I’m so glad! 🙂

It can be a bit challenging to go from an idea into a developed plan for a story, I know. Some people struggle with what’s more important, plot or character, and the answer is character, because what readers are drawn to is how what happens to your protagonist, but how they handle it and why. The story, the true story, is that – what goes on within your character and motivates them to leave their comfort zone for a goal that will complete them in some way.

So the first think you’ll want to do is really dive deep into who your character is and what makes them tick – backstory, motivation, personality, fears, desires, what’s missing from their life, all of that, and then have them choose a goal that represents the very thing they need most to be satisfied and complete. The most efficient way to do this is to create a character bible or profile, and the best tool for doing that is the Character Builder: https://onestopforwriters.com/about-character-builder. But if you are the sort to find a questionnaire helpful instead, scroll down to the Character Profile Questionnaire (PDF). The Reverse Backstory tool might help you. too. There are other tools on this page around personality building as well, but as I said, an all-in-one would be to use the Character Builder at One Stop for Writers.

If you need step-by-step help as you plan, write, and revise, One Stop for Writers also has a Storyteller’s Roadmap: https://onestopforwriters.com/storytellers-roadmap
I would also suggest books like Structuring Your Novel and Outlining Your Novel by KM Weiland. You can find these and some others we find helpful here: https://writershelpingwriters.net/recommended-writing-books/

I hope this gives you a good start. Because you mentioned story vs. theme & plot, give this a read, too: https://writershelpingwriters.net/2023/06/story-vs-plot-vs-theme-know-your-5ws-and-h/

Happy writing!

Avoid using Grammerly. You are the human, you decide! I prefer dialogue that reduces adverbs not because of the single word like ‘really’ rather because the underlying meaning for me as a reader is drab and resembles a non communicative person. I rather read scenes and the dialogue to have purpose. If the situation is a whoops or a tragedy in real life all that can be said is ‘wow, my eyes hurts trying to believe what just happened.’

Meaning simplistic speech has its moments but not a recipe for full service reading.

Anyways, ProWritingAid, Wordtune.

I refuse to pay for grammar assistance websites. These above have free no hidden fees usage — websites, apps and plugins. Also human detection and editing is something that must be paid for and necessary towards the final steps of book writing.

Thanks for the kind words about our books, Carmen. I wish the Occupation Thesaurus could have included every possible job, to make things easier for all of our writers. Sometimes the similar entries (like Rancher instead of Bull Rider) can provide ideas or prompt you about things you may not have considered that make sense for your character. But with the two jobs you mentioned, I don’t think the entries we’ve included are going to give you exactly what you’re after.

My suggestion here would be to download the Occupation Thesaurus template and take just a bit of time to create your own Rancher entry. Google, or even some of the AI tools available now, can provide a lot of the information for you, and you can brainstorm the rest—as well as adding any other information we didn’t include in our entries. Then you’ll have a full picture of what this job could look like for your character.

I have your Occupation Thesaurus, but I’m writing a book on a Bull Rider, would you suggest I use
the Rancher section? I feel they go hand in hand, as most bull riders are ranchers and or farmers?

I’m also going to make my lead character as someone who sells in a flea market, she sells crafts/jewelry style
and spells with herbs. (Kind of like Shamanism/New Age.)

I’m going to see if the reiki master and small business owner helps with that one.

If not, I would appreciate any suggestion, or maybe you can add one in a future book, or update.