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Information is vast. But having a single collection of information makes life much easier. Especially to us writers.

That’s where the Emotion Thesaurus Collection by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi comes into play. Inside each collection, a specific topic is covered. From emotions, situations, and settings, these thesauri are detailed accounts of what characters can think and feel.

When you want to develop your characters but don’t know how, The Emotion Thesaurus Collection is the right step for you! Share on X

What is the Thesaurus Collection?

The Thesaurus Collection features 6.5 books all on the topic of emotions listed in alphabetical order. It is a series written by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi in an attempt to help writers craft better characters and settings with one source needed. They are both best-selling authors and writing coaches. The focus of these thesauri is to help writers on the emotional aspect of writing.

What does each thesaurus include?

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The Emotion Thesaurus

This book covers over 100 different emotions your character can be feeling. Along with the definition of the emotion, physical signals, internal sensations, mental responses, long-term cues of the emotion, what the emotion can escalate to, and what if the emotion is suppressed. The emotions all come with their own tips on how to use the emotion.

Example Emotions: Frustration and Suspicion

*Note* An updated version of this collection was recently released containing 130+ emotions.

Buy your copy today (New edition) Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

The Positive Trait Thesaurus

The thesaurus covers over 100 different potential positive traits for your character. Along with the definition of the trait, the trait is put into categories, similar attributes, possible causes, associated behaviors, thoughts, and emotions, positive aspects, negative aspects, examples, supporting characters with the trait and how they can cause conflict, and challenging scenarios.

Example Positive Traits: Adventurous and Sophisticated

Buy your copy today Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

The Negative Trait Thesaurus

Like the Positive Trait Thesaurus, the negative trait thesaurus covers over 100 different potential negative traits for your character. Along with the definition of the trait, you’re given similar flaws, possible causes, associated behaviors and attitudes, associated thoughts and emotions, positive aspects, negative aspects, examples, how a character can overcome if a major flaw, and supporting characters with the trait and how they can cause conflict.

Example Negative Traits: Macho and Inattentive

Buy your copy today Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

The Urban Setting Thesaurus

This thesaurus focuses on over 100 different urban settings. It discusses the 5 senses in detail to the setting, possible sources of conflict, the type of people usually in that setting, related settings, notes and tips, and example descriptions.

Example Urban Settings: Car Wash and Casino

Buy your copy today Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

The Rural Setting Thesaurus

This thesaurus, like the Urban Setting Thesaurus, contains over 100 different rural settings. It discusses the 5 senses of the setting in detail, possible sources of conflict, the type of people usually in that setting, related settings, notes and tips, and example descriptions.

Example Rural Settings: Bomb Shelter and Hot Springs

Buy your copy today Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

The Emotional Wound Thesaurus

This thesaurus is the most in-depth of them all and with over 120 different emotional wounds, this one is the biggest. The wounds are broken down into categories for all types of situations. It starts with examples of why a character feels wounded by a situation, then the basic needs compromised by the wound, false beliefs embraced, fears, possible responses and results, personality traits that may form, triggers, and opportunities to face or overcome the wound.

Example Emotional Wounds: Being held and captive, and Losing a loved one due to a professionals negligence

Buy your copy today Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

The Emotion Amplifiers

This collection is a small add on ebook. It only contains 15 emotional amplifiers. These are useful if used with The Emotion Thesaurus. Each amplifier contains the definition of the emotion, physical signals, internal sensations, mental responses, and what if the amplifier is suppressed.

Example Emotion Amplifiers: Alcoholism, Hungry

Buy your copy today Amazon US (only $0.99 as of 7/14/19)| Amazon UK

Do I need the entire collection?

No, you don’t need the entire collection.

How has the collection been useful to me?

I started with The Emotion Thesaurus and for several months, I used this thesaurus to develop my characters in a way I never did before. The rest of the collection was a gift from Christmas and I have since been able to develop my characters on an even deeper level. Along with developing a setting that affects my characters.

This collection has helped me go deeper into my characterization and take the time to understand how a character thinks and feels during times of happiness and distress.

Any negatives?

This collection is not without its faults. You have hundreds of emotions, feelings, and situations throughout the entirety of the collections. However, the world around us is vast. The emotions that people experience are mainly covered inside the text of the thesauri, but not everything. There are many emotions and situations that are similar that you can use for your story, but you may not find the exact topic.