Writers Helping Writers^®

Basic Human Needs

The Occupation Thesaurus: Firefighter

June 23, 2020

The Occupation Thesaurus: Firefighter

June 23, 2020

Sourced from The Occupation Thesaurus OVERVIEWA firefighter is a rescuer who extinguishes and prevents fires that threaten life, property, and the environment. They also respond to car accidents, chemical spills,…

Character Introductions: Making the Right Impression

June 9, 2020

Character Introductions: Making the Right Impression

June 9, 2020

Many aspects of writing can be hard to get right, especially in our first draft. For just two examples: With our story beginning, we might struggle to find a good…

Character Building: How Much Planning Should I Do? (PART 1)

May 26, 2020

Character Building: How Much Planning Should I Do? (PART 1)

May 26, 2020

Not sure how much brainstorming needs to go into each character? You’re not alone. It’s a struggle for many, and unfortunately, there’s no single “right” answer. It really depends on…

How a Career Can Reveal Your Character’s Deeper Layers

February 29, 2020

How a Career Can Reveal Your Character’s Deeper Layers

February 29, 2020

Did you know that before Becca became an author and writing coach, she was a teacher? It’s true. And if you know her, you’re probably thinking, I can see that.…

How to Build Powerful Character Relationships

February 20, 2020

How to Build Powerful Character Relationships

February 20, 2020

Character relationships are, in many ways, the glue that holds a story together. Almost every tale has at least one relationship at the heart of it, often more. Rarely can…

How Do You Know If Your Protagonist Is Strong Enough?

October 3, 2019

How Do You Know If Your Protagonist Is Strong Enough?

October 3, 2019

You can have an incredibly detailed world, adrenaline-spiking action and jaw-dropping plot twists, but unless the character in the driver’s seat is interesting, layered, and memorable, the story will pancake.…

Avoiding Change: What’s Stopping Our Characters?

September 10, 2019

Avoiding Change: What’s Stopping Our Characters?

September 10, 2019

Stories are about change. Our characters’ world is changing around them, or they’re changing internally—or both. Yet at the same time, we know change is hard. In our own lives,…

The Easiest Way to Plan Characters in a Series: Cloning (Yes, Really!)

June 27, 2019

The Easiest Way to Plan Characters in a Series: Cloning (Yes, Really!)

June 27, 2019

This spring, Becca and I released two very important tools for writers… The Emotion Thesaurus 2nd edition (expanded by 55 entries) and a Character Builder Tool at One Stop for…

Deepening Character Complexity with the Help of Psychology

April 3, 2018

Deepening Character Complexity with the Help of Psychology

April 3, 2018

Psychologists will often conduct a case formulation when a client presents in our office. If we want to be part of the change the client is seeking, then we have…

Want Memorable Characters? Focus on the Little Things

February 22, 2018

Want Memorable Characters? Focus on the Little Things

February 22, 2018

I love building characters. In fact, “building” is apt, because for me, they come a piece at a time. A brick or two might lock into place as I wrestle…