Halloween is here!

We’re sure you have the candy thing under control, so we wanted to let you know that today & tomorrow, you can also stuff your digital bookshelf with some writerly deals!

(Affiliate links – thanks for keeping our lights on around here)

For two days only, you can grab these
bestselling writing guides for $2.99 US:

The Rural Setting Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Personal and Natural Spaces (Yellow)
Find it at Amazon
Buy a PDF direct from our Bookstore

The Emotional Wound Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Psychological Trauma (Red)
Find it at Amazon
Buy a PDF direct from our Bookstore

The Urban Setting Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to City Spaces (Orange)
Find it at Amazon
Buy a PDF direct from our Bookstore

The Occupation Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Jobs, Vocations, and Careers (Sea Foam Green)
Find it at Amazon
Buy a PDF direct from our Bookstore

These guides have helped hundreds of thousands of writers all over the world, and we hope they’ll help you, too. You can find them on sale today and November 1st across all Amazon locations, and here at our Writers Helping Writers Bookstore.

Click the book cover to find out more about each guide:

See a volume you don’t yet have? Add it to your collection for $2.99, and Happy Halloween!

Ends Nov 1st, 2023

ANGELA ACKERMAN

Angela is a writing coach, international speaker, and bestselling author who loves to travel, teach, empower writers, and pay-it-forward. She also is a founder of One Stop For Writers, a portal to powerful, innovative tools to help writers elevate their storytelling.

The post Halloween for Adults: $2.99 Thesaurus Writing Guides appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

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

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.

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 subjects 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.

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?

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 would often collect 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.

Takeaway: 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

BECCA PUGLISI

Becca Puglisi is an international speaker, writing coach, and bestselling author of The Emotion Thesaurus and its sequels. Her books are available in five languages, are sourced by US universities, and are used by novelists, screenwriters, editors, and psychologists around the world. She is passionate about learning and sharing her knowledge with others through her Writers Helping Writers blog and via One Stop For Writers—a powerhouse online library created to help writers elevate their storytelling.

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

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).

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.

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, mystery, 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 and where we’ve built powerful tools that 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 below 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).
Winners are being notified! Watch your inbox!

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!

ANGELA ACKERMAN

Angela is a writing coach, international speaker, and bestselling author who loves to travel, teach, empower writers, and pay-it-forward. She also is a founder of One Stop For Writers, a portal to powerful, innovative tools to help writers elevate their storytelling.

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

This 40-minute recording is packed with great takeaways, and gives you a window into how Becca and I think when it comes to characters, psychology, and making sure only the strongest details make it to the page. It will be available until January 8th, so we hope you get a moment before then to watch it!

Need a Last Minute Gift?

We hope you’ll consider one of our bestselling thesaurus guides, or a One Stop for Writers subscription. We love helping writers, and your support allows us to keep doing that, so thank you!

Strengthen Your Description for Stronger Characters & Scenes

Each guide focuses on a specific topic, educates you on how to best use it in your story, and provides you with brainstorming lists to help you describe it with authority. (To see a sample from each book, download our free Show-Don’t-Tell Pro Pack.)

Available in Print, Ebook, and PDF.

VISIT OUR BOOKSTORE

Everything You Need to Create In One Place

Become a powerful storyteller with One Stop for Writers! Angela & Becca have built you the largest show-don’t-tell Thesaurus Database anywhere, intuitive tools to make story planning easier, a Storyteller’s Roadmap that guides you step-by-step as you plan, write, and revise, & much more.

Visit One Stop for Writers

ANGELA ACKERMAN

Angela is a writing coach, international speaker, and bestselling author who loves to travel, teach, empower writers, and pay-it-forward. She also is a founder of One Stop For Writers, a portal to powerful, innovative tools to help writers elevate their storytelling.

The post Writers, Have You Watched This Free Webinar on Reader Engagement? appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

We’ve probably all heard some variation of the advice to develop story settings that feel like characters. Hogwarts castle in the Harry Potter story world, the Overlook Hotel in The Shining, and East and West Egg in The Great Gatsby are all frequently listed as examples of settings that come alive in readers’ imaginations.

However, we also know that not all advice applies to every writer or story. So let’s dig into this idea: Should we apply the advice “think of your setting as a character” to our story—and if so, how?

The Building Blocks of Our Story

Newer writers often conflate the terms story and plot, but plot is just one piece of our story. In general, the biggest story elements are:

• Character
• Plot
• Setting

We could usually change the voice or mood or point-of-view (or other various elements) and still have the same basic story. But if we change the bigger elements, the chances are higher that the story itself would change on a fundamental level.

Not always, of course.

Stories focused on character arcs can often swap out plot points and end up with the same story-level insights into how the characters learn and grow in the face of whatever challenges we choose for the plot. Conversely, we’ve likely all come across plot-focused stories where character inconsistency is the norm because they’re just puppets doing what the plot needs them to do.

Similarly, settings can be hugely important to some stories and mere background to others. One option isn’t “right,” and the other option isn’t “wrong”—there are simply different types of stories. We need to figure out what type of story we have (or want to have) and make sure our setting supports that goal.

What Type of Story Do We Have?

How much does the setting of our story matter? We can ask ourselves:

• Does our story have a recurring setting?
• Could our story take place almost anywhere?
• What would change (if anything) if our setting were different?

For example, some stories don’t revisit settings, so the setting is important only if the overall story world is worth a deeper study. (Think of the development of Tolkien’s Middle-earth world even though the Lord of the Rings story follows the characters on a “road trip” without recurring settings.) Or for another example, the setting for a story in a generic office might be important only for readers to know that the story takes place in a real-world-style contemporary office.

