.

.

24.10.12

The Emotion Thesaurus* A review by Coffeehouse Instructor, Karen Lange


Karen Lange


The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression
By Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi


I’ve long been a fan of Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi’s blog, The Bookshelf Muse, as it offers great tools and resources for writers. When they announced that they were compiling their info and writing a book, countless other writers and I were thrilled.

Angela and Becca believe that emotions are the core of good characters. “Without emotion,” they say, “a character’s personal journey is pointless.” This is true, but how do we translate that emotion into print to provide a rich and satisfying experience for the reader? The Emotion Thesaurus provides answers to that question and a whole lot more.

The introduction discusses the significance of showing versus telling, the power of emotion, and the importance of verbal and nonverbal communication. Also discussed is the misuse of backstory, utilizing setting, and identifying root and visceral emotions, among other things. The authors’ friendly instruction and encouragement continues as they share tips on maintaining this tricky balance.

Since this is a thesaurus, the bulk of the book of course, focuses on the alphabetical entries. From “Adoration” to “Worry”, each entry includes the definition, physical signals, internal sensations, mental responses, emotional cues, and a writer’s tip. For example, the physical signals for Loneliness include a longing gaze, sullenness, talking to oneself, a heavy sigh, and two dozen other ways to illustrate a lonely character. Internal sensations are insomnia and fatigue, and mental responses include avoiding crowds or social situations.

This ingenious book aids the brainstorming process by lending a hearty dose of information and inspiration. The Emotion Thesaurus is a resource that’s provided a creative boost for both my fiction and nonfiction writing. I highly recommend it!

For more info on The Emotion Thesaurus visit The Bookshelf Muse blog.

Karen Lange is a writer, blogger, and instructor at the Coffeehouse for Writers. Visit her blog at http://karenelange.blogspot.com/.







16 comments:

  1. Here is the link for The Bookshelf Muse:

    http://thebookshelfmuse.blogspot.com/

    Happy writing!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks, Karen. The link is also embedded in the post. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sorry, Jen! I thought it got lost in the shuffle. This is what happens when there is not enough caffeine present in my system! lol

      Delete
  3. I think it was so smart that they did this! I'm sure I'll be buying it someday. Whenever I get around to my online shopping.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know, it's a brilliant idea! Hope you get a chance to get it. I think you might like it. :)

      Delete
  4. This book is definitely worth buying! I own one, and it has helped me tremendously. For example, my last draft of my current novel earned me the praise, "well, I think it's great that you're writing but I think it would be better if you were writing something else" from my mom (I ask her to be a "real" critic and not just gooey), but my current draft (after using The Emotion Thesaurus) earned me this praise, "Your book is as good as the ones I'm reading from the bookstore. I love what you've done with your character development." Same characters, better emotional cues.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tyrean, it is a great tool, and well worth buying! Glad to hear it has helped your writing! :)

      Delete
  5. This is a good review. The book itself seems to cover more than emotions for the characters. Thanks for the alert about this work.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I highly recommend it, Cecelia! I think you might like it. :)

      Delete
    2. Thank you for your kind words! :)

      Delete
  6. I've never heard of this! Thanks for the info and links to this resource.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think you might like this one, Lisa! Hope you get a chance to check it out. :)

      Delete
  7. Karen:

    I've never heard of this book but think it will prove incredibly useful to any writer of any genre! I appreciate how the book's writers paint a picture of each emotion they define.

    Thanks for the tip!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Janette,
      I think you might like this one. Hope you get a chance to look at it. Glad you stopped by, thanks so much! :)
      Blessings,
      Karen

      Delete
  8. My copy sits beside me while I'm writing. It has become my writing pal. Ha! I love it! I also head over to their place when I need other things too. Those two are SO COOL! But then, so are you, amigo. Loved your review as always!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Robyn! Somehow I knew you had a copy! It is a wonderful resource. How did we make due without it? :)
      Blessings,
      Karen

      Delete


Let us help you grow into the writer you were meant to be.


Jennifer Brown Banks---Manager of Operations



Announcements & Updates...

Share your calls for submissions, success stories, writing related news.

Dr. Serena Wadhwa joins the Coffeehouse team
of instructors!


Coffeehouse is now on Twitter! Be sure to connect with us to get the latest, up-to-the-minute happenings and find out what's brewing.


Check us out @http://Twitter.com/coffeehse4write