Review: THE NEGATIVE TRAIT THESAURUS: A Writer's Guide to Character Flaws by Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi

From Amazon: 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.

Genre: Reference, Writer Help
Audience: Writers
Length: 206 pgs

Rating: ****

Review: This book, like The Emotion Thesaurus that I bought a while back from the same authors, is a great help. It has a wonderful introduction that goes into detail on character flaws, why characters need them, and how to craft them in your writing. It has a long list of flaws, and unlike The Emotion Thesaurus, it includes in index in the back that links the similar flaws. (I find myself using a regular thesaurus with The Emotion Thesaurus since it doesn't include this.) It also includes some great worksheets at the end to help plot out characters. This was perfect for me. It works best if used together with The Positive Trait Thesaurus, and personally, I would have gladly paid more to have both works included in one volume. (I bought each for $4.99.) If you need help delving in deeper with your characters and really making them shine, I would suggest both of these.

Try this. Like good writer reference books? Read DONE & DONE: The Power of Accountability Partnering for Reaching Your Goals by Annette Lyon and Luisa Perkins

Review: DONE & DONE: The Power of Accountability Partnering for Reaching Your Goals by Annette Lyon & Luisa Perkins

From Amazon: In today’s fast-paced world, millions are busy and stressed out, and they find accomplishing their goals to be a struggle, no matter how many to-do lists and motivational posters they create. The solution is simple. By finding and working with a solid accountability partner, you’ll get the support and structure you need to dramatically increase your productivity and keep you motivated. In this practical, conversational book, you’ll learn how best to create your daily to-do list, how to trick yourself into getting work done, how to fight Resistance, and how to make the most of your own cheering section. Annette Lyon and Luisa Perkins draw on their years of experience as successful accountability partners, laying out their best strategies for reaching your goals while reducing your stress and actually enjoying your life again!

Audience: Everyone!
Genre: Self-Help
Length: 61 pgs

Rating: *****

Review: I really can't recommend this book enough. In the weeks since I've read it and teamed up with a fellow author, I've been pretty productive--and I really am not reaching my full potential on this. I have a Daily Chore Checklist that I was doing okay with, but since starting this accountability thing, I've only missed one or two regular days of completing the ENTIRE THING. As well as awesome writing goals being reached. It's short and sweet, and has a bunch of ideas for how to set up one with someone you trust. Melanie and I don't do all the things from the book, but that's the beauty of it. It sets up an way for you to customize your partnership to what you and your partner need. Thought it's written for writers, the authors talk about how they've used it in many other areas, and it a great guide for anyone looking to set and reach realistic goals from day-to-day and even long term. And for $0.99, can you afford to turn it down?

Source: Bought via Amazon

Try this. If you want another simple guide, try Annette Lyon's THERE, THEIR, THEY'RE: A NO TEARS GUIDE TO GRAMMAR FROM THE WORD NERD