It’s the need (or desire) for a specific type of setting that matters – whether that means a specific type of story world, a specific atmosphere in a house, a specific culture of a workplace, etc. Going back to our generic office example, a fuller setting development might be helpful if we wanted to use specific setting details to add layers to our story, such as reflecting the emotions of our characters or story mood, creating a metaphor for our character’s experience, etc.

If that’s not the case, there’s nothing wrong with ignoring the “treat settings like characters” advice. We’re simply not writing that type of story, and we don’t need to overthink the details of our setting.

How Do We Treat Our Setting as a Character?

While many of us enjoy reading stories where settings come to life, we often struggle to write such settings ourselves. (Of course, with their Urban and Rural Setting Thesaurus books, blog posts, and Setting Planner Tool, Angela and Becca have plenty of tips for writing settings!)

If we think of our setting as a character, we can add development along the lines of:

• Personality and Backstory: Our characters’ backstory gives them a certain personality that we keep consistent throughout our story (unless they have reasons to act out of character). Similarly, the history or culture of a place can develop the “rules” and personality of our setting, and when we follow those rules consistently, we create a world that feels realistic (no matter how fantastical it is).
• Emotional Aspects: When writing characters, we include details beyond physical description that help readers recognize who the character is on the inside. We can include deeper descriptions with our settings too:
  Does the setting evoke a certain mood or atmosphere (cold and unforgiving or vibrant and peaceful)? Does it symbolize something to characters (or to readers)? Does it reflect the emotions of the characters (a messy house for a messy mind, etc.)? Is it hiding secrets or built on lies? Are there iconic details that can make the setting recognizable as this specific place? How might readers emotionally connect to the setting?
• Conflicts: Just as characters come into conflict with each other, settings can trigger conflicts as well. (Angela and Becca’s Setting Checklist shares many conflict ideas.) From urban/rural to historical/modern, settings and environments affect everything from culture, rituals, and expectations to common obstacles and attitudes. How does our setting interact and influence our characters and our plot (and vice versa)?
• Arcs of Change: Our settings can change over the course of a story the same as our characters. They might change with the seasons, plot events might affect them physically (destruction from the villain, new trees planted, etc.), or our characters might simply perceive our setting differently as they’ve changed throughout the story.

The Benefits of a Well-Developed Setting

We need only to think of our own experiences as readers to know what a well-written setting can do for our story. Countless readers wished for their own invitation letters to Hogwarts (never mind all the dangers experienced in every book!) so they could experience the wonder of Harry’s first visit for themselves.

Just as readers form emotional connections to characters, they can form emotional connections to settings. Sometimes those emotional connections to settings can be even stronger than to any specific character, such as with the Chronicles of Narnia series that swapped protagonists several times.

For another example of how much settings can matter, here in the U.S., generations of kids grew up with The Brady Bunch TV show, and the HGTV cable channel recently spent millions remodeling the original house used for the exterior of the Brady family’s home to have an interior to match the late-1960s/early-1970s studio sets. The HGTV show following the remodel project turned into their highest-rated series ever, and Brady Bunch fans helped crowd-source furniture and household items to stock the rooms and then competed for a chance to spend a week living in the “old-fashioned” house. That setting felt iconic and meaningful to viewers, and the same can happen with our stories.

When it fits our story, treating our setting as a character can give readers more reasons to emotionally connect to our story, and that’s always a good thing. *smile* Do you have any questions or insights about settings or when and how to fully develop them?

JAMI GOLD - Resident Writing Coach

Jami Gold put her talent for making up stuff to good use, such as by winning the 2015 National Readers’ Choice Award in Paranormal Romance for her novel Ironclad Devotion.

To help others reach their creative potential, she’s developed a massive collection of resources for writers. Explore her site to find worksheets—including the popular Romance Beat Sheet with 80,000+ downloads—workshops, and over 1000 posts on her blog about the craft, business, and life of writing. Her site has been named one of the 101 Best Websites for Writers by Writer’s Digest. Find out more about our RWC team here and connect with Jami below.

The post Should We Think of Our Setting as a Character? appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

Imagine your character is living in an area that the reader grew up in. Even if you carefully researched the setting, maybe visited it yourself, the reality is that people and places will change over time. Stores close, schools are torn down, and social dynamics change, making safe neighborhoods unsafe or vice-versa. Landmarks might change and beloved sports teams move on. When readers discover you’re writing about a place they used to know, initially they’re excited. But if the details of your story don’t match what they remember, it causes a ripple in their experience, and they may lose faith in your storytelling ability.

Reader bias can be an issue If you get too granular in details likely to shift over time, but there are also many good reasons to place your story in the real world. Readers can slip into the action easier when they understand it takes place in Chicago or Amsterdam because they recognize these areas and can fill in blanks as far as how “big picture” society works. Reading about familiar places also helps your audience feel connected to the story’s cast because of shared life experiences and naturally occurring common ground.

So, let’s say you decide to set your book in a real place. This means a road trip is in order, right? Well, maybe. Is it close enough to travel to? Do you have the budget for it? If so, go for it (when it’s safe to do so, of course). There’s nothing better than getting first-hand sensory detail. In fact when Becca and I created the Urban and Rural Setting Thesaurus books we visited most locations in person. But, Like now, travel isn’t always in the cards (or the wallet) so sometimes we need a work-around: research.

