Writers Helping Writers^®

Posts by Angela Ackerman

5 Mistakes Writers Make When Describing a Character’s Fear

August 25, 2026

5 Mistakes Writers Make When Describing a Character’s Fear

August 25, 2026

Fear is one of the most powerful emotions in a story so avoiding common mistakes is paramount. When readers sense a character is experiencing fear they practically lean in, waiting…

Write Your Way to the Finish Line: Save 20% at One Stop for Writers

August 20, 2026

Write Your Way to the Finish Line: Save 20% at One Stop for Writers

August 20, 2026

Writing is hard, and unfortunately, getting stuck can be part of the process. Figuring a way forward is important to keep that momentum going. That’s why we created the Storyteller’s…

How to Show a Character’s Fear in Real Time

August 18, 2026

How to Show a Character’s Fear in Real Time

August 18, 2026

Fear is much more than an emotion—it is one of the biggest influencers of human behavior. Whenever we encounter a situation with unknowns, fear kicks in. Even if we do…

Strengthen Your Story by Throwing Rocks at Your Characters

July 30, 2026

Strengthen Your Story by Throwing Rocks at Your Characters

July 30, 2026

If there’s one thing we all know, it’s that life is stressful. Each day, we’re bombarded with obstacles, challenges, and upsets. We navigate what we can, go to bed, and…

Last Chance to Grab the Phobias & Triggers Mini Guide

July 28, 2026

Last Chance to Grab the Phobias & Triggers Mini Guide

July 28, 2026

Have you ever read a story where a phobia is a plot device for why a character can’t do something (say, travel by boat), or conveys comedic irony (a building…

How to Amp Up a “Boring” Story Setting

July 23, 2026

How to Amp Up a “Boring” Story Setting

July 23, 2026

Taking the time to choose the right setting for each scene is one of the best ways to ensure our writing has impact. Why? Because the setting touches everything. It…

How to Twist Office Romance Into Fresh Conflict

June 25, 2026

How to Twist Office Romance Into Fresh Conflict

June 25, 2026

Have you ever gone to a new restaurant, ordered a burger, and discovered it has some sort of luscious, zippy sauce that elevates the entire meal into the ecstasy zone?…

The Emotion Thesaurus is Amazon’s Daily Kindle Deal (1.49) + a Discount on Character Thesaurus eBooks

June 25, 2026

The Emotion Thesaurus is Amazon’s Daily Kindle Deal (1.49) + a Discount on Character Thesaurus eBooks

June 25, 2026

Great characters aren’t built from a single element. They’re shaped by emotions, personality traits, fears, past wounds, goals, and the roles they play in their world. That’s why our character-focused…

How Universal Fears Pull Readers into the Story

June 4, 2026

How Universal Fears Pull Readers into the Story

June 4, 2026

No matter what genre you write or who your audience is, one thing is certain: Everyone experiences fear. It shapes how people think, the choices they make, and influences how…

8+ Ways to Signal Your Character’s Fear to Readers

May 26, 2026

8+ Ways to Signal Your Character’s Fear to Readers

May 26, 2026

With no shortage of things that can trigger a character’s fear, learning how to show it becomes just as important to writers as plotting, character-building, and crafting a realistic story…