The Emotional Wound Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Psychological Trauma (Writers Helping Writers Series)

This is a really useful tool and it is compiled in a useful way. Each emotional wound has two pages dedicated to it. Really useful things like triggers, physical ways that one suffering from this wound might act out, etc. I love it. I haven't come across any that I felt weren't sufficient by themselves. But if there were one that you wanted more information about, enough is given to be a great lead-in to additional research. And yes, I'm on my way to owning the whole set and hope they come out with more.

The authors do such an incredible job of giving information. I use this all the time for my editing clients if they are having Character development issues. Every author and editor should have this on their desk.

This is a great book for writers that need help with adding emotions to their stories. Recommend it.

I just ordered it and this book has helped me to write a suspense and a femme fatale mystery already.

Because the fiction I write is based on my own past and overcoming emotional wounds, the discovery of The Emotional Wound Thesaurus was all the more important for me to learn to develop unique and layered female protagonists. Even though the conflict and themes of my current and future novels will somewhat reflect my own experiences, I also desire to write for and create relatable characters for women of all backgrounds.I've heard the notion that parts of who we are as people are reflected in the characters we write. Often, our first novel represents ourselves in part or in whole more than any other. I see it as a form of therapy as we work out our own personalities and struggles in the safe space of a fictional world. However, eventually, I'd like to write characters that are not like me at all! Perhaps an alter ego, or a story inspired by something I see on the news or hear about from friends.For my current fiction project, I’m writing from the POV of three sisters. Here are five ways I see The Emotional Wound Thesaurus can help writers create characters of depth – even when those characters are different from themselves or anyone else they know.1. Forward and Intro Sections. Whether you think you know your characters or not, read the first 40 pages of this book! If you're not sure about your character's wounds yet, skim the table of contents and choose a few that seem to fit with your story concept. But then, go back and read the beginning chapters which offer exceptional insights on Self-Care for Writers (especially important if you'll be exploring wounds that are close to your own personal experiences), The Mirror of Fiction: a Reflection of Life and Our Deeper Selves, What is an Emotional Wound?, Character Arc: an Internal Shift to Embrace Change, and more. Even though I'd already used the online database of wounds to develop my characters, I still had several breakthroughs and "ah-ha" moments in understanding my fictional sisters and how to convey the various parts of their journey in my story.2. Consider the PRIMARY Emotional Wound and choose two additional wounds. You may--as I did and especially if you're basing your main character after a part of your own life--begin to see overlapping characteristics related to multiple wounds. This will help you to discover the dominating negative and positive traits, triggers, fears and responses for your character. In turn, you'll be able to highlight these for fiction and the purpose of your story without overwhelming your reader with too many issues for your character to tackle. However, this process will help in knowing your character on a deeper level that should help in developing scenes, writing dialogue, or even choosing hobbies, family status, or a career path.3. Multiple POVs. This is the first time I've attempted writing a novel with the point of view of three distinct women. Having access to The Emotional Wound Thesaurus has been a vital part in giving each woman a unique back story, personality, and voice despite the fact that they are sisters.4. Add Your Own Elements. I'm certain this resource isn't intended to be an end-all-be-all, but more of a spring-board of potential. Though there are realistic and unrealistic manners in which someone will respond to an emotional wound, there are ways to modify these responses depending on your character. For example, say a character is still in the process of overcoming the wound of "Becoming a Caregiver at an Early Age". As a result, she's avoided becoming a parent herself. Instead, she has a dog to fulfill her need of caring for another being, but also sees it as "safer" than becoming a mom and she can practice being "overprotective" without rejection or push back. I came up with this detail on my own as it seemed to fit her personality.5. Emotional Wounds are Directly Related to Positive and Negative Traits. Even if you don't analyze your characters or dive as deeply into their wounds as I have for mine, you'll find this resource helpful in creating rounded characters. This goes for your protagonist, supporting characters, and even the villain. On the most basic level, choose a wound and a few associated negative and positive traits and you've got yourself a unique character attempting to overcome the past while battling a conflict in the present.

Dear son, I was fishing around Amazon for something to read, and because I've read several books on writing, it suggested "The Emotional Wound Thesaurus." I've only recently studied anything about character arc, and how the protagonist must change over the course of the novel. I discovered that to create a compelling story, the main character must have some kind emotional wound they keep hidden, and that the story is a series of conflicts/obstacles that help him deal with that wound a little at a time and become a better person by the end.So, I grabbed the sample copy of Emotional Wound Thesaurus to check it out. It was eye-popping revealing. I saw myself in what they were describing. Believe me, I have a carefully curated inventory of wounds that I can retrieve at light speed. What I didn't realize is how these wounds manifest themselves in compensating behaviors, some good, some bad, some really bad. It's as if they read my life's wound inventory list, then said, "and this is what you did as a result, isn't it?" It was frigging uncanny.This book is trying to get authors to create more compelling, relatable, likeable characters through their quirky/mysterious behaviors, and eventually to grapple with the wound that drives their every action and strongest desires.Not only did it open my eyes to my own motivations and behaviors, but made me realize how everyone, everyone, everyone suffers the same kind of wound/reactive behaviors that guide their life's actions and choices. Many times I feel like the thousands of people I have met are cardboard cut-outs. They walk into my perception, say and do such and such, and I am left with a general impression. They're nice, obnoxious, a jerk, charming, what have you.After this life epiphany, I see other people as characteristics shaped by complicated positive and negative influences that make them behave the way they do. Even the unbelievably nice people are possibly significantly shaped by substantial wounds and the persona is a façade to mask they pain they feel deep down. And, really, this is the point the book is trying to get across. If you want interesting, compelling, or "three-dimensional" characters, rather than pop-in-and-out of your perception "two-dimensional card-board cutout" characters, imbue them with wounds that drive their personalities.Read this book!  You don't have to buy it, even. At the very least, download the free sample. Your eyes will be opened and you will likely buy it because it's so good.I wish I had read something like this much earlier in life, like age 16. I always want to pass along golden nuggets that might help you succeed in life. Consider this nugget passed. Your fellow life-traveler,Daddio

It helps you get to know your character better and to develop it. The examples are a great tool to help you imagine what your characters needs are.

This is a "must-have" book if you are an author. This book has helped me.

This book has been an important milestone in my creative writing journey. It enabled me after first read, to provide real depth to my characters as well as creating new, exciting plot points and arcs based on their emotional wounds.Following the directions and helpful hints in the book the ‘wounds’ became characters in their own right, creating fears, needs and subsequent fallout. I was able to quickly plot how character’s previous and new trauma directed their words, thoughts, actions and reactions, and how it impacted on other characters and the overall plot.In many ways, this book directed and arranged the Tetris blocks of my previous reading and understanding of emotional wounds and trauma into coherent, believable personal stories.Note: You must heed the warning given at the start of the book about being in a safe environment when reading it, as it is possible to be brought face to face with trauma themes that have occurred to a loved one or yourself. Maybe even something you never previously recognised as a wound. I think this speaks volumes for how powerful this book is as a tool for empowering your writing.

In the past I've used the other thesauruses (thesauri?) produced by this partnership and loved them. They're really good for nipping into just to double check you're portraying the setting, the emotion or the character traits well. The Emotional Wound Thesaurus, I think is a good aid for the crime writer. Although it's not an exhaustive list, it is quite comprehensive, easy to navigate and looks at the emotional wound from a variety of standpoints. Again, it's one of those books that you dip into and stay for the long haul.

As a thriller writer I find this series invaluable. Great for crafting memorable characters. Highly recommended.

I have all 8. They are incredible. I have no formal education in writing and these books have been an immense help when it comes to building characters.

Is just enough of a suggestion or a prod in the right direction to get the imagination working. Highly recommend.