Who We Are
Welcome, Wordsmith! We’re Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi—bestselling authors, story coaches, and founders of Writers Helping Writers. For nearly twenty years, we’ve helped hundreds of thousands of writers master the craft of storytelling.
Through our workshops, books, free worksheets, and tools, we teach writers how to utilize emotion, psychology, and the art of showing rather than telling to craft authentic characters experiencing real problems and personal struggles that readers will connect with.
We’ve spoken internationally at major conferences and retreats—including SCBWI, RWA, and WFWA—and have been featured in the Writers’ Guild of Alberta and Writer’s Digest magazines. Our websites are frequent visitors to the Writer’s Digest “Best Writing Websites” lists, as well as others in the industry. We’re here to support and empower creatives…in short, we are writers helping writers!
How We Help You
Our Writers Helping Writers® Thesaurus series, including the bestselling Emotion Thesaurus, is the gold standard of writing guides. Used in hundreds of writing programs and universities, they are recommended by editors, agents, and authors all over the world. Part how-to guide, part brainstorming tool, each thesaurus explores an important area of description and shows writers how to activate it in their stories using the art of show, don’t tell. To date, these guides have over 15,000 5-star reviews and have sold over 1.4 million copies.
One Stop for Writers®, our award-winning web app, is packed with powerful story tools. Not only does One Stop have the largest show-don’t-tell description database available anywhere, it contains a suite of tools that make plotting, worldbuilding, and character creation easier. And if you need a step-by-step help to plan, write, and revise a novel, the Storyteller’s Roadmap acts as your writing coach.
The Writers Helping Writers® blog is a trusted knowledge center for developing writing skills and navigating the business side of being an author. Each week, you’ll learn from our expert Resident Writing Coach team, who are here to make the hardest parts of writing easier. Whether you’re working on your first novel or your tenth, we hope you’ll make Writers Helping Writers your creative home!
More About Us
Meet the WHW Team
Angela Ackerman
Angela Ackerman is a story coach, international speaker, and a firm believer that writers succeed best together. Her desire to make writing easier for others led to her book collaborations with Becca Puglisi, as well as the development of One Stop for Writers, a creativity portal with game-changing tools and resources that enable writers to craft powerful fiction.
Angela lives in Okotoks, Alberta, in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies. She has an embarrassingly large collection of garden gnomes and enjoys traveling & connecting with writers all over the world.
Becca Puglisi
Becca Puglisi is a lifelong student of story and a recognized expert in the industry. She loves developing new resources to help writers craft memorable fiction. Along with Angela, she authors the Writers Helping Writers Thesaurus Book Series, builds powerful tools at One Stop For Writers, and teaches writing workshops and masterclasses internationally.
Becca lives in sunny South Florida, where she can be found beaching with her family, baking in the kitchen, or reading on the couch.
Mindy Weiss
Mindy Alyse Weiss is a glitter-loving kid at heart and serves as WHW’s Administrator. When she’s not keeping things organized around here, she’s writing middle-grade novels, picture books, and mentoring writers through PBParty chats, draft challenges, and annual contests. (Mindy also does picture book critiques, too!) She is represented by Joyce Sweeney at The Seymour Agency.
Mindy lives in Florida with her husband, two daughters, rescue cat, and a foster animal or two. She loves chatting with other book-loving people and seeing their adorable pet photos.
Use the mail icon below to contact Mindy regarding the blog. Guest post inquiries should be submitted by form.
86 Comments. Leave new
[…] Angela Ackerman and her writing partner, Becca Puglisi, have written a series of incredible reference books for authors. Their first (and probably top selling) was The Emotion Thesaurus. Pick an emotion, any emotion, and they’ll tell you what are the inward and outward signs that the character is experiencing it. Apparently almost all authors struggle to avoid using the same emotional descriptions for their characters all the time. Whether it’s an upset character digging their fingernails into their fists so hard they draw blood (does anyone actually do that?) or a fluttering heart, you sometimes need help to get beyond the obvious and increase variety. […]
Dear Angela and Becca,
As someone who enjoys character driven stories with interesting character arcs by far the most, I’m thankful for the excellent advice you so generously share with us.
What I’d love to read more about is *hands-on advice* how to write the—gradual or eureka! like—epiphany of a character right *before* s/he embarks on the transition journey.