3 Basic Real-World “Biggies” To Nail Down For Any Location

Climate and Seasons: As we all know, any location looks different season to season. Climate influences everything–the flora and fauna, what people wear, the types of buildings, you name it. Understanding the temperature, humidity (if it’s a factor) and local weather conditions are important so you can nail those descriptive details that will make a reader feel part of a scene.

Topography: The type of landforms tied to your location are also a big part of the story. Whether you’re in a populated area or not, knowing natural components (trees, rivers, plants, flowers, etc.) and manmade elements (buildings, infrastructure, etc.) will create realism. And by better understanding the landscape you can zero in on features and dangers that can help you turn your scene’s setting into an obstacle course, generating realistic conflict that will block your protagonist from their goal.

Social Issues, Language, and Culture: The people who live in a real-world location influence the shape and structure of it (colors, styles, government, local events, food, entertainment, modes of travel, art, music, etc.). Slang, customs, gender roles, religion, and dress will likely be unique to this area.

For example, at the height of summer, you might be tempted to have your characters slip on flip-flops on their way out the door. But if they live in a rugged mountain town known for hiking and other forms of recreation and active living, light hiking shoes or treaded sandals might be their go-to. It’s a small detail, but one that can cause you to trip as an author because local readers would know better. Writing about real-world locations means never skimping on the research or making blanket assumptions, or a resulting logic goof might pull readers out of the story.

Angela’s Favorite Setting Research Bookmarks

We know what information to dig for, so now it’s about doing it. Here are some of my favorite sources for setting detail.

You Tube: Some settings Becca and I couldn’t see firsthand, either because they were too dangerous, off limits (AKA trespassing), or too far away. You tube was invaluable. If you have a specific place in mind, run a search and pair it with “tour” or “walkthrough.” Often, you’ll find just what you need, straight from a local’s perspective.

Wiki Travel: They say there’s a Wikipedia for everything, and “they” might be right. Run a search for a location here and you’ll pull up all sorts of interesting local data: how to get around, things to do in the area, typical food and drink, climate, history, neighborhoods of interest…check it out!

Pinterest: Is there anything Pinterest can’t do? I don’t think so! Type in your location and see what pops up. Even better if you can pair it with an activity that ties into your book. For example, I typed in “Ohio Camping” and all kinds of detail gold came up.

National Centers For Environmental Information: This site is great for accessing the weather and temperature for different areas and is especially helpful for US locations.

National Geographic Interactive Maps: You can find a lot of statistical information about different parts of the world from this site—give it a whirl!

Google Earth: Street view can show you a lot of extras that help fill in the blanks when it comes to a particular setting.

The World Culture Encyclopedia: A big stumbling block can be understanding the culture and customs of a specific group of people. This site is a lifesaver. Also, try this one as well.

The Setting Thesaurus: Becca and I investigated 225 different setting locations and gathered the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures associated with each so you know what your character may encounter and use our sensory detail to bring readers deeper into your story.

Ancient Ruins, a Police Car, a House Party, an Antiques Shop…the detail for these and other locations will give you a big head start on painting a vivid canvas for your audience.

FYI, this thesaurus is also at One Stop For Writers, and has been expanded to include many other settings.

Feel free to check it out using our 2-week free trial.

ANGELA ACKERMAN

Angela is a writing coach, international speaker, and bestselling author who loves to travel, teach, empower writers, and pay-it-forward. She also is a founder of One Stop For Writers, a portal to powerful, innovative tools to help writers elevate their storytelling.

The post How to Describe a Location You’ve Never Visited appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

The setting is a powerful force. Not only does it evoke mood, create tension and conflict, allow you to share critical backstory in a non-dumpy way, and draw readers deeper into the story through powerful sensory detail…it can also steer your plot.

If you’re a pantser who likes to go where the wind takes you, or you struggle a bit with plotting, this is great news! After all, we know every scene needs to further the story, but sometimes we draw a blank on how to best do that.

Using the setting to help power your plot is a great way to add depth. Not only can it influence the outer story’s direction, it also will help push the character’s inner journey (character arc) forward. Here are a few ways to achieve this.

Obstacles & Roadblocks

As writers, we should always know our character’s goal within a scene—to obtain information, gain the upper hand, secure something of importance, etc.—and then make sure achievement never comes easy. Yes, we provide friction. Encourage the protagonist to struggle. We force them to work hard to get what they want, and we do this, over and over, scene after scene. Sure, it’s a bit evil of us. But that tension and conflict it creates? That’s what keeps our readers turning pages!

One of the best ways to place a barrier between what the character wants and them getting it is to incorporate an obstacle or roadblock. This forces the protagonist to think on his feet, adapt, or try a new direction.

Every location we choose for our story will come with inherent dangers and possible complications. An obstacle in our character’s path could be as simple as a carpet strewn with Lego as your heroine tries to sneak out of her lover’s home before his kids wake up. It could be a security guard patrolling a warehouse the hero need to break into, a car that won’t turn over when he’s late for an appointment, or a contaminated stream he drinks from while hiking that makes him violently ill. The setting obstacle we choose will make life more difficult and pose a risk, forcing them to be more cautious.

A road block means the protagonist literally can’t proceed as expected. It might come in the form of a washed-out bridge between himself and his destination, pirates patrolling a seafaring trade route he’s always traveled, or a locked door keeping him from what he needs most. Roadblocks and obstacles both force the protagonist to make a choice about how to move forward, steering the events to come.

