Category Archives: Show Don’t Tell

Why Writers Should Consider NaNoWriMo in 2020

Posted on September 29, 2020 by ANGELA ACKERMAN

Let’s not mince words: 2020 has been a real crap sandwich. COVID has caused all sorts of struggles, anxiety, and challenges. Some of you have had work disrupted. Others wanted to travel to see loved ones and couldn’t. All of … Continue reading →

Posted in About Us, Focus, Goal Setting, Motivational, NaNoWriMo Strategy & Support, One Stop For Writers, Show Don't Tell, Software and Services, Time Management, Tools and Resources, Uncategorized, Writer's Attitude, Writing Groups, Writing Resources, Writing Time | 3 Comments

Identifying Your Character’s Primary Attribute

Posted on August 27, 2020 by BECCA PUGLISI

When I think about some of my favorite protagonists, I can usually identify a trait that defines each one: Sam Gamgee: LoyaltyAnne Shirley: ImpulsivityJames T. Kirk: Boldness However, if each character was made up of only that one trait, they … Continue reading →

Posted in Character Flaws, Character Traits, Characters, Fatal Flaw, Positive & Negative Thesaurus Guides, Show Don't Tell, Writing Craft | 4 Comments

The Character-Building Detail Writers Shouldn’t Overlook

Posted on July 2, 2020 by BECCA PUGLISI

The farther I get into this writing and coaching career, the more I find myself talking about details and how important it is to get them right. Whether we’re figuring out which backstory information to include or are writing characterization, … Continue reading →

Posted in Characters, Occupation Thesaurus, Show Don't Tell, Uncategorized, Writing Craft, Writing Resources | 4 Comments

Sneek-A-Peek at The Occupation Thesaurus: FIREFIGHTER

Posted on June 23, 2020 by ANGELA ACKERMAN

About this book… Characters are as complex as people and revealing their inner layers without chunky blocks of pace-stopping description is a challenge. The Occupation Thesaurus can help you unlock one of the best tools in your show-don’t-tell writing kit: … Continue reading →

Posted in About Us, Backstory, Basic Human Needs, Character Arc, Character Flaws, Character Hobbies, Character Traits, Character Wound, Characters, Cliches, Conflict, Description, Diversity, Motivation, Occupation Thesaurus Guide, Point of View, Publishing and Self Publishing, Show Don't Tell, Stereotypes, Story Structure, Subtext, Theme, Uncategorized, Villains, Writing Craft, Writing Lessons, Writing Resources | 25 Comments

3 Ways to Differentiate Your Characters

Posted on May 30, 2020 by ANGELA ACKERMAN

We’ve invited Resident Writing Coach Sacha Black to give us an extra dose of wisdom as she’s just released a new book that I think will help a lot of writers: Anatomy of Prose: 12 Steps to Sensational Sentences. This … Continue reading →

Posted in Characters, Description, Dialogue, Editing Tips, Emotion, Focus, Pacing, Resident Writing Coach, Revision and Editing, Show Don't Tell, Subtext, Uncategorized, Villains, Writing Craft, Writing Lessons | 27 Comments

How to Describe a Location You’ve Never Visited

Posted on April 23, 2020 by ANGELA ACKERMAN

One of the big decisions writers make is whether to choose a real location for the backdrop of their overall story or create one of their own imaginings. Crafting a world from scratch can be a lot of work (requiring … Continue reading →

Posted in About Us, Conflict, Mood and Atmosphere, One Stop For Writers, Setting, Setting Thesaurus Guides, Show Don't Tell, Tools and Resources, Uncategorized, worldbuilding, Writing Craft, Writing Lessons | 9 Comments

How a Career Can Reveal Your Character’s Deeper Layers

Posted on February 29, 2020 by ANGELA ACKERMAN

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. It makes sense. Why? Because when you think of a … Continue reading →

Posted in Action Scenes, Backstory, Basic Human Needs, Character Arc, Character Flaws, Character Hobbies, Character Traits, Character Wound, Characters, Conflict, Description, Diversity, Fatal Flaw, Fear, High Stakes, Motivation, Occupation Thesaurus, One Stop For Writers, Pacing, Plotting, Show Don't Tell, Story Structure, Uncategorized, Villains, Writing Craft, Writing Resources | 1 Comment

How to Build Powerful Character Relationships

Posted on February 20, 2020 by ANGELA ACKERMAN

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 a character sustain a story on their own; they need … Continue reading →

Posted in Basic Human Needs, Character Arc, Character Flaws, Character Traits, Character Wound, Characters, Conflict, Emotion, Motivation, One Stop For Writers, Plotting, Show Don't Tell, Stereotypes, Story Structure, Subtext, Tension, Uncategorized, Villains, Writing Craft, Writing Lessons | 9 Comments

Tools to Make You a More Powerful Writer in 2020

Posted on February 4, 2020 by ANGELA ACKERMAN

The start of the year is when I pay close attention to what is happening in our industry: what publishers and organizations are focusing on, the changes occurring on sales platforms, and what author advocates are suggesting writers pay attention … Continue reading →

Posted in Editing Tips, Focus, Grammar, Motivational, One Stop For Writers, Publishing and Self Publishing, Revision and Editing, Show Don't Tell, Software and Services, The Business of Writing, Tools and Resources, Uncategorized, Writer's Attitude, Writing Craft, Writing Resources | 9 Comments

Mastering Show, Don’t Tell

Posted on December 5, 2019 by ANGELA ACKERMAN

We hear it over and over: Show, don’t tell. You can’t get away from this advice, not in writing workshops, at conferences, or heck, even when visiting this blog. Writers Helping Writers and the thesaurus work we do is all … Continue reading →

Posted in Balance, Characters, Mood and Atmosphere, One Stop For Writers, Revision and Editing, Setting, Show Don't Tell, Tools and Resources, Uncategorized, worldbuilding, Writing Craft, Writing Lessons | 15 Comments