The Emotional Wound Thesaurus · A Writer's Guide to Psychological Trauma

Readers connect to characters with depth, ones who have experienced life’s ups and downs. To deliver key players that are both realistic and compelling, writers must know them intimately—not only who they are in the present story, but also what made them that way. Of all the formative experiences in a character’s past, none are more destructive than emotional wounds. The aftershocks of trauma can change who they are, alter what they believe, and sabotage their ability to achieve meaningful goals, all of which will affect the trajectory of your story.

Identifying the backstory wound is crucial to understanding how it will shape your character’s behavior, and The Emotional Wound Thesaurus can help. Inside, you’ll find:

•A database of traumatic situations common to the human experience

•An in-depth study on a wound’s impact, including the fears, lies, personality shifts, and dysfunctional behaviors that can arise from different painful events

•An extensive analysis of character arc and how the wound and any resulting unmet needs fit into it

•Techniques on how to show the past experience to readers in a way that is both engaging and revelatory while avoiding the pitfalls of info dumps and telling

•A showcase of popular characters and how their traumatic experiences reshaped them, leading to very specific story goals

•A Backstory Wound Profile tool that will enable you to document your characters’ negative past experiences and the aftereffects

Root your characters in reality by giving them an authentic wound that causes difficulties and prompts them to strive for inner growth to overcome it. With its easy-to-read format and over 100 entries packed with information, The Emotional Wound Thesaurus is a crash course in psychology for creating characters that feel incredibly real to readers.

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Review

"This is far more than a brilliant, thorough, insightful and unique thesaurus, this is the best primer on story -- and what REALLY hooks and holds readers-- that I have ever read."  ~ Lisa Cron, bestselling author of Wired For Story Story Genius

"Emotional trauma, rightly used, will greatly increase the strength of the reader's bond with your characters. But how can a writer avoid clichés while brainstorming this backstory material? Once again, Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi supply the answer."  ~ James Scott Bell**, International Thriller Writers Award winner

"This book is an invaluable resource providing situations that led to the character's emotional wound, false beliefs, fears and responses that impact personality, as well as triggers and opportunities that can lead into plot ideas. It's a great addition to the thesaurus collection from Ackerman Puglisi." ~ JoannaPenn, NYT USA Today bestselling author

"Short of hiring a psychologist for in-depth discussions about your characters, this book is one of the single best resources I've ever encountered for drilling deep in your character's psyche." ~ K.M.Weiland, bestselling author of Structure Your Novel Creating Character Arcs

"I've been exploring backstory wounds for decades. This emotional guide adds depth to your characters, meaning to your plots, and promises richer, truer, and more stirring stories." ~ Martha Alderson, **bestselling author of the Plot Whisperer books

"To weave stories that connect directly to a reader's heart, an author knows has to go deeper than they've ever gone before. The Emotional Wound Thesaurus takes them there." ~ Steena Holmes, NYT USA Today bestselling author

"The Emotional Wound Thesaurus is a must-read for authors who want to write engaging, emotional stories with characters who leap off the page." ~Jennifer Probst, NYT USA Today bestselling author

About the Author

Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi are bestselling authors, writing coaches, and international speakers. Their books are available in five languages, are sourced by US universities, and are used by novelists, screenwriters, editors, and psychologists around the world. Angela and Becca also co-founded their popular Writers Helping Writers site, a hub where authors can hone their craft, as well as One Stop for Writers, an innovative online library built to help writers elevate their storytelling.