Emotional Triggers

One beautiful thing we can do with any setting is to “seed” it with emotional triggers. These triggers are symbols which are important to the protagonist in some way, influencing what he thinks, feels, and does.

For example, imagine our protagonist is faced with a difficult decision: to accept a high paying dream job that requires almost constant travel, or pass up the job offer in hopes that the relationship he is currently in will eventually lead to marriage and a family. As he wrestles with this choice, perhaps he takes a lunchtime walk through a park located across from his office building.

If we seed the park with certain triggers such as a busy playground, a young couple pushing a newborn in a stroller, or even a wedding photography session unfolding against a swirling backdrop of fall colors, his heart will focus on his longings to put down roots and start a family. But, choose different triggers, such as a pair of businessmen in power suits discussing multi-million dollar deals as they stroll along the pathway, a line of expensive sports cars parked at the sidewalk, or a colorful poster at a bus stop shelter advertising luxury travel, and the character’s thoughts and actions will go in a different direction.
These setting triggers lead to emotional decision-making and the actions that result will change the story’s trajectory.

Challenges that Characterize

A third way to steer the plot is to use the setting to provide challenges that will lead to success or failure. Whichever is the result, the protagonist will be forced to look within and take stock of his or her strengths and weaknesses. Challenges are useful when it comes to a character’s inner journey, as by default, succeeding or failing influences the story’s direction and the necessary pathway to inner growth (character arc).

For example, let’s say you have a character who has a drinking problem. Lately, it’s become dire, and after his wife leaves him, he decides to get clean. Newly sober, you could test whether he is truly committed to turning his life around simply by placing him in a setting that includes a challenge: easy access to alcohol.

Perhaps the setting is a restaurant where his boss is hosting a retirement dinner, or he’s invited to travel to Vegas for a bachelor party. Or maybe the setting you choose is the pub he passes on his walk home every day. Then, it’s up to you. Does he walk past, or go in? Does he decline the Vegas invite to avoid temptation, or convince himself he deserves one last crazy weekend? Does he drink soda at the retirement dinner, or take advantage of the open bar?

Succeed or fail, in this challenging situation, something will be revealed about the character’s strengths or weaknesses to readers, and the plot will shift accordingly. This might lead to a new opportunity or fallout…you decide!

Are You Using Setting Fully?

Settings are powerful, so much more than a “backdrop” for the scene to unfold. Yes, they provide a sensory opportunity to ground the reader, but they can also do so much more.  Make sure you are using each location to its full advantage so it can electrify each story moment with meaning and depth. If you need help, our Urban and Rural Thesaurus books have 220 different settings between them and can show you how to master setting descriptions.

Or view this thesaurus’ expanded version at One Stop for Writers.

ANGELA ACKERMAN

Angela is a writing coach, international speaker, and bestselling author who loves to travel, teach, empower writers, and pay-it-forward. She also is a founder of One Stop For Writers, a portal to powerful, innovative tools to help writers elevate their storytelling.

The post Three Ways The Setting Can Steer Your Story’s Plot appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

In January, Becca and I hit 10 years of blogging. TEN YEARS. That’s a lot of time, but also not a lot of time, because we all know time flows differently in the book business. It’s all hurry up…and wait. Repeat. Forever.

Writing, publishing, book selling…it is one crazy roller coaster ride. As much as we can sometimes hate parts of it, we also love it. Deeply.  (If not, we all would have gotten off by now, right?)

So much has changed in 10 years, including us being busy to the point where we didn’t even realize it had been 10 years. *facepalm*

That’s also something we all understand: the writing roller coaster isn’t just a maze of loops, drops, and cloud-touching peaks, it also forces a person to contort and twist constantly. Being a writer these days means thinking on the fly, mastering business skills, navigating deadlines, building a brand, and becoming a subject matter expert in many things. You need a live example of adaptability, persistence, and grit? Look at any writer who is steering their career.

Rewinding the Clock

Fact: when Becca & I started blogging at The Bookshelf Muse, we were clueless. Utterly. No idea what we were doing, no idea of where the roller coaster was leading. We just had a dream of publication.

That blog is only a landing page now because we moved everything to Writers Helping Writers. But, thanks to the Wayback Machine, I was able to find an archived version of that first welcome post.

We chose the name “Bookshelf Muse” because we liked the idea that maybe something we did could inspire writers and help them see they could succeed at this book thing we all love so much.

We started with a feature called “Thesaurus Thursday” to explore different emotions and the body language that went with them. We struggled with this and thought if others did too, it might bring some traffic our way. Our first post was “FEAR.”

(Note our “Esteemed Bookshelf Stalkers” list: 24. We were thrilled that 24 people read our blog!)

In 2012, we took a huge leap of faith and decided to turn the Emotion Thesaurus on our blog into a book. *whispers* A self-published book. We did it because people were pirating our content and selling it. Plus, we felt that a) traditional publishing probably wasn’t ready for a “book” made of lists, b) finding a publisher willing to take on two newbies to teach others about writing was unlikely and c) it would take too long to publish. The industry had a pretty negative attitude toward SP back then, and we knew we were half-crazy to do it, but we uploaded the book anyway.

Our hope, factoring in the long tail of self-publishing, was it might sell 50,000 copies in its lifetime. That would put us over the moon.

Never did we imagine it would become a staple for writers, or be used in university programs or analyzed in thesis papers. Never did we fathom it would be translated into 5 other languages or lead to a series of 6 books. We never thought it would also kick off an entire website filled with tools we helped to design so writers could write stronger fiction faster than ever.

