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It’s a writer’s job to create compelling characters who can withstand life’s fallout without giving up. But building authentic, memorable heroes is no easy task. To forge realistic characters, we must hobble them with flaws that set them back while giving them positive attributes to help them achieve their goals. So how do writers choose the right blend of strengths for their characters—attributes that will render them admirable and worth rooting for—without making it too easy for them to succeed? UNEARTH YOUR CHARACTER’S UNIQUE PERSONALITY Character creation can be hard, but it’s about to get a lot easier. Inside The Positive Trait Thesaurus, you’ll find: A large selection of attributes to choose from when building a personality profile. Each entry lists possible causes for why a trait might emerge, along with associated attitudes, behaviors, thoughts, and emotions Real character examples from literature, film, or television to show how an attribute drives actions and decisions, influences goals, and steers relationships Advice on using positive traits to immediately hook readers while avoiding common personality pitfalls Insight on human needs and morality, and how each determines the strengths that emerge in heroes and villains alike Information on the key role positive attributes play within the character arc, and how they’re vital to overcoming fatal flaws and achieving success Downloadable tools for organizing a character’s attributes and providing a deeper understanding of his past, his needs, and the emotional wounds he must overcome If you find character creation difficult or worry that your cast members all seem the same, The Positive Trait Thesaurus is brimming with ideas to help you develop oneofakind, dynamic characters that readers will love. Extensively indexed, with entries written in a userfriendly list format, this brainstorming resource is perfect for any character creation project.
THE POSITIVE TRAIT THESAURUS: A WRITER’S GUIDE TO CHARACTER ATTRIBUTES Angela Ackerman Becca Puglisi Copyright 2013 © by Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi Published by: JADD Publishing No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in print, audio or electronic form without prior permission of the authors Please respect the hard work of the authors and do not participate in or encourage the piracy of copyrighted materials All rights reserved http://writershelpingwriters.net ISBN: 978-0-9897725-3-2 Original Source: The Positive Trait Thesaurus: A Writer ’s Guide to Character Attributes, by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi Paperback Edition: October 2013 (ISBN: 978-0-9897725-1-8) Edited in part by: C S Lakin (http://www.livewritethrive.com) Book cover design by: Scarlett Rugers Design 2013 http://www.scarlettrugers.com Book formatting by: Polgarus Studio http://www.polgarusstudio.com ABOUT THE AUTHORS Angela Ackerman is a member of The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and writes on the darker side of Middle Grade and Young Adult When she isn’t creating new writing tools or plotting mayhem, she’s carefully deleting her browser history and pretending to live the life of a normal, quiet Canadian Becca Puglisi is a YA fantasy and historical fiction writer who enjoys slurping copious amounts of Mountain Dew and snarfing snacks that have no nutritional value She has always enjoyed contemplating the What if? scenario, which serves her well in south Florida As a result, during hurricane season, you can find her stalking the local weather forecasters and muttering unkind words toward the Atlantic Together, Angela and Becca host The Bookshelf Muse, an award-winning blog at the Writers Helping Writers website This resource offers a number of unique thesauri to aid writers in their descriptive writing efforts Their bestselling book, The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression, is the first in their “Writers Helping Writers” series MORE WRITERS HELPING WRITERS BOOKS The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide To Character Expression The Negative Trait Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide To Character Flaws For more information on how to purchase these books or take advantage of the authors’ many articles and free writing tools, please visit us at Writers Helping Writers You can also find Becca and Angela on Twitter, check out their Facebook page or sign up for their Newsletter, which offers a treasure trove of content for writers DEDICATIONS To my parents, who taught me who I am, who I should be, and—most importantly—who I belong to —Becca Puglisi To Darian and Jarod, my greatest achievements (Cheesy, but true!) —Angela Ackerman A multitude of thanks to everyone who visits The Bookshelf Muse blog at Writers Helping Writers We appreciate your endless support —A & B PRAISE FOR THE EMOTION THESAURUS “One of the challenges a fiction writer faces, especially when prolific, is coming up with fresh ways to describe emotions This handy compendium fills that need It is both a reference and a brainstorming tool, and one of the resources I’ll be turning to most often as I write my own books.” - James Scott Bell, best-selling author of Deceived and Plot & Structure PRAISE FOR THE POSITIVE TRAIT THESAURUS AND THE NEGATIVE TRAIT THESAURUS “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 and Selling Your Story in 60 Seconds: The Guaranteed Way to Get Your Screenplay or Novel Read TABLE OF CONTENTS Foreword, by Jeannie Campbell, LMFT The Ultimate Hook: Characters Worth Rooting For What is a Positive Attribute? Needs and Morals: Influencers on Character Strengths The Different Categories of Positive Attributes How Positive Attributes Develop Positive Attributes and Character Arc: Overcoming the Fatal Flaw Building Characters from the Ground Up: Choosing the Right Attributes Positive Attributes and Villains Things to Know About Your Character ’s Positive Attributes How to Show Your Character ’s Attributes When Readers Aren’t Interested: Common Pitfalls in Character Creation The Positive Attribute Thesaurus Adaptable Adventurous Affectionate Alert Ambitious Analytical Appreciative Bold Calm Cautious Centered Charming Confident Cooperative Courageous Courteous Creative Curious Decisive Diplomatic Disciplined Discreet Easygoing Efficient Empathetic Enthusiastic Extroverted Flamboyant Flirtatious Focused Friendly Funny Generous Gentle Happy Honest Honorable Hospitable Humble Idealistic Imaginative Independent Industrious Innocent Inspirational Intelligent Introverted Just Kind Loyal Mature Merciful Meticulous Nature-Focused Nurturing Obedient Objective Observant Optimistic Organized Passionate Patient Patriotic Pensive Perceptive Persistent Persuasive Philosophical Playful Private Proactive Professional Proper Protective Quirky Resourceful Responsible Sensible Sensual Sentimental Simple Socially Aware Sophisticated Spiritual Spontaneous Spunky Studious Supportive Talented Thrifty Tolerant Traditional Trusting Uninhibited Unselfish Heedful Helpful Heroic Honest Honorable Hopeful Hospitable Humane Humanitarian Humble Humorous Hyper I Idealistic Influential Imaginative Impartial Independent Industrious Ingenious Innocent Inquisitive Insightful Inspired Inspirational Intelligent Intense Introspective Introverted Intuitive Inventive J Jolly Jovial Just K Keen Kind Knowledgeable L Lackadaisical Laid-Back Learned Levelheaded Liberal Liberated Lighthearted Lively Logical Long-Suffering Loving Low Maintenance Loyal M Magnetic Maternal Mature Meditative Meek Mellow Merciful Merry Methodical Meticulous Mild Modest Motivational N Nationalistic Nature-Focused Neighborly Nervy Noble Nurturing O Obedient Obliging Objective Observant Offbeat Open-Minded Optimistic Orderly Organized Orthodox Outgoing P Passionate Patient Patriotic Peaceful Peculiar Pensive Peppy Perceptive Permissive Perseverant Persistent Persuasive Philanthropic Philosophical Pious Placid Plain Playful Polished Polite Positive Practical Pragmatic Precise Principled Private Proactive Productive Professional Proficient Proper Protective Proud Provocative Prudent Public-Spirited Pure Q Quaint Quirky R Rational Realistic Reasonable Refined Reflective Relaxed Relentless Reliable Religious Reputable Reserved Resilient Resolute Resourceful Respectable Respectful Responsible Reverent Risk-Taking Romantic S Sage Sanguine Scholarly Scrupulous Seasoned Secure Sedate Self-Assured Self-Controlled Self-Reliant Self-Sufficient Selfless Sensible Sensitive Sensual Sentimental Serene Sharp-Eyed Simple Sincere Skilled Smart Sociable Socially Aware Sophisticated Speculative Spirited Spiritual Spontaneous Spunky Staunch Steadfast Straightforward Strategic Structured Studious Submissive Supportive Sympathetic Systematic T Tactful Talented Tame Temperate Tenacious Tender Thankful Thorough Thoughtful Thrifty Tireless Tolerant Traditional Tranquil True Trusting Trustworthy Truthful U Unassuming Unbiased Unblemished Unconventional Understanding Uninhibited Unpretentious Unrestrained Unruffled Unselfish Unusual Upbeat Upright Urbane V Valiant Venturous Versatile Vigilant Virtuous Visionary W Watchful Well-Behaved Well-Mannered Well-Read Whimsical Wholesome Wise Witty Worldly XYZ Zealous (RETURN TO THE TABLE OF CONTENTS) Table of Contents ABOUT THE AUTHORS MORE WRITERS HELPING WRITERS BOOKS DEDICATIONS PRAISE FOR THE EMOTION THESAURUS TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD THE ULTIMATE HOOK: CHARACTERS WORTH ROOTING FOR WHAT IS A POSITIVE ATTRIBUTE? NEEDS AND MORALS: INFLUENCERS ON CHARACTER STRENGTHS THE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES HOW POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES DEVELOP POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES AND CHARACTER ARC: OVERCOMING THE FATAL FLAW BUILDING CHARACTERS FROM THE GROUND UP: CHOOSING THE RIGHT ATTRIBUTES POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES AND VILLAINS THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER’S POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES HOW TO SHOW YOUR CHARACTER’S ATTRIBUTES WHEN READERS AREN’T INTERESTED: COMMON PITFALLS IN CHARACTER CREATION FINAL NOTES THE POSITIVE TRAIT THESAURUS ADAPTABLE ADVENTUROUS AFFECTIONATE ALERT AMBITIOUS ANALYTICAL APPRECIATIVE BOLD CALM CAUTIOUS CENTERED CHARMING CONFIDENT COOPERATIVE COURAGEOUS COURTEOUS CREATIVE CURIOUS DECISIVE DIPLOMATIC DISCIPLINED DISCREET EASYGOING EFFICIENT EMPATHETIC ENTHUSIASTIC EXTROVERTED FLAMBOYANT FLIRTATIOUS FOCUSED FRIENDLY FUNNY GENEROUS GENTLE HAPPY HONEST HONORABLE HOSPITABLE HUMBLE IDEALISTIC IMAGINATIVE INDEPENDENT INDUSTRIOUS INNOCENT INSPIRATIONAL INTELLIGENT INTROVERTED JUST KIND LOYAL MATURE MERCIFUL METICULOUS NATURE-FOCUSED NURTURING OBEDIENT OBJECTIVE OBSERVANT OPTIMISTIC ORGANIZED PASSIONATE PATIENT PATRIOTIC PENSIVE PERCEPTIVE PERSISTENT PERSUASIVE PHILOSOPHICAL PLAYFUL PRIVATE PROACTIVE PROFESSIONAL PROPER PROTECTIVE QUIRKY RESOURCEFUL RESPONSIBLE SENSIBLE SENSUAL SENTIMENTAL SIMPLE SOCIALLY AWARE SOPHISTICATED SPIRITUAL SPONTANEOUS SPUNKY STUDIOUS SUPPORTIVE TALENTED THRIFTY TOLERANT TRADITIONAL TRUSTING UNINHIBITED UNSELFISH WHIMSICAL WHOLESOME WISE WITTY FURTHER READING ON PERSONALITY AND CHARACTER ARC FURTHER READING ON WRITING CRAFT JOIN US AT WRITERS HELPING WRITERS APPENDIX A CHARACTER PROFILE QUESTIONNAIRE APPENDIX B CHARACTER ATTRIBUTE TARGET TOOL APPENDIX C CATEGORY BREAKDOWN INDEX Table of Contents ABOUT THE AUTHORS MORE WRITERS HELPING WRITERS BOOKS DEDICATIONS PRAISE FOR THE EMOTION THESAURUS TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD THE ULTIMATE HOOK: CHARACTERS WORTH ROOTING FOR WHAT IS A POSITIVE ATTRIBUTE? NEEDS AND MORALS: INFLUENCERS ON CHARACTER STRENGTHS THE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES HOW POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES DEVELOP POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES AND CHARACTER ARC: OVERCOMING THE FATAL FLAW BUILDING CHARACTERS FROM THE GROUND UP: CHOOSING THE RIGHT ATTRIBUTES POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES AND VILLAINS THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER’S POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES HOW TO SHOW YOUR CHARACTER’S ATTRIBUTES WHEN READERS AREN’T INTERESTED: COMMON PITFALLS IN CHARACTER CREATION FINAL NOTES THE POSITIVE TRAIT THESAURUS ADAPTABLE ADVENTUROUS AFFECTIONATE ALERT AMBITIOUS ANALYTICAL APPRECIATIVE BOLD CALM CAUTIOUS CENTERED CHARMING CONFIDENT COOPERATIVE COURAGEOUS COURTEOUS CREATIVE CURIOUS DECISIVE DIPLOMATIC DISCIPLINED DISCREET EASYGOING EFFICIENT EMPATHETIC ENTHUSIASTIC EXTROVERTED FLAMBOYANT FLIRTATIOUS FOCUSED FRIENDLY FUNNY GENEROUS GENTLE HAPPY HONEST HONORABLE HOSPITABLE HUMBLE IDEALISTIC IMAGINATIVE INDEPENDENT INDUSTRIOUS INNOCENT INSPIRATIONAL INTELLIGENT INTROVERTED JUST KIND LOYAL MATURE MERCIFUL METICULOUS NATURE-FOCUSED NURTURING OBEDIENT OBJECTIVE OBSERVANT OPTIMISTIC ORGANIZED PASSIONATE PATIENT PATRIOTIC PENSIVE PERCEPTIVE PERSISTENT PERSUASIVE PHILOSOPHICAL PLAYFUL PRIVATE PROACTIVE PROFESSIONAL PROPER PROTECTIVE QUIRKY RESOURCEFUL RESPONSIBLE SENSIBLE SENSUAL SENTIMENTAL SIMPLE SOCIALLY AWARE SOPHISTICATED SPIRITUAL SPONTANEOUS SPUNKY STUDIOUS SUPPORTIVE TALENTED THRIFTY TOLERANT TRADITIONAL TRUSTING UNINHIBITED UNSELFISH WHIMSICAL WHOLESOME WISE WITTY FURTHER READING ON PERSONALITY AND CHARACTER ARC FURTHER READING ON WRITING CRAFT JOIN US AT WRITERS HELPING WRITERS APPENDIX A CHARACTER PROFILE QUESTIONNAIRE APPENDIX B CHARACTER ATTRIBUTE TARGET TOOL APPENDIX C CATEGORY BREAKDOWN INDEX ... Jeannie Campbell, LMFT The Character Therapist® I’VE READ A LOT of books about characterization, but none are so concise or all encompassing as Angela and Becca’s Positive Trait Thesaurus The introductory chapters are a veritable goldmine for authors... The Negative Trait Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Flaws.) Positive attributes are traits that produce personal growth or help a character achieve goals through healthy means They also enhance relationships and typically benefit others in some way... When Readers Aren’t Interested: Common Pitfalls in Character Creation The Positive Attribute Thesaurus Adaptable Adventurous Affectionate Alert Ambitious Analytical Appreciative Bold Calm Cautious Centered Charming Confident Cooperative