Comments on: Why Your Hero Needs A Special Skill or Talent

By: Monday Must-Reads [05/19/14]

Monday Must-Reads [05/19/14] — Tue, 20 May 2014 03:29:06 +0000

[…] 4 Great Reasons Why Your Hero Needs A Special Skill or Talent | WRITERS HELPING WRITERS […]

By: No Wasted Ink Writer’s Links | No Wasted Ink

No Wasted Ink Writer’s Links | No Wasted Ink — Mon, 19 May 2014 16:01:34 +0000

[…] 4 Great Reasons Why Your Hero Needs A Special Skill or Talent […]

By: Eva Lefoy

Eva Lefoy — Sat, 17 May 2014 20:46:33 +0000

Currently I’m writing a Yeti. I think that shifters are sort of a shorthand for special skills these days. That’s probably why a lot of people write them. A Yeti shifter would have certain physical attributes in his Yeti form but in the human form he might need something special too. Not sure what that is yet. Great post.

By: Marcia

Marcia — Fri, 16 May 2014 15:22:19 +0000

Yes, this is so true! A talent immediately lends depth and interest to a character.

By: Top Picks Thursday 05-15-2014 | The Author Chronicles

Top Picks Thursday 05-15-2014 | The Author Chronicles — Thu, 15 May 2014 17:02:07 +0000

[…] her series on character by exploring the character’s arc in the 3rd act, Angela Ackerman gives us 5 reasons your hero needs a special skill or talent, Sharla Rae has 10 tips for writing children, and Drew Chial tells us how to create a good […]

By: Divas Recommend: 4 Great Reasons Why Your Hero Needs A Special Skill or Talent by Angela Ackerman - Write Divas | Write Divas

Thu, 15 May 2014 15:16:51 +0000

[…] For today’s Divas Recommend, Diva Jen chose this fabulous article by Angela Ackerman from Writers Helping Writers called “4 Great Reasons Why Your Hero Needs a Special Skill or Talent.” […]

By: Nadezhda Seiler

Nadezhda Seiler — Thu, 15 May 2014 14:38:30 +0000

Thank you for the helpful post. My protagonist is an amateur PI with a great sense of humor, and it is his humor that makes him memorable, I’d like to think, even though it’s not his talent but character trait.

By: Traci Kenworth

Traci Kenworth — Thu, 15 May 2014 01:08:28 +0000

My character’s special skill is leadership. I wonder if I should give him an unusual talent though, just to keep things interesting.

By: Rosi Hollinbeck

Rosi Hollinbeck — Wed, 14 May 2014 17:40:48 +0000

I always find great tips and advice here. Thanks for this wonderful resource.

By: ANGELA ACKERMAN

ANGELA ACKERMAN — Wed, 14 May 2014 15:38:40 +0000

So glad this is helpful. Personally I love reading about characters who have unusual or unexpected talents. They don’t have to be big things, either. This is just another layer of characterization that can help a character stand out to readers, and even something to personalize an antagonist to the reader or help make an anti hero more likable.

And yes, anything that can deliver backstory without dumping is a win in my book! 🙂

By: Mart Ramirez

Mart Ramirez — Wed, 14 May 2014 12:44:41 +0000

This is great advice, Ange. Thank you! I think sometimes we all get caught up with flaws and ticks we easily can overlook talents.

By: Kelly Miller

Kelly Miller — Wed, 14 May 2014 12:24:32 +0000

I absolutely love this post! The part that especially spoke to me was when you mentioned telling about a character’s special skill enables the reader to have a look into his mind and his past without having a big information dump. So many great tips!