Something else happened in January, another milestone that still hasn’t quite sunk in.

We sold our 300,000th book. (About 180,000 of those are The Emotion Thesaurus.)

Ten years ago, we were two writers grappling with how to get our fiction published. We were trying not to make utter fools of ourselves by blogging. We had 3 comments on our first emotion thesaurus post.

We never could have imagined this. Our gratitude to you, our supporters, champions, biggest believers…off the charts. We have no words (oh, the irony for two thesaurus-makers!).

But this post is more than a thank you…it’s a message, too: 

You’ve got this!

Don’t get caught up in where you are (or aren’t) right now, or how steep the roller coaster incline is ahead of you.

We believe in you. Always have, always will.

Thanks for joining us, and we hope you’ll stick around for the next ten years, too.

ANGELA ACKERMAN

Angela is a writing coach, international speaker, and bestselling author who loves to travel, teach, empower writers, and pay-it-forward. She also is a founder of One Stop For Writers, a portal to powerful, innovative tools to help writers elevate their storytelling.

The post Milestones that Provide a Valuable Opportunity to Look Back appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

Unfortunately, our inability to express emotion in a fresh way was dragging down the quality of our writing. So, in 2012 we published The Emotion Thesaurus, hoping it would help writers get out of this boring rut when it came to expression.

That was a pretty ambitious project, but was it enough? Apparently not, because in 2019, we decided to expand The Emotion Thesaurus into a second edition, adding 55 new entries and way more instructional front matter.

Along the way, we added The Emotion Thesaurus to our massive show-don’t-tell database at One Stop for Writers.

Conveying character emotion is so important but not always easy to do.

10 ways to SHOW what a character is feeling. 

1. Body Language 

It’s no surprise–a huge part of showing emotion is describing how the body reacts during an emotional experience. No emotion is the same – grief looks different from gratitude, excitement displays differently than dread. 

One thing we can work to improve is to not focus on describing facial expressions as much (things like eyes narrowing, lips pinching, etc.) because there are only so many things to describe when it comes to the face. The body, though…always lots of great ways to show emotion there. 

Think about gratitude – how a hand splayed across the chest, shoulders bowing momentarily before stiffening, shaky fingers reaching up to rub the lip.

These all make sense for a character winning an award for something when he had a lot of help and support. When you want to come up with unique body language, put yourself in the character’s shoes and imagine the scene. Let yourself feel what they do, then set out to describe it.

2. Thoughts 

Thoughts are an excellent way to show emotion, as long as they adhere to the rules of POV. When swept up by emotion, our thoughts follow certain patterns. Worry has us jumping to conclusions and imagining the worst-case scenario. Skepticism has us poking holes in every statement or deed as we look for proof that our intuition is right and something’s rotten in the litter box. Scorn goes further, revealing those ugly, judgey-judge thoughts we have about someone else. Flavor your character’s thoughts with emotions, and not only will a character’s voice shine, readers will also be drawn right in!

3. Visceral Responses 

Internal sensations, a.k.a., visceral responses, are those immediate and uncontrollable reactions we have to emotion. That tight heat of arousal at just the right touch (desire), the spike in heart rate when a streetlight suddenly goes out (fear), a rock that manifests in the gut after noticing an ambulance in the driveway (dread)…these sensations are immediate and powerful. 

Use them when you’re in the character’s POV as readers recognize these sensations and have felt them all before, bur remember less is more because, while powerful, too much will send things into melodrama land.

4. Posture

Posture is a great way to show a character’s emotions. Are they a wall of tenseness, or more fluid, relaxed, and loose? Is their chest thrust out (confident), caved (struggling or upset), shielded by crossed arms (closed off, impatient, irritated) or do they stand with arms out (welcoming & caring)? If your character leaning in, or away? Do their feet point toward someone (engaged) or away (escape)? The body is a road map that we can use to show readers exactly what they are feeling.

Personal Space

Introvert, extrovert, or in between, all characters have a bubble of personal space that allows them to feel safe. This area may widen or narrow, depending on how the character feels. Does he let people into his space or keep them at a distance? Does he enter the space of others? We can see indicators of how he feels by his willingness to engage and be vulnerable (or not).

Dialogue

Dialogue is a great way to show emotion as long as it mimics the real world. People rarely state their feelings directly—they beat around the bush. They don’t say “I’m angry,” instead they rant or vent about the thing pissing them off. What a character says (and what they avoid talking about!) show their inner emotional landscape to readers and other characters.

Vocal Cues

Along with what a character says is how they say it. Are they speaking fast (nerves, rushing, impatience) or slow (careful, thoughtful, tentative)? Does their voice rise in pitch, showing they can’t quite keep a lid on what they are feeling, or go lower, revealing they are in control, or trying to rein themselves in? Do they hesitate, emphasize certain words, fumble around and go on tangents to show their discomfort about a topic, or interrupt themselves to change the direction because they are revealing too much?

Decision-Making & Actions

Okay, my psychology geekiness is showing, but one of the BEST PARTS of emotion is that it constantly messes up a character. Emotions (and their amplifiers) are great at destabilizing decision-making skills. When people act out of fear, or anxiety, defensiveness, or even out of love or desire, they do things differently than they would if they were feeling centered and rational.

Every action has a consequence, and emotion-driven actions can create conflict fallout, which is great for storytelling…and shows what emotions are pushing a character’s buttons.

