I got a new book this week. I know how you feel about new books, so I thought I’d share that with you. The book I got is a an awesome resource called The Emotional Wound Thesaurus.

Every character has emotional wounds, wounds from their past that help make them who they are. This is one of those aspects of creating my characters that I sometimes struggle with. We all have a past, but that past doesn’t have to be dark and dangerous. Since my characters are real, I try to keep their past real. And that can be a challenge.

The authors of this book are amazing women who help authors all the time. They have a website, Writers Helping Writers, that is a fabulous resource. This is one of their many thesauruses to help authors on their quest to crafting amazing stories that connect with readers, but this one is definitely my favorite.

Using this book, I think my characters are going to have a real element that wasn’t as well defined before. I can dig deeper into who they are and why they struggle with relationships. We’re all scared, but the reasons we’re scared are different for everyone. And the deeper we dig, the more we can find.

It’s been a hard lesson for me to learn that there are a lot of people out there who are smarter than me and know more than me and are willing to help. We all know people who like to hoard their information, who don’t want anyone to know what they know. Angela and Becca (the authors) are among the many out there who want to share their knowledge. I’m incredibly grateful to them for that selflessness. 

I guess my point is, if you’re looking to be a writer, don’t try to do it all yourself. Look around you. Join an organization. Find some people you can connect with. And learn as much as you can from as many resources as you can. Never be afraid to ask for help, or go find it on your own. Your readers will thank you!

Do you have a favorite resource?

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