That would complement Angela’s excellent guest post “Overcoming Emotional Wounds: How to Show Your Character Is Beginning to Heal” https://elizabethspanncraig.com/uncategorized/overcoming-emotional-wounds-how-to-show-your-character-is-beginning-to-heal/
More specifically, I’m interested in advice on how “on the nose” the realization(s) can or should be described, regardless of what triggers the epiphany (e.g. dialogues with an influence or reflection character; observation and self-reflection).
If I draw from personal observations and experiences, I’d be inclined to mostly “tell”, at best complemented with “showing” (as in illustrating the “diagnosis” with examples).
I wonder if it’s one of those “rule breaking” occasions where telling is better than showing. Or is it even possible to write a protagonist’s epiphany what her or his emotional obstacles are without explicitly stating them in one way or another?
Do you happen to cover these specifics in your “Emotional Wounds Thesaurus” or in a blog post I’ve missed?
Thank you so much,
Tina
Hi, Tina. This is a great question that doesn’t have a one-size-fits-all answer (of course :)) because the epiphany moment can look different across different stories. Sometimes, there’s a big AHA moment when the light bulb comes on for the character. But in most cases, the process is gradual, with many small moments along the way where they learn bits and pieces of the truth until the pieces finally click; that final moment can still be big and dramatic, but it can also be more understated, since they’ve been learning things all along. So the intensity of the moment is up to you and will depend on what you think is best for the story.
Regarding how to show this, again, it’s likely there won’t be one moment, but many. And they can and should occur in a variety of ways. One piece may be revealed during a conversation with a friend (or antagonist). Another piece may become clear in a moment of introspection. Or the character could be watching an interaction between others and connect the dots to make an important realization. A variety is good because it keeps things interesting for readers.
Even so, we want the process to be authentic, and the way real people come to these realizations is through their internal thoughts. They may be having a conversation with someone or watching something that’s going on externally, but they’re processing it internally and putting pieces together. That part of the process is crucial if we want the character’s self-realization to be realistic, but it also helps readers tie everything together. And with introspection, you’re still showing, not telling; you’re showing their thought process and the connections they’re making as they work through things. Just be sure you break up those think-y moments so they don’t go on forever and drag the pace down with them.
I hope this answers your question. Best of luck with your writing!
[…] Getting the Pace Right by Becca Puglisi at Writers Helping Writers, […]
[…] HiltSave the Cat! by Blake SnyderRomancing the Beat by Gwen HayesThe Conflict Thesaurus Vol. 1 by Becca Puglisi, Angela AckermanThe Emotional Wound Thesaurus by Becca Puglisi, Angela […]
[…] and professionals alike. Today I talk with Becca Puglisi, one of the founders of the website Writers Helping Writers and One Stop For Writers as well as the co-author of the thesarus […]
[…] and professionals alike. Today I talk with Becca Puglisi, one of the founders of the website Writers Helping Writers and One Stop For Writers as well as the co-author of the thesarus […]
I love everything you do and am reviewing some of the excellent articles the
conflict thesaurus.
and was wondering
have you given thought to adding a paragraph on possible stakes for each conflict
Hi Bill,
The stakes are the negative repercussions of failure, so they will be pretty specific to your character’s goal in the story. But, some of the minor and major complications can definitely disrupt their ability to reach their goal, making it harder to achieve. 😉 There’s also a good section on stakes in the opening part of the book. Thanks for asking!
[…] Know More About Writers Helping Writers […]
Hi! Your posts really motivates me to write more,although I do writing on the feelings and emotions of mine and others but now I am searching for some guidance.??
[…] Angela Ackerman is one of the co-founders of Writer’s Helping Writers and One Stop for Writers. She is also the co-author of 8 different writer’s thesauri designed to help writers improve their craft. In this episode, Jeff and author JM Bedard fan out about Angela’s work and talk to her about realistic sounding emotions. Check out all of Angela’s tools at WritersHelpingWriters.net. […]
I think Writers Helping Writers is great! I receive Writers Helping Writers in my Facebook, and I respond to many posts. How do I write an original post?
Thank you for saying so! Are you asking how do you post on the Facebook page, Mark, or here as a guest post?
Q: Re: Facebook page or here as a guest pos
Q: Facebook page.
Also as a (guest) post.
I write almost every day and I want to contribute to Writers Helping Writers AND see advice.
Thank you.
Hi Mark, if you have a guest post idea you are welcome to submit it using the guest post guidelines in the menu bar. 🙂 As for facebook, you just have to use the empty comment box on the page and submit a comment. It may need to be approved before you see it (we have to approve as we go because so many try to spam there).
Thank you.