Voids

Every character has empty spaces they carefully maneuver around if we look hard enough. These are danger zones where they might come face to face with an emotion they are uncomfortable experiencing, usually because it is tied to an emotional wound that leaves them jaded and questioning their on self-worth.

Voids can be used to indicate these painful emotions simply by showing things that are out of character, like them ignoring something right in front of them because it makes them feel uncomfortable, or how they steer conversations away from something that nudges painful feelings.  This void can be resistance, like showing them do something the hard way because he’s avoiding the logical choice as it’s chained in negative emotions. Imagine wanting to ask a older brother for help because he’s the expert, but refusing to because he slept with the character’s ex the day after the two separated. Because voids hint at deep emotions and complicated situations they should be treated like the proverbial “smoking gun.” In other words, if you show friction between brothers to the extent that one will go to great lengths to not seek out the other’s help, that emotional sore spot eventually must come to light so the void makes sense.

Contradictions

We’ve all said to a relative, “Of course you can stay with us this weekend!” when they ask. But sometimes, inside, we are a hodge-podge of emotion: we’re swamped at work, the house is a mess, and we have no time to host big dinners and provide the entertainment which goes with family visits. Yet we smile and nod as we speak….except our shoulders sag a little, or we swallow and hesitate before forcefully flooding our voice with enthusiasm. Basically, with contradictions, a character may try to fake it but body language doesn’t lie.

And these are just the tip of the iceberg!

There are more ways to show emotion–so many more. Anyway, the big takeaway?

Use a variety of techniques, drawing from different description wells.

If you only show emotion through body language (or dialogue, or internal thoughts) your writing will seem one-dimensional, and readers won’t have as memorable of an experience.

Stretch yourself! In each scene, think how some of these might work. Experiment. You might just see your writing jump from good…to great!

Need more help with body language and emotion?

Checklists & Tip Sheets

The Emotion Database at One Stop for Writers
Articles on character emotion
The Emotion Thesaurus Writing Guide

Finally, don’t forget to observe the people around you. When they are feeling a specific emotion, how do they behave? What do they say and do? Bring the real world into your story for realistic emotional portrayals.

Happy writing!

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

ANGELA ACKERMAN

Angela is a writing coach, international speaker, and bestselling author who loves to travel, teach, empower writers, and pay-it-forward. She also is a founder of One Stop For Writers, a portal to powerful, innovative tools to help writers elevate their storytelling.

The post Keep It Fresh: 10 Ways To Show Your Character’s Emotions appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

200,000. Books. Sold.

Back in 2012 when Becca and I dipped our toes into the self publishing waters we never imagined it would lead here, but it has…because of all of you. Again, I can’t think of the appropriate words! All the kind ways you have helped and supported us…Thank you seems so unworthy, but it’s all we can say, a thousand times!

When we started down this road with our crazy idea for an Emotion Thesaurus, I had told Becca I would be ecstatic if it sold 50,000 copies in its lifetime. We underestimated just how many other writers struggled with emotion. What a thrill to know this book, and our others, are helping writers all over the world!

It’s been a long time since we shared numbers. I know some find sales transparency helpful and hitting this milestone seemed like a good time to update ours.

 So here’s where we’re at, as of Feb 2017:

The Emotion Thesaurus, English only, Pub date: May 2012 (Print, ebook, PDF): 120,101

Foreign rights: Japan, Korea, Romania, China, Taiwan

The Positive Trait Thesaurus, English Only, Pub Date: Oct 2013 (Print, ebook, PDF): 31,659

Foreign rights: Japan, Korea

The Negative Trait Thesaurus, English Only. Pub Date: Sept 2013 (Print, ebook, PDF): 34,874

Foreign rights: Japan, Korea

The Rural Setting Thesaurus, English Only. Pub Date: May 2016 (Print, ebook, PDF): 7,206

Foreign rights: Japan

The Urban Setting Thesaurus, English Only. Pub Date: Oct 2016 (Print, ebook, PDF): 6,734

Foreign rights: Japan

Excluded from overall count: Emotion Amplifiers, a $2.99 companion. Pub Date: Dec 2014 (ebooklet & PDF): 37,306

About these numbers:

• Print outsells digital (I think this is common with reference books)
• No books were set to “free” except Emotion Amplifiers. (EA downloads are not part of the overall count)
• No books have been enrolled in exclusive programs to date
• We didn’t play with ebook pricing (instead we chose a reasonable price and stuck with it)
• But we did try a one-day “group book sale” of the ET at .99 to experiment
• To date we’ve tried only one ad in a high-volume newsletter (we lost money)
• No accurate numbers for foreign sales yet (but we will update once we do)
• Our books are at Amazon, Createspace, Kobo, B & N, Smashwords, and Apple, and available as a PDF using Gumroad. We don’t use Ingram Spark (yet)

Rather than re-invent the marketing wheel…

We’ve talked about the marketing approach we’ve taken in greater length in other posts and interviews, so if you like, visit this tag to find other numbers & data posts, look through some of our past events we’ve run, and check out our marketing tag for extra help.

Also, we strongly encourage you visit our tool page for more marketing help, including social media handouts, marketing interview links, a VERY helpful swipe file from our last book launch.

GIVEAWAY (Open Worldwide)

20 Thesaurus eBooks (Winner’s Choice)

5 one-month subscriptions to our writing web app, One Stop for Writers

How could we celebrate such a terrific milestone without a little giveaway? So, if you’ve been looking to test drive one of our books, or have been itching to try One Stop For Writers, just enter using

THIS FORM

Contest is now over–thanks everyone!
Congrats to Paul, Rachel, Robin, Ellen, Wendy, Janet, Kara, Sandy, Silvana, Denyse, Allison, Sussu, Kimberly, Gaye, Donna, Reana, Gifford, Vicky, Tara, Carol, Anna, Susan, Traci, Melinda & Anne

(And all the fun pictures posted to social media. THE BEST!)

We hope our books continue to supply ideas and help push your writing to the next level. Look for The Emotional Wound Thesaurus to make an appearance later this year. 

Legal stuff is here, and prizes will be drawn Monday, March 6th, 6 PM EST.

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

ANGELA ACKERMAN

Angela is a writing coach, international speaker, and bestselling author who loves to travel, teach, empower writers, and pay-it-forward. She also is a founder of One Stop For Writers, a portal to powerful, innovative tools to help writers elevate their storytelling.

The post Help Us Celebrate Our 200,000 Book Milestone appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

Like real people, characters have mixed personalities that contain both positive traits (attributes) and negative traits (flaws). Flaws are especially interesting as they develop  when a person has experienced a painful life lesson: the world, and the people in it, can be cruel.

How does this happen exactly? Well, just as we have “fight or flight” responses for physical threats, we instinctively act to protect ourselves from emotional hurt.  If something painful happens, big or small, it makes us feel vulnerable and weak. The fear of feeling this way again pushes us to form a protective shield around our emotions, a wall of sorts. This barrier is made from something that, by nature, keeps people at arm’s length: personality flaws.

How does that work? Well, an unfriendly character can rebuff someone before they have a chance to lash out. A catty character’s sharp tongue warns people to watch their step. An inflexible character always insists things are done exactly the way he wants, no matter what.

In each case, flaws ensure the character is in control when interacting with other people and protects his emotions at the same time.

Each character is unique, and so the flaws that develop in their personality will be too. But what always remains the same is the damage factor. On the surface, flaws appear to help the character avoid being hurt, but they actually do the opposite.

Flaws damage relationships, limit self-growth and encourage biases to grow that skew the character’s view of his world. 

Flaws exist because of a deep fear: that an emotionally traumatic event will happen again, and all that awful vulnerability one felt before will come crashing down. This fear is all-consuming. It steers the character’s actions and choices. He will avoid certain things for fear of being hurt. Dumped by a longtime girlfriend? Stay away from committed relationships, maybe by becoming more abrasive or self-absorbed. Make the wrong decision and catch blame for the fallout? Start avoiding responsibility or use indecisiveness to avoid being put in this situation again.

Fear of being hurt again will place limits on your character’s goals and dreams.

Until a character understands how fear is steering the ship—and how their flaws are isolating them or sabotaging their progress—they’ll never find true happiness or fulfillment.

In fiction, flaws aren’t just quirks or personality traits; they represent inner obstacles the character has to face and overcome to reach something meaningful. This internal struggle is what gives the story emotional weight. It’s not just about achieving a goal—it’s about becoming the kind of person capable of achieving it.

That journey of becoming someone better or stronger is the heart of the character arc.

Within the three-act structure, we want our character to experience a gradual awakening. Little by little, they start to realize that it’s not just external forces standing in their way—it’s also their own fear, self-doubt, pride, guilt, shame, or whatever flaw has quietly shaped their choices until now. But here’s the thing: change is scary. Most people avoid it unless something bigger forces their hand. That “something” is the character’s deep, driving desire—the thing they want badly enough to risk discomfort, conflict, even failure. When that want takes hold, it becomes more powerful than the fear.

To get there, though, the character must adapt, shifting from reacting out of fear or habit to acting with intention.

And that means letting go of their baggage—flaws that once protected them but now only hold them back. This moment of clarity, where they finally see the flaw for what it is—a weakness, not a strength—is what allows growth. From there, they can lean into what makes them resilient, resourceful, and human. And as they do, the story resonates more deeply because readers see themselves in the character’s evolution and what’s possible when we stop letting fears run the show.

Resource: A list of Character Flaws to help you brainstorm the dark side of a character’s personality.

While flaws are important, a character’s positive attributes are key to the hero “winning” the day.

Positive attributes are core beneficial traits that help a protagonist make difficult decisions, face fear or danger, and find the courage to strive for fulfillment. In other words, they are SO important to character arc. Choosing the right strengths also provides a “hint” of greatness that promises the reader this hero is someone worth rooting for.

To build a well-rounded protagonist, it’s important to choose attributes that will make him authentic, believable, and allow him to navigate his world. This means choosing a character’s strengths based on these four Attribute Categories:

MORAL ATTRIBUTES: moral beliefs are at the core of each of us, determining our actions and decisions in our world. We naturally assign a moral “weight” to everything we do and see, and so must our characters. Choosing traits that closely align with what a character believes to be right and wrong is the foundation of their personality. Kindness, generosity, responsibility and loyalty are all examples of moral traits. Think about what beliefs your character holds dear and choose a trait or two that specifically line up with his morals.

ACHIEVEMENT ATTRIBUTES:  all characters are driven to meet their own cardinal needs and achieve goals that matter to them. Achievement-based attributes should align with the character’s moral beliefs but their main function is to help the character succeed. Examples might be resourcefulness, focus, efficiency, and perceptiveness. List out the big goals your character has, and then identify which positive traits will help him achieve them.

