Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression
This book by Angela Ackerman and Becca Pulisi is a great resource for writers. It is much more detailed than a regular, all-purpose thesaurus or synonyms listed on the internet. It helps the writer fine-tune their description of emotional expression. This second edition has been expanded to 130 entries (292 pages).
Such detail gives the writer many options for honing descriptions of their characters. It also helps writers avoid cliche descriptions or over used descriptions.
The book begins with several discussions about emotions and their use in writing:
The Power of Emotion
Character Research: What to Know do in order to Write Authentic Emotion
Using Dialog to Write Emotion
Subtext: What Lies Beneath
Additional Ideas for Brainstorming Fresh Emotion
Common Problems with Writing Non-Verbal Emotion
Thesaurus Entries (130 in all)
Example - Empathy: Physical and Behaviors - The book offers 30 descriptions. Internal Sensations - The book offers 7 descriptions. Mental Responses - The book lists 8 descriptions. Acute or Long-Term Responses for Empathy - Six descriptions. Signs that Empathy is Being Suppressed - Four descriptions. May Escalate To - Four offerings. May De-Escalate To - Three items. Associated Power Verbs - Thirty offerings.
Bitterness: Physical and Behaviors - Thirty-four descriptions and similar detail as in Empathy above.
Suspicion: Physical and Behaviors - Thirty-five descriptions and similar detail as in Empathy above.
Smugness: Physical and Behaviors - Forty-two descriptions and similar detail as in Empathy above.