Hello Angela! I met you at a When Words Collide event (aka: the good old days), where I picked up your Positive and Negative Trait Thesauri (Thesauruses? Nope. Not that). The books have been very helpful to me – thanks! I’ve just stumbled onto your site here and find it quite exciting but not sure where to start. How does one apply for a writing coach? I’ve signed up for your newsletter, and am excited to join in….
Hi Louise! So nice to see you here and I’m glad you found us. The Resident Writing Coach program isn’t something people apply for actually, it’s where we reach out to superstars in the community who know their craft and love sharing their knowledge with others. We ask them to join us for a year at a time, whihch equates to four posts a year. Is this what you meant, or something else? Just let me know what you need help with and I’m happy to steer you to whatever you need! 🙂
Angela
Hi Angela & Becca,
I am new… But I find your page very informative… I also love your topics!
I am now starting to write the untold stories of our country SA…
Thank you.
Cedric
So glad you found us, Cedric!
Very good site and source for writers
Hello Angela:
I am a member of the CRUISE WRITER GROUP and our workshop got cancel due to the virus. Will you be teaching a ONLINE or in PERSON workshop based on the same or similar material that you had planned for the CRUISE WRITER GROUP? The workshop was suppose to be November 2020 for a TWO-DAY master course on building powerful characters and arcs.
Thanks, Carol
Hi Carol,
Thanks for asking. Because this was a 10+ hour intensive it’s not a session I would give as a webinar or series of webinars, but when time allows I do try to offer webinars (especially now). If you like I can let you know when I have dates for the next one, either bu Becca or myself as we teach the same materials. Let me know if that’s of interest?
It’s too bad we had to cancel the cruise, but right now it was the right thing to do. Hopefully, I’ll see you in person at some future workshop!
Yes, I would be interested!!
Hi, I’m from Liberia. I am very interested in writing and have an anthology of poems and many short stories that are unpublished due to financial constraints. How can you help me?
That’s great. Do you have a critique group? That’s a good way to get feedback on your writing to see if it’s strong enough to publish.
[…] How Your Hero’s Past Shapes His Future (by Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglusi of Writers Helping Writers), Creating Compelling Scenes & Characters by Shirley Jump, and Simple System to Rock Your […]
[…] She’s also one half of the team over at Writers Helping Writers, alongside Becca Puglisi. You can find out more here. […]
Hi, my name is Maureen I’ve mostly written about other people for newspaper articles. Do any of you have that background? Thanks for a great website!
No we don’t have a journalism background. At one time I thought I might go that route, but I chose fiction instead. 🙂 Happy writing!
I’d like to hear what people think about the ease-of-use with the Kindle version vs the book version.
Thoughts?
Thanks!
Phillip
You can find some advice for this if you look up the reviews on Amazon but I would say overall we see people in three camps: some love the digital for its portability, and that’s all they need. Then we see people who want the print because they like seeing the entire thesaurus entry on a 2-page spread, and they also want the kindle for when they don’t have the physical copy with them. Then, we see people who bought the kindle, and realized they are going to use it so much they should have just gotten the print.
I know that’s maybe not helpful to you, but all I can offer is this: overall we sell more print than kindle of the Emotion Thesaurus, and it’s the same way for some of the others as well. For the rest, it’s 50-50, so equal. This suggests to me a preference for the print, or to have both.
I think for you, think about if you write at home, or away, and what would be better for you to reference. The upside of the kindle is that all the entries are linked, so you can travel from one to another easily and quickly. The con is that you have to scroll through 4-5 pages or so to see a full entry.
Thanks, Angela!
Looking forward to the new Thesaurus. The Emotional Wound Thesaurus has seriously up-leveled my writing craft. I feel ready to create my best-seller!
[…] Thesaurus Ackermann & Puglisi ist eine Thesaurus Reihe aus den USA, die in kompakter Form menschliche Stärken und Schwächen, Verletzungen, Emotionen sowie städtische und landschaftliche Settings beschreibt und sind ein wertvolles Hilfsmittel, um Figuren lebding und Settings atmosphärisch zu gestalten. Die Bücher gibt es auf: writershelpingwriters.net […]
[…] mentors can inspire us to get outside of our own comfort zones. When I had lunch a month ago with Angela Ackerman, she inspired me to: 1) find a way to get to the writer’s conference coming up in Calgary in […]
Please add me to your mailing list. Thank you!
Looking forward to following
Great website! Lots of interesting and useful articles.
Thanks James–welcome to Writers Helping Writers 🙂
[…] mentors can inspire us do get outside of our own comfort zones. When I had lunch a month ago with Angela Ackerman, she inspired me to: 1) find a way to get to the writer’s conference coming up in Calgary in […]
Hello,
I bought your entire series and LOVE each book! They have been tremendously helpful. I’m writing because when I bought the Emotion Thesaurus, I was supposed to receive a free copy of the companion book. I clicked the link but it only took me to the preview. Please help.
Hi Nancy! I saw your email before this comment and so responded there, but if you go to the Emotion Amplifiers page and follow the link it takes you back to the main page where the companion book is listed, and all the links to the free download are right there–just scroll down a bit. 🙂 https://writershelpingwriters.net/bookstore/
Great information. Thank you.
[…] to welcome Angela Ackerman of Writers Helping Writers & One Stop For Writers, writing coach, […]
[…] week, returning to more writerly topics, elated to welcome storytelling aficionado Angela Ackerman, creator of One Stop For Writers, a powerhouse online library like no other, […]
[…] the word pictures we paint in our descriptions and dialogue. In today’s interview with Becca Puglisi, she gives writers tips on how they can use the Emotion Thesaurus and Setting Thesaurus to draw […]
[…] Writers Helping Writers […]
Angela and Becca, as I was browsing the Barnes & Noble mini-bookstore at Willamette Writers Conference this past weekend I overheard a fellow shopper ask about The Emotional Thesaurus. Immediately, the clerk advised they could not bring everything but with the request at the conference, they would happily ship a copy waiving shipping charges. Thought you’d like to know you’re everywhere!
Well how awesome is that? Hurray for accommodating booksellers! Thanks so much for letting us know 🙂
[…] has a wonderful post today, 3 Quick Tips to Help Readers Connect to Your Hero. In addition, Angela and Becca Puglisi have written two books specifically designed to help you define your characters. Check out their […]
[…] to throw up. I’m not exaggerating. Social media platforms? OMG, where can I hide? Then I met Angela Ackerman of Writers Helping Writers at When Words Collide […]
Thank you for this interesting and very helpful website.
I was wondering, can there exist someday a Country Thesaurus? You know, different countries and their climates, their languages – if they talk in dialect or plain English, for example :). Was just thinking and thought to ask. Have a nice day.
Thanks for the idea, Anya! We have a list of possible thesaurus collections to explore, and I’ll add this to the list. 🙂
I have recently started a web site, the info you provide on this site has helped me greatly. Thank you for all of your time & work. There can be no real freedom without the freedom to fail. by Erich Fromm. ebfekckkagfa
[…] The Bookshelf Muse […]
[…] a happier note, join me in congratulating Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi of Writers Helping Writers on reaching the milestone of 100,000 books sold! Their Emotion Thesaurus is a handy friend sitting […]
sorry… posted twice:)
Hello, Are any of your works in audio format?
Thanks, Dave Powell
Lake Worth, FL
[…] trouble pacing your scene or chapter? Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi at Writers Helping Writers Blog wrote a great blog post on how to keep your pacing smooth and balanced. Another good one to […]
[…] By: Angela Ackerman (reblogged by permission from Writers Helping Writers […]
[…] Writers helping writers – For their most excellent advice for writers in character work, story development and frequent promotion of other writing blogs. […]
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This website has helped me sooooo much!
Thank You 🙂
sorry found it
Excuse me I forgot how to find the page with all the different thesaurus guides [weather, skills etc.]
Thank you for your wonderful website. Its full of ideas for my current book (don’t worry I’m not copying, just vocab) yippee !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hi Angela and Becca
I just found your website and have been glimpsing into who you guys are, I kind of feel like a voyeur – not that I am into that 🙂 As soon as I found out that Angela was from Canada (I am a fellow Canadian myself in northern Ontario) and Becca who is in Florida (I am also an avid snowbird who spends the winter months in southwest Florida) I felt a connection 🙂 I don’t want to sound creepy, but I just thought it was cool.
Anyway, as an inspiring writer myself I found your website very helpful, checked out the writers tools and even bought your books, which I just downloaded from the Amazon Kindle store before writing this. I am looking forward to delving into them as I am working on my first novel and think something is missing and think that your books will be an excellent resource to round out my characters. I also checked out the free pdf’s you offered and have included them in my ever growing ‘writer’s grab bag’
I look forward to checking back for updates – it was refreshing to find your site and find actual useful information!
Hi, Sandy! Thank you for leaving us such a nice message! I’m in southeast Florida, so when you make your back down here, I’ll wave at you from the east coast ;). I’m so glad you’ve found our site useful. We do strive to share practical information, so hopefully we’ve met that goal with you. Best of luck with your writing!
[…] can also check out their blog Writers Helping Writers where Angela and Becca have more Thesaurus Collections on the […]
How do I make my character have a spontaneous decision without cliche?
Hi Allie,
The trick is to really know your character–understanding their personality, their emotional expression range, what motivates them and why, etc. When you know your character at depth, you better understand how he may act and react in any given situation and can then describe it. Each of us expresses ourselves differently depending on what is going on, what is at stake, who we’re with and how we feel at the time. So put yourself into your character’s shoes and think about how what he is thinking and feeling in the moment and this will help you show how he will react based on his current emotions. Try to think past the face to what the whole body is doing, internally and externally. Does this help?
When in doubt, think about how you might act in the situation–what you might say or avoid saying, what gestures you might use, what your body posture is like, and what your body is doing (hands. legs, etc.) not just facial expressions. Then try to describe this in a way that is fresh. I hate mentioning our own books, but this is specifically what The Emotion Thesaurus can help with.
Good luck!
Angela
[…] middle, and ending at various points throughout the day. An additional prompt from author Beth Puglisi was the following ending […]
[…] How Your Hero’s Past Shapes His Future (by Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglusi of Writers Helping Writers), Creating Compelling Scenes & Characters by Shirley Jump, and Simple System to Rock Your […]
OMG, Angela and Becca, I am shrieking for joy over this website. At this rate, my neighbor will call the cops and I’ll be fitted with a straightjacket (and she’s done this once to me before, because I usually work in my PJ’s and probably look a little mentally ill). This is an astoundingly resourceful site. I feel like I’ve hit the motherlode, that my fairy godmother tapped her wand on my head this morning and said, “Here. Here, darling, Cheryl, something to make life easier. Go forth and write, woman, write!” (And of course, I still procrastinate) I’ve already alerted four of my writer friends to your site — like it’s Mecca. I cannot wait to dive into all this. I did already print up those active verbs… first 3 pages scrambled for some reason. Probably the NSA monitoring me. (LOL) You two need BIG OLE HUGS for doing this. I love the concept of your site, too, “Writers helping others!” Okay. I’ll stop gushing now.
Hi Cheryl! It is always a thrill for me when someone find our site for the first time. I am thrilled you’ve had a poke around and have found some good content to help you with your writing. And thank you for spreading the word as well–we’ve just recently moved form Blogger to WP and changed our name, so any help we can get for letting people know about us is great!
Sorry you had issues with the active verb list. I printed it out on my end to make sure it wasn’t a corrupted file, and it printed fine. This is just more proof that the NSA is involved, because I’m a Canadian and they foolishly have dismissed us as a threat. One day when we sweep across the land on flying steeds made of poutine and maple syrup destroying everything in our path with politeness will they understand their folly. 😉
[…] You can catch the Ackerman & Puglisi gals on https://writershelpingwriters.net/about-writers-helping-writers/ […]
[…] WRITERS HELPING WRITERS […]
I just want to thank you for the way you made the negative and positive thesaurus available for people who didn’t have access to the Paypal method of payment in their countries. I don’t know if you remember me but i sent you several emails concerning the problems i had paying for the Emotions Thesaurus because of that. Thanks for making at available through credit card system which made it possible to buy in my country. Thank you. And God bless.
Jo, thanks for letting us know our payment method worked well for you. It has been a struggle to find something that isn’t just Pal Pal, and so Gumroad has worked well for this. Wishing you much success with your writing!
Hello Angela & Becca,
I just wanted to say hello, and say thank you so much for a wonderful site! I listened to your wana presentation.
It was so informative and packed with interesting and very useful information. Just bought your two new books, can’t wait to receive them and read.
Shared your link with my writer friends. Your hand outs are awesome!
Best wishes,
D
p.s it was such a shame I did not hear about your event you ran. I hope you will both be doing more of these and more presentations please.
So glad you found the presentation helpful, and thanks for giving those two books a try, Destiny! And yes, please do share those handouts–we’re happy to send those to everyone who needs them! 🙂
I want to express thanks for all you have done and continue to do for writers. I love your web site… Jan
Aw thanks Jan–it is our pleasure. We are lucky to be able to do something we love to do. 🙂
[…] to Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglish for their Emotion Thesaurus, a phenomenal tool in the writer’s toolkit, and for the Amazing […]