Everyone has a special skill or talent, including our characters! To explore which special abilities might be a fit for your protagonist and story, see the following samples of the entries in our popular Talent and Skill Thesaurus.
For the complete and enhanced collection, please visit One Stop For Writers, where it has a permanent place within our vast Description Thesaurus Collection. You can access it and our other thesauruses with the click of a button as you write.
Recommended Reading: What is a Talent and Skill Thesaurus?
A Knack for Languages
A Knack for Making Money
A Way with Animals
Archery
Astral Projection
Astrological Divination
Baking
Basic First Aid
Being a Good Listener
Blending In
Carpentry
Charm
ESP (Clairvoyance)
Empathy
Enhanced Hearing
Enhanced Sense of Smell
Enhanced Palate
Farming
Fishing
Foraging
Gaining People’s Trust
See our other Descriptive Thesaurus Collections HERE.
61 Comments. Leave new
[…] Here’s a useful list of skills and talents by Writers Helping Writers […]
i have a question what can i name my storie about hidden talents
It really depends on your story’s content. This post might help: https://www.ridethepen.com/good-story-titles/
[…] Talents & Skills […]
[…] Talents & Skills […]
[…] earning money, charm, compassion, ESP(clairvoyance ), exceptional memory, getting the trust of others, bargaining, hospitality, making individuals laugh, mechanically inclined, multitasking, promo, reading individuals, repurposing, tactical thinking, composing Useful Character Traits: POSITIVE: Versatile, ambitious, analytical, bold, calm, positive, […]
[…] Human […]
[…] Human […]
[…] Talents & Skills That Will Help the Character Achieve This Goal: […]
[…] Talents & Skills That Will Help the Character Achieve This Goal: […]
[…] Talents & Skills That Will Help the Character Achieve This Goal: […]
[…] Talents & Skills That Will Help the Character Achieve This Goal: […]
[…] Talents & Skills That Will Help the Character Achieve This Goal: […]
[…] Talents & Skills That Will Help the Character Achieve This Goal […]
[…] Talents & Skills That Will Help the Character Achieve This Goal: […]
What about invented skills, like magic in fantasy worlds?
How would one go about inventing an entirely new skill?
That’s a great question, Michael. Likely the most important thing to get down would be the worldbuilding of it. Just as you would another element of building a unique would, you would need to understand what the skill is and what it all includes, how it can be used, how it benefits the person within the story (to provide for himself, to work more efficiently, any health benefits, things like that), and what the limits if this skill is. This last part is really important for anything that touches magic or makes your character powerful. You need to know what the limits are, how one trains to improve, what the sacrifice is if one tries to push a skill too far, and if there are any negative side effects of this skill or talent.
I’d kinda like to see a page for something related to computer skills. Like for hacking.
This is a great suggestion, John. I actually thought we had this one, but I must have been thinking of the “gaming” entry. I’ll add this to our list of potential adds down the road. Thanks for letting us know what you’d like to see!
[…] Talents: Link 1 […]
Other skills you could add (if others have not already said it) are aura reading, the different “clairs” (clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairsentience, claircognizance, clairgustance, clairalience,) and the different “-cognitions” (precognition, postcognition), psychometry, telepathy, telempathy, telekinetics, teleportation, mediumship, divination, channeling, channeled writing, exorcist, psychic surgery, energy healing (see Reiki users), acupuncture, reflexology, among many.
The different kinds of therapy (massage therapist, spinal-realignment therapist, art therapist, aromatherapy, sound therapy, color therapy, gender therapist, family therapist, couples therapy, counselor), and other mental health aides (psychologist, psychiatrist, neuropsychologist, neurologist). Also, activist, advocate, and people who work in all the different fields of science (physicist, astronomer, biologist, engineer, architect, botanist, geologist, mathematician, paleontologist, archeologist, excavator, historian, geneticist, and many more).
Also those who work in what’s generally called the “arts.” Artist, sculptor, dancer, improv actor, actor, debater, comedian, linguist, literature professor, singer, playwright, director, make-up artist, graphic artist, fine artist, museum curator, art historian, fashion designer, model, photographer, calligrapher, camera artist, muralist, painter, knitter, weaver, carver, woodworker, silver- or gold-smith, weapon smith, metal smith, storyteller, writer, author, printer, blogger, video-maker, producer, poet, songwriter, musician, conductor, perfumer, jeweler, book binder, illustrator, glue-maker, leather worker, and much, much more.
I hope these helped. 😀
Excellent list, Indigo! Wowsers!
[…] Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi have a wonderful website and blog, Writers Helping Writers. They offer a tremendous amount of insight into writing and characterization. They have also written a number of books that help with showing character traits, emotions, etc. All of their books made our must read list in the April Pilcrow & Dagger issue Miscellany article. If you missed it you can purchase a digital version or a print version to see the list. Also on their website they are compiling a new thesaurus of Talents and Skills. […]
[…] Talent & Skills Thesaurus Entries – WRITERS HELPING WRITERS™WRITERS HELPING WRITERS™. […]
[…] Talent & Skills Thesaurus Entries – WRITERS HELPING WRITERS™WRITERS HELPING WRITERS™. […]
Since I’m half-obligated as a writer, and half-obligated by my friend Archer, I’m going to throw some talents up for consideration:
-Debating
-Communicating
-Cooking
-Scavenging
-Programming
-Hacking
-Teaching
-Painting
-Writing
-Instrument Playing
-Information of Assimilation (essentially a walking encyclopedia)
-Piloting
-Dog-fighting (not with dogs, in the air or space combat)
-Improvisation
Great adds! A few of these have similar ones up already by another name, but great ideas here–thanks so much!
