• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
    • About WHW
    • Press Kit
    • Resident Writing Coaches
    • Contact Us
    • Podcasts & Interviews
    • Master Storytelling Newsletter
    • Guest Post Guidelines
    • Privacy Policy
    • Charities & Support
  • Bookstore
    • Bookstore
    • Foreign Editions
    • Book Reviews
    • Free Thesaurus Sampler
  • Blog
  • Software
  • Workshops
  • Resources
    • List of Resources
    • Recommended Writing Books
    • WHW Descriptive Thesaurus Collection
    • Free Tools & Worksheets
    • Grab A Free Show-Dont-Tell Pro Pack
  • WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®

WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®

Helping writers become bestselling authors

Occupation Thesaurus Entry: Model

June 9, 2018 by ANGELA ACKERMAN

Jobs are as important for our characters as they are for real people. A character’s career might be their dream job or one they’ve chosen due to necessity. In your story, they might be trying to get that job or are already working in the field. Whatever the situation, as with any defining aspect for your character, you’ll need to do the proper research to be able to write that career knowledgeably.

Enter the Occupation Thesaurus. Here, you’ll find important background information on a variety of career options for your character. In addition to the basics, we’ll also be covering related info that relates to character arc and story planning, such as sources of conflict (internal and external) and how the job might impact basic human needs, thereby affecting the character’s goals. It’s our hope that this thesaurus will share some of your research burden while also giving you ideas about your character’s occupation that you might not have considered before.

Below is a sample version of this entry to help you see how an occupation can reveal your character’s beliefs, history, goals, and more.

To view the full entry, visit One Stop for Writers where it resides within the largest fiction-based descriptive database ever created. (Free Trial available.)

Occupation: Model

Overview: The career of a model can look very different depending on the type of modeling they do and the level of their success. Most modeling falls into two categories: editorial (magazine spreads in higher-end magazines, fashion catwalks, high-end makeup ads, etc.) and commercial (catalogs, print ads for non-fashion products, commercials, and even showroom work where they work with the fashion designers as a form for the clothing being made). Models who are editorial often have a very distinctive look…

Most models do not make a living wage and only model part time or have another job to supplement their income. The hours are very long and demanding, and it isn’t uncommon for an editorial model to be paid for their time with a lunch or a gift of clothing rather than a cash payment if they are in the building stages of their career where they are striving to build a portfolio and gain recognition. Those who are at the top of the editorial modeling world can…

Necessary Training: Models may take classes to become more comfortable with the business (understanding how casting and callbacks work, fittings, dealing with criticism, the role of agents, the importance of building a name, how to create a strong portfolio…)

Useful Skills, Talents, or Abilities: A knack for languages, a knack for making money, a way with animals, charm, exceptional memory…

Helpful Character Traits:

POSITIVE: Adaptable, adventurous, ambitious, bold, centered, charming, confident, cooperative, creative, diplomatic, disciplined, discreet, easygoing…

NEGATIVE: perfectionist, subservient, workaholic

Sources of Friction:

Untrustworthy agents, being taken advantage of as a minor in the industry (exploitation), people in positions of power using intimidation and threats to get what they want, pressure to have sex or allow sexual advances, struggling to pay one’s bills, the pressure to maintain an unhealthy weight causing eating disorders, being worn down by criticism and suffering from anxiety and depression, a health crisis due to the stress and strain of work but not having medical coverage and so going into debt, clients who…

People They Might Interact With: Agents, other models, model advocates or parents (for underage models), photographers, designers…

How This Occupation Might Impact One’s Basic Needs:

  • Esteem and Recognition: So much emphasis on the physical appearance can cause esteem issues. Criticism from professionals, models comparing themselves to others, and the constant focus on physique can negatively impact …
  • Love and Belonging: Very attractive people often struggle to know if people interested in them are only there because of their looks. This can lead to relationship issues…
  • Safety and Security: Modes who are highly visible are easily recognizable to the Average Joe and can become targets for stalkers and other unstable individuals
  • Physiological Needs: When body image issues become serious enough to birth mental disorders like bulimia and anorexia…

Common Work-Related Settings: Ballroom, black-tie event, hair salon, waiting room

Twisting the Fictional Stereotype: 

  • Models have historically been presented as superficial and vapid, to the point of this stereotype becoming a trope. Make sure your model, like every other character, is well-rounded and multi-dimensional.

Visit the other Occupations in our collection HERE.

How will your character’s occupation help reveal their innermost layers?

Much of your character’s life will revolve around their work, and whether they love it or hate it, their job is a great way to show, not tell, their personality traits, skills, work ethic, worldview and beliefs, and more, so we should choose it with care.

Want access to this resource?

The Occupation Thesaurus is at One Stop for Writers, a game-changing creative portal to one-of-a-kind storytelling tools. Give our FREE TRIAL a spin and then level up your writing career by choosing one of our affordable plans. 

Or, buy the book! 

You can find this bestselling thesaurus writing guide in Print, eBook, and PDF. 

Find out why this descriptive series is a fan favorite with writers all over the world. 

“It’s like I fed my imagination Red Bull…” ~ Tracy Perkins

“The Occupation Thesaurus is yet another priceless author resource released in this series…” ~ Brandi MacCurdy

Read more reviews

ANGELA ACKERMAN
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.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Primary Sidebar


Welcome!

Writing is hard. Angela & Becca make it easier. Get ready to level up your fiction with game-changing tools, resources, and advice.

Follow Us

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Subscribe to the Blog

Check your inbox to confirm! If gremlins tried to eat it, you might have to check your spam folder.

Read by Category

Grab Our Button

Writers Helping Writers

Software that Will Change the Writing Game

One Stop for Writers

WRITERS HELPING WRITERS® · Copyright © 2023 · WEBSITE DESIGN BY LAUGH EAT LEARN

Cookies are delicious and ours help make your experience here better. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with our cookie use. Cookie settingsGOT IT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. More on our Privacy Policy here.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT
 

Loading Comments...