The Negative Trait Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Flaws

Crafting likable, interesting characters is a balancing act, and finding that perfect mix of strengths and weaknesses can be difficult. But the task has become easier thanks to The Negative Trait Thesaurus. Through its flaw-centric exploration of character arc, motivation, emotional wounds, and basic needs, writers will learn which flaws make the most sense for their heroes, villains, and other members of the story’s cast.

Inside The Negative Trait Thesaurus you’ll find:

* A vast collection of flaws to explore when building a character’s personality. Each entry includes possible causes, attitudes, behaviors, thoughts, and related emotions

* Real examples from literature, film, or television to show how each flaw can create life challenges and relational friction

* Advice on building layered and memorable characters from the ground up

* An in-depth look at backstory, emotional wounds, and how pain warps a character’s view of himself and his world, influencing behavior and decision making

* A flaw-centric exploration of character arc, relationships, motivation, and basic needs

* Tips on how to best show a character’s flaws to readers while avoiding common pitfalls

* Downloadable tools to aid writers in character creation

Written in list format and fully indexed, this brainstorming resource is perfect for creating deep, flawed characters that readers will relate to. The Negative Trait Thesaurus sheds light on your character’s dark side.

Jami’s Review:

This book is a great tool for creating three-dimensional characters. Check out the guest post by Becca (one of the co-authors) for more about how this book can be used in our writing.