Great list.
Lock picking, public speaking, and riding a unicycle should be on this list.
Thank you very much for this list! I always use this as reference on my works. It would be nice if you can make one for dancing (dances such as ball and waltz). Thank you again!
We will add that to our list–thanks Valencia!
I love your website so much. I’m on it everyday! Would you mind adding someone who is good with sailing?
[…] Skills and Quirks: what thing (or things) make your character remarkable and interesting? What special talent or skill does he have that will add dimension to the story […]
Love the site. it helps me out so much! Is there a chance you could add Arcobatics to the list?
Great list. I’m sure you have many more, but wanted to throw out Tactician or Strategist. I consider them vastly different, but can see lumping them together. It’s one of those skills that many think they have but few truly do.
Good ones–thanks!
[…] can brainstorm other possible Skills and Talents your characters might have by checking out our FULL LIST of this Thesaurus Collection. And for more descriptive help for Setting, Symbolism, Character […]
[…] can brainstorm other possible Skills and Talents your characters might have by checking out our FULL LIST of this Thesaurus Collection. And for more descriptive help for Setting, Symbolism, Character […]
Please consider adding, Swordfighting (Two handed, cutlass and sabres )
Thanks!
D
will do!
[…] Writers Helping Writer’s Talent and Skill Thesaurus […]
[…] can brainstorm other possible Skills and Talents your characters might have by checking out our FULL LIST of this Thesaurus Collection. And for more descriptive help for Setting, Symbolism, Character […]
[…] who have special talents and skills (hey, there’s a thesaurus for that!) can be resourceful, helping them get out of a tight spot or solve problems in a unique way. This […]
Great article and ideas! However, I think you mean “Speaking With A SILVER Tongue,” not “Speaking With A Sliver Tongue.” 😉
What about garroting? So many people think it’s done the way Hollywood shows it….
Just rummaging through the new talents and skills thesaurus and Survival Skills caught my eye, but when I click on it, it led me to the Fishing entry. I tried it several times with the same result. Just thought I’d say something in case you weren’t aware and others had had the same experience 🙂 Thanks for all of your amazing work!
Whoops–my fault! I just linked Fishing and Survival Skills today, and must have messed up my cutting and pasting of links. All fixed now–thanks Sarah! 🙂
[…] facet of character creation is deciding what special skills or talents the character might have. On the surface, skills and talents make a character interesting, but […]
[…] For example, a firefighter might recognize the buying habits of an arsonist during a weekend trip to the hardware store. That insight might prompt him to follow and catch the bad guy in the act. (Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi, the team behind The Emotion Thesaurus and the Positive and Negative Traits books, are working on a new thesaurus with ideas for our characters’ talents and skills.) […]
[…] can brainstorm other possible Skills and Talents your characters might have by checking out our FULL LIST of this Thesaurus Collection. And for more descriptive help for Setting, Symbolism, Character […]
Don’t forget horseback riding, you guys. I did use this though for the wilderness navigation. EXCELLENT! xoxo
we will add it to the list. There are so many skills and talents to profile, our hardest choice is which to pick next!
[…] can brainstorm other possible Skills and Talents your characters might have by checking out our FULL LIST of this Thesaurus Collection. And for more descriptive help for Setting, Symbolism, Character […]
I hope you include gardening and sculpturing in your skills and talents thesaurus. I’m thinking about a characters who might need those skills and it would be a great help to me.
Annette, those are on our list. I’ve already scheduled this week’s entry, and we’re taking a break after that for the holidays, but I’ll bump them to the top of the list for January :).
[…] skill every Saturday, with the occasional Thursday entry thrown in as needed. You can check out our FULL LIST here and for more descriptive help for Setting, Symbolism, Character Traits, Physical Attributes, […]
[…] can brainstorm other possible Skills and Talents your characters might have by checking out our FULL LIST of this Thesaurus Collection. And for more descriptive help for Setting, Symbolism, Character […]
[…] can brainstorm other possible Skills and Talents your characters might have by checking out our FULL LIST of this Thesaurus Collection. And for more descriptive help for Setting, Symbolism, Character […]
[…] can brainstorm other possible Skills and Talents your characters might have by checking out our FULL LIST of this Thesaurus Collection. And for more descriptive help for Setting, Symbolism, Character […]
[…] can brainstorm other possible Skills and Talents your characters might have by checking out our FULL LIST of this Thesaurus Collection. And for more descriptive help for Setting, Symbolism, Character […]
[…] can brainstorm other possible Skills and Talents your characters might have by checking out our FULL LIST of this Thesaurus Collection. And for more descriptive help for Setting, Symbolism, Character […]
[…] can brainstorm other possible Skills and Talents your characters might have by checking out our FULL LIST of this Thesaurus Collection. And for more descriptive help for Setting, Symbolism, Character […]