Writers Helping Writers^®

Posts by Angela Ackerman

Writing About Pain: Invisible Injuries and Conditions

September 7, 2023

Writing About Pain: Invisible Injuries and Conditions

September 7, 2023

In this series on pain, we’ve covered everything from minor injuries to major and mortal injuries. But there’s another source of pain that can push our characters to the edge…

Writing About Pain: Describing Minor Injuries

August 29, 2023

Writing About Pain: Describing Minor Injuries

August 29, 2023

When we push characters to their limits, sometimes they get hurt. Injuries can range from annoyances to mortal wounds, and handled well, can add tension and complication to the story,…

Writing About Pain: Three Stages of Awareness

August 22, 2023

Writing About Pain: Three Stages of Awareness

August 22, 2023

If there’s one thing writers like to do, it’s to make characters suffer. We are all about bringing forth pain and crises, whether it be emotional, physical, spiritual, or existential.…

Improve Your Storytelling in 5 Minutes

July 25, 2023

Improve Your Storytelling in 5 Minutes

July 25, 2023

What are writers chronically short on? Time. There never seems to be enough of it as we try to get the next book written, research our publishing options, keep up…

Character Type & Trope Thesaurus: Lover

June 24, 2023

Character Type & Trope Thesaurus: Lover

June 24, 2023

In 1959, Carl Jung first popularized the idea of archetypes—”universal images that have existed since the remotest times.” He posited that every person is a blend of these 12 basic…

Writing About Emotional Trauma Without Triggering Readers

June 15, 2023

Writing About Emotional Trauma Without Triggering Readers

June 15, 2023

Trigger warnings are often debated in the writing world. Some opine that readers should be warned if something potentially harmful is included in a book, and others feel the audience…

Character Tropes and Types: Innocent

May 27, 2023

Character Tropes and Types: Innocent

May 27, 2023

In 1959, Carl Jung first popularized the idea of archetypes—”universal images that have existed since the remotest times.” He posited that every person is a blend of these 12 basic…

How a Show-Don’t-Tell Mindset Helps You Write Stronger Stories

May 25, 2023

How a Show-Don’t-Tell Mindset Helps You Write Stronger Stories

May 25, 2023

Show-Don’t-Tell is something we hear a lot about as writers, and yet many struggle to apply it. Why? Because while most understand the basics of show-don’t-tell, not every writer can…

Should You Write Over the Summer, or Take a Break?

May 23, 2023

Should You Write Over the Summer, or Take a Break?

May 23, 2023

We’re a month away from the official kickoff to summer, and as someone who gets less of this season than many (Oh, Canada), I’m starting to get giddy. Summer is…

Character Type and Trope Thesaurus: Explorer

May 13, 2023

Character Type and Trope Thesaurus: Explorer

May 13, 2023

In 1959, Carl Jung first popularized the idea of archetypes—”universal images that have existed since the remotest times.” He posited that every person is a blend of these 12 basic…