Writers Helping Writers^®

Posts by Angela Ackerman

Why Your Hero Needs A Special Skill or Talent

May 13, 2014

Why Your Hero Needs A Special Skill or Talent

May 13, 2014

Our main character should always take center stage, and one facet of character creation is deciding what special skills or talents the character might have. On the surface, skills and…

Character Talents and Skills: Fishing

May 3, 2014

Character Talents and Skills: Fishing

May 3, 2014

Choosing a talent or skill that fits with your character’s personality, lifestyle, and values can go a long way to helping them break free of the common stereotypes seen so…

Talent and Skill Thesaurus: Survival Skills

April 12, 2014

Talent and Skill Thesaurus: Survival Skills

April 12, 2014

Choosing a talent or skill that fits with your character’s personality, lifestyle, and values can go a long way to helping them break free of the common stereotypes seen so…

Talents and Skills Thesaurus: Archery

March 29, 2014

Talents and Skills Thesaurus: Archery

March 29, 2014

Choosing a talent or skill that fits with your character’s personality, lifestyle, and values can go a long way to helping them break free of the common stereotypes seen so…

Talent & Skills Entry: Making People Laugh

March 15, 2014

Talent & Skills Entry: Making People Laugh

March 15, 2014

Choosing a talent or skill that fits with your character’s personality, lifestyle, and values can go a long way to helping them break free of the common stereotypes seen so…

Writing Emotion: Does Your Hero Shrug, Smile & Frown Too Much?

March 8, 2014

Writing Emotion: Does Your Hero Shrug, Smile & Frown Too Much?

March 8, 2014

Crutch gestures can sometimes get in the way of good writing. They come in all shapes and sizes–maybe an eye roll, a clenched stomach, curled fists or shrugs–cues we writers…

Understanding Character Wounds: A List Of Common Themes

February 27, 2014

Understanding Character Wounds: A List Of Common Themes

February 27, 2014

Characters are the heart of a novel, and within that heart is the Hero’s Inner Journey. The protagonist’s path is much like yours or mine–one that will (hopefully) bring him…

Myth & Folklore: Finding Old Stories To Make New

February 25, 2014

Myth & Folklore: Finding Old Stories To Make New

February 25, 2014

Today author Bish Denham is with us, tackling Myth and Folklore and the growing popularity of retellings. What is it about myths and fairy tales that readers find so attractive?…

Writing Extreme Emotion Without The Melodrama

February 11, 2014

Writing Extreme Emotion Without The Melodrama

February 11, 2014

Finding the right balance of emotion can be difficult; too little and the reader will feel no empathy for the characters, but too much, and the scene becomes melodramatic. Melodrama…

Skills & Talents Entry: Gaming

February 8, 2014

Skills & Talents Entry: Gaming

February 8, 2014

Choosing a talent or skill that fits with your character’s personality, lifestyle, and values can go a long way to helping them break free of the common stereotypes seen so…