INTERACTIVE ATTRIBUTES: the way a character interacts with other people and his world is important. Being that humans are social creatures, relationships play a big part, and will matter to your character (whether he wants to admit it or not!) Traits like diplomacy, honesty, courtesy, hospitality or friendliness might be attributes a character would adopt to form healthy interactions. Think about how your character acts towards others and how he ensures the relationships he needs are functional.

IDENTITY ATTRIBUTES: each person (and therefore each character) is on a journey of self-discovery. Identity traits help your protagonist express who he really is, and what he believes in. Patriotism, curiosity, extroversion or introversion, idealism, quirkiness and a sense of adventure are all traits that promote greater individuality and personal expression. Identity attributes are a great way to make your character stand out as unique!

Choosing traits from each of the four categories ensures you will build a complex and interesting character that will resonate with readers, and give him the tools he needs to succeed.

Resource: A List of Positive Traits to help you brainstorm your character’s strengths

Tip: Think about your character’s flaws, fears, and the attributes that might help them move forward.

For a free tool that will help you explore these attribute categories, try the Character Target Tool. If you’d like help understanding the importance of your character’s strengths, try the The Positive Trait Thesaurus.SSave

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

ANGELA ACKERMAN

Angela is a writing coach, international speaker, and bestselling author who loves to travel, teach, empower writers, and pay-it-forward. She also is a founder of One Stop For Writers, a portal to powerful, innovative tools to help writers elevate their storytelling.

The post How Character Attributes and Flaws Work Within Character Arc appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

Shared experiences are rooted in emotion, and Deep POV is one of the best tools we have to transfer those emotions directly from the character to the reader. (Download this checklist!)

To create that closeness, the story’s world must be filtered through the character’s inner lens: their senses, thoughts, and emotional state. Readers don’t just observe what’s happening—they feel it. They see what the character sees, but also interpret it the way the character would, shaped by their mood, fears, and desires.

Picture a character walking across a football field at night. The air smells like fresh-cut grass, dew glints on the turf, and silence stretches all around—peaceful, calm, reflective. The setting feels safe because the character feels safe, and that emotion is passed to the reader.

Now shift the lens: a cold breeze stirs, the school flag flaps sharply in the dark, and shadows seem to gather near the tree line. The setting hasn’t changed, but the emotional filter has. Now, the same field feels ominous. The reader tenses, just like the character does, anticipating something just out of reach. That’s the power of Deep POV—it lets the reader live the moment emotionally, not just visually.

As you can see, shared emotional moments help readers immerse themselves into the story. But we can always do more. If we truly want to show readers who our character is and help them experience what they feel, we should choose settings that have an emotional value.

Settings that have emotional value are in some way meaningful or symbolic.

They represent something to the protagonist and possibly other characters. A location containing an emotional value might remind a character of a past event and the feelings associated with it, good or bad. It may represent safety, loss, failure, connection, love, or one’s greatest success. It could also reveal a fear, a desire, or hope. The list goes on and on.

For example, imagine a character being asked to an important business lunch meeting. A writer could choose any restaurant for this scene, but why go with something generic?

Instead, let’s choose one with a specific emotional value: the same restaurant where, two years earlier, our character’s girlfriend turned down his marriage proposal.

By making this setting meaningful to the protagonist, everything changes, because even though time has passed, an echo of that old hurt and rejection will affect him while in this restaurant. He may find his gaze turning to the table where he popped the question. The heaviness of the cutlery, the smooth linen napkins, the taste of wine…everything will evoke memories of that day. And, in turn, his turbulent emotions will influence his behavior. Does he blow the meeting, or can he ride the pain out? Suddenly, we have tension, conflict, and possible plot complications. And as a bonus, we’ve created a scenario where the reader can’t help but feel empathy for the character.

So how do we go about creating an emotional value within the setting?

The first step is to brainstorm the best setting match for a particular scene. Look at what will happen in the scene and which emotions are at play. Identify your hero’s scene goal—what must he do, learn, or achieve? And what do you want him and the other characters involved to feel?

Once you’ve nailed down what your scene needs to accomplish—emotionally and plot-wise—start brainstorming different settings where this moment could unfold.

Look beyond the obvious and think about places that not only make sense for the story but also carry emotional weight for your character.

What setting would amplify the tension, challenge the protagonist, or reflect their inner world? Is there a location that symbolizes something deeper—hope, regret, fear, or change—and could subtly reinforce the theme or outcome of the scene?

To find a setting with high emotional value, look past the first few ideas.

The first ideas that surface are often the most generic: the kitchen, the car, the office. But if you dig a little deeper, you’ll likely come up with locations that will have more emotional impact. Maybe the conversation doesn’t happen at a coffee shop but at the playground where your character used to take her child—before the custody battle. Or, instead of a generic sidewalk chase, it unfolds in a neighborhood your hero swore he’d never return to. Those choices add meaning and put readers right into the character’s emotional shoes.

Setting is often overlooked, but it’s one of the most flexible, underused tools in a writer’s toolbox. It can reveal character, deepen conflict, steer the plot, and stir emotion—all while grounding the reader in the world of the story. If you’d like to explore more ways to create emotional impact through your setting choices, check out The Urban Setting Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to City Spaces.

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

ANGELA ACKERMAN

Angela is a writing coach, international speaker, and bestselling author who loves to travel, teach, empower writers, and pay-it-forward. She also is a founder of One Stop For Writers, a portal to powerful, innovative tools to help writers elevate their storytelling.

The post How to Choose Settings that Have Emotional Impact appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.