The Negative Trait Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Flaws (Writers Helping Writers Series)

Crafting likable, interesting characters is a balancing act, and finding that perfect mix of strengths and weaknesses can be difficult. Not only does a well-drawn protagonist need positive attributes to help him succeed, he must also have flaws that humanize him and give him something to overcome. The same is true of villains and the rest of the story’s supporting cast. So how can writers figure out which flaws best fit their characters? Which negative traits will create personality clashes and conflict while making success difficult? TAKE CHARACTER CREATION TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL Nothing adds complexity like character flaws. Inside the Negative Trait Thesaurus you’ll find: A vast collection of flaws to explore when building a character’s personality. Each entry includes possible causes, attitudes, behaviors, thoughts, and related emotions Real examples from literature, film, or television to show how each flaw can create life challenges and relational friction Advice on building layered and memorable characters from the ground up An in-depth look at backstory, emotional wounds, and how pain twists a character’s view of himself and his world, influencing behavior and decision making A flaw-centric exploration of character arc, relationships, motivation, and basic needs Tips on how to best show a character’s flaws to readers while avoiding common pitfalls Downloadable tools to aid writers in character creation The Negative Trait Thesaurus sheds light on your character’s dark side. Written in list format and fully indexed, this brainstorming resource is perfect for creating deep, flawed characters readers will relate to. ** Review "In these brilliantly conceived, superbly organized and astonishingly thorough volumes, Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi have created an invaluable resource for writers and storytellers. Whether you are searching for new and unique ways to add and define characters, or brainstorming methods for revealing those characters without resorting to clichés, it is hard to imagine two more powerful tools for adding depth and dimension to your screenplays, novels or plays." ~ Michael Hauge, Hollywood Script Consultant and Story Expert , author of Writing Screenplays That Sell About the Author Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi are co-creators of The Bookshelf Muse , an award winning online resource for writers. The Negative Trait Thesaurus is the second book in their descriptive writing series, along with The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Emotion , and The Positive Trait Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Attributes. Members of SCBWI and writers of middle grade and young adult fiction, both authors lead workshops at regional conferences throughout North America and teach webinars at WANA International. They can be found at : writershelpingwriters.net Crafting likable, interesting characters is a balancing act, and finding that perfect mix of strengths and weaknesses can be difficult. But the task has become easier thanks to The Negative Trait Thesaurus. Through its flaw-centric exploration of character arc, motivation, emotional wounds, and basic needs, writers will learn which flaws make the most sense for their heroes, villains, and other members of the storys cast. This books vast collection of flaws will help writers to explore the possible causes, attitudes, behaviors, thoughts, and related emotions behind their characters weaknesses so they can be written effectively and realistically. Common characterization pitfalls and methods to avoid them are also included, along with invaluable downloadable tools to aid in character creation. Written in list format and fully indexed, this brainstorming resource is perfect for creating deep, flawed characters that readers will relate to. In these brilliantly conceived, superbly organized and astonishingly thorough volumes, Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi have created an invaluable resource for writers and storytellers. Whether you are searching for new and unique ways to add and define characters, or brainstorming methods for revealing those characters without resorting to clichs, it is hard to imagine two more powerful tools for adding depth and dimension to your screenplays, novels or plays. - Michael Hauge, Hollywood script consultant and story expert, author of Writing Screenplays That Sell and Selling Your Story in 60 Seconds: The Guaranteed Way to Get Your Screenplay or Novel Read "Crafting likable, interesting characters is a balancing act, and finding that perfect mix of strengths and weaknesses can be difficult. Not only does a well-drawn protagonist need positive attributes to help him succeed, he must also have flaws that humanize him and give him something to overcome. The same is true of villains and the rest of the story's supporting cast. So how can writers figure out which flaws best fit their characters? Which negative traits will create personality clashes and conflict while making success difficult? Nothing adds complexity like character flaws. Inside the Negative Trait Thesaurus you'll find a vast collection of flaws to explore when building a character's personality, advice on building layered and memorable characters from the ground up, an in-depth look at backstory, emotional wounds, and how pain twists a character's view of himself, and his world, influencing behavior and decision making, a flaw-centric exploration of character arc, relationships, motivation, and basic needs, tips on how to best show a character's flaws to readers while avoiding common pitfalls, and downloadable tools to aid writers in character creation."-- Back cover

THE NEGATIVE TRAIT THESAURUS digs into over 100 personality flaws and the dysfunctional behavior and biases associated with each. It's a robust database of weaknesses that can hold characters back and provide them with an internal challenge that must be defeated in order to achieve the story goal.