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  • The Positive Trait Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character...
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Customer reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars
4.9 out of 5
1,487 global ratings
5 star
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4 star
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The Positive Trait Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Attributes (Writers Helping Writers Series Book 3)

The Positive Trait Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Attributes (Writers Helping Writers Series Book 3)

byAngela Ackerman
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Top positive review

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Lynn
5.0 out of 5 starsONLY 5 STARS BECAUSE AMAZON WON'T LET ME GIVE MORE ...
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 17, 2014
Every writer needs both the Positive Trait Thesaurus and the Negative Trait Thesaurus. They go together. Add in the Emotion Thesaurus and the great downloads and extras these talented writers give you on their website (which add up to another fabulous book on their own) and you probably won't need too many other books on the craft of writing. A good dictionary and a Synonym finder and you are all set.

I have bought all three "Thesauruses" and loved them so much I bought all three for my Kindle too so I can have them on the move and when travelling. These Thesauruses are exceptionally well organised and contain huge amounts of information in a concise and practical format.

You could just leap in and pick a handful of traits to apply to your character(s) and they would still be better off than when you started. However, taking the time to read through the "users guide" chapters will add so much to your understanding of how to craft truly memorable characters that it is well worth the time invested to do this. Then use the listings to pick and choose traits and counter-traits and the ways in which they would possibly be exhibited to start building a team of people that will resonate with readers. Also use the listings to develop conflict between characters in a psychological way by giving each person traits that would "irritate" or "confuse" the other - much more subtle than the standard good guy VS bad guy.

I can't rate these books highly enough. I know I'm going to be buying them again every couple of years as they become tatty and worn out with daily use!
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15 people found this helpful

Top critical review

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TheWitticist
2.0 out of 5 starsUNINSPIRING
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 25, 2017
I didn't find ANY of the books in these related series to be of much help - in fact, they were all uninspiring. The traits (listed under headings by emotion) are anything a high school student could have contrived. I was hoping they would go beyond basic observations & augment my verbal palette to a more thought-provoking level. Only the introduction had some worthwhile food for thought, but other than that, a waste of money & space on my bookshelf. Save your shekels & don't bother purchasing ~
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From the United States

Lynn
5.0 out of 5 stars ONLY 5 STARS BECAUSE AMAZON WON'T LET ME GIVE MORE ...
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 17, 2014
Verified Purchase
Every writer needs both the Positive Trait Thesaurus and the Negative Trait Thesaurus. They go together. Add in the Emotion Thesaurus and the great downloads and extras these talented writers give you on their website (which add up to another fabulous book on their own) and you probably won't need too many other books on the craft of writing. A good dictionary and a Synonym finder and you are all set.

I have bought all three "Thesauruses" and loved them so much I bought all three for my Kindle too so I can have them on the move and when travelling. These Thesauruses are exceptionally well organised and contain huge amounts of information in a concise and practical format.

You could just leap in and pick a handful of traits to apply to your character(s) and they would still be better off than when you started. However, taking the time to read through the "users guide" chapters will add so much to your understanding of how to craft truly memorable characters that it is well worth the time invested to do this. Then use the listings to pick and choose traits and counter-traits and the ways in which they would possibly be exhibited to start building a team of people that will resonate with readers. Also use the listings to develop conflict between characters in a psychological way by giving each person traits that would "irritate" or "confuse" the other - much more subtle than the standard good guy VS bad guy.

I can't rate these books highly enough. I know I'm going to be buying them again every couple of years as they become tatty and worn out with daily use!
15 people found this helpful
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Debra
5.0 out of 5 stars EXCELLENT !!!
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 30, 2020
Verified Purchase
This is the third book I have bought from seller. I also have the Emotional Thesaurus (second edition) which is a WONDERFUL tool for writers. I also have The Positive Trait thesaurus which is great too. As far as this book, I haven't used it yet, but skimmed through it and I think it will be just as helpful as the other two. I know some people say that some of the books are the same, which is why I read the description and looked inside preview and determined which one would be most helpful to me. Most of all, these books are simple to use and I love the layout which really makes it easy.
3 people found this helpful
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Busy Bee
5.0 out of 5 stars Great resource for writers!
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 18, 2016
Verified Purchase
This book has been a wonderful resource to have on hand! I expected just a list of character traits and some info about each of them, but this book provides so much more. The first section covers all kinds of information you'll find helpful in creating your characters, including how needs and morals influence character strengths, how attributes develop, how to overcome the fatal flaw, how to choose the right attributes for your character, etc. Very useful stuff! Then you get to the traits themselves, and you have dozens to choose from. For each trait, they give you a definition; similar attributes; things that could have caused that trait to develop; behaviors, thoughts, and emotions associated with that trait; positive and negative aspects; examples from literature; traits in your supporting characters that could cause conflict (and we all know how important conflict is!); and scenarios that might be challenging for characters with that particular trait. I've already purchased "The Negative Trait Thesaurus" and find it just as helpful, and I hope to acquire the whole series at some point.
5 people found this helpful
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Dr. Paul
VINE VOICE
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for writers
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 14, 2020
Verified Purchase
A colleague recommended another book in the series. When I went in to order, spotted this and two others. Ended up getting all four. Excellent for writers of any level. I’m a writer and media psychologist; I know having this information at my fingertips as I write helps enrich my characters. Even with my expertise I continually learn character traits and other psychological elements, which make a full, well rounded character. These books are written to help that process immensely. A good writer is continually learning how to write better characters and these books aid that process.
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Fulan
5.0 out of 5 stars A Very, Very Useful Guide for All Writers
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 19, 2013
Verified Purchase
One thing must be put straight from the start. The Positive Trait Thesaurus is not just a collection of positive traits listed as in many character guides but much more. This guide goes much deeper into the subject. Any thesaurus can give you character traits and synonyms but very rarely do they give you what you actually are looking for: an explanation what these traits mean, what is their origin, what possibly causes them and what impact do they have on people. The Positive Trait Thesaurus gives you more or less a full package on each relevant trait and much more. You can use this book as a brainstorming guide, a writing partner who gives you new fresh ideas from a bottomless well. Positive traits are very difficult to handle without using the same old stereotypes and clichés time after time. The Positive Trait Thesaurus offers new ideas and perspectives to avoid just that. Examples from movies make this book easy to use and understand. Beginners may benefit most of this guide but it is resourceful idea book for seasoned writers as well.
2 people found this helpful
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Stanley D. Williams, PhD
5.0 out of 5 stars Prime Reference for The Moral Premise
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 2, 2014
Verified Purchase
The writing dynamic discussed in my book, The Moral Premise, require a mechanism with polar opposite values. Positive and Negative Traits are close cousins to values. In fact, Angela and Becca explain that the traits they index and detail in their thesaurus can be used four ways: (a) interactive, or action, (b) identity, essence, (c) achievement-based, or goal, and (d) moral attribute, or motivation. It is this last use that perfectly dovetails with The Moral Premise statement. Use their Positive Trait Thesaurus with their Negative Trait Thesaurus to write your Moral Premise statement. The Kindle version's index e-links to exