken
Discovering well-meaning advice they gave led to disaster

INNER STRUGGLES TO GIVE THEM DEPTH
Helping but not feeling appreciated, and wondering if they���re being taken advantage of
Needing to put themselves first but feeling guilty about not being there for others
Feeling drained by being constantly needed
Having to quash frustration when they need to drop everything
Struggling with personal identity in times when they aren���t needed

TWIST THIS TROPE WITH A CHARACTER WHO���
Has their own busy life outside of care-giving
Is an extrovert with a variety of interests and friends
Channels their caregiving in an unusual way, like being a fixer for people who have been wronged by others, specialized in matchmaking,
Is an anonymous caregiver, watching out for others or interceding on their behalf without them knowing
A caregiver who is famous on some way, and so is always in the spotlight

CLICH��S TO AVOID
The caregiver who sits at home, waiting to be needed
The fretting, anxious caregiver
A caregiver who’s identity is begins and ends with helping others
A caregiver who meddles, interferes, or smothers out of a skewed belief that they know best
A caregiver who guilt trips loved ones or plays the martyr as a way to get attention or control

Other Type and Trope Thesaurus entries can be found here.

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