As writers, we want to make our characters as unique and interesting as possible. One way to do this is to give your character a special skill or talent that sets him apart from other people. This might be something small, like having a green thumb or being good with animals, to a larger and more competitive talent like stock car racing or being an award-winning film producer. 

When choosing a talent or skill, think about the personality of your character, his range of experiences and who his role models might have been. Some talents might be genetically imparted while others are created through exposure (such as a character talented at fixing watches from growing up in his father’s watch shop) or grow out of interest (archery, wakeboarding, or magic). Don’t be afraid to be creative and make sure the skill or talent is something that works with the scope of the story. 

Knowledge of Explosives

Description: Having knowledge of and experience with creating and detonating explosive devices

Beneficial Strengths or Abilities: knowledge of chemistry, steady hands, dexterity

Character Traits Suited for this Skill or Talent: cautious, patient, alert, calm, focused…

Required Resources and Training: Many amateurs in the field of explosives are self-taught, garnering information from the internet and from books on the subject. Others gain experience through an apprenticeship of sorts, learning about explosives…

Associated Stereotypes and Perceptions: terrorists, anarchists, paranoid types, SWAT team members…

Scenarios Where this Skill Might be Useful: 

• when a building needs to be demolished
• when one needs to cut off access to an area (by destroying a street, establishing an immediate roadblock, etc.)
• when one wants to kill large numbers of people…

Related Talents and Skills: hot-wiring a car, mechanically minded, survival skills

Talents and skills not only make our characters stand out, they often help them attain their goals. So choosing them strategically can greatly enhance both the character and the story.

If this is something you’d like to learn more about, you can find the entries in their entirety at One Stop For Writers, where all our thesauruses are cross-referenced and linked for easy navigation. If you’re interested in seeing a free sampling of the Talent and Skill Thesaurus and our other descriptive collections, head on over and register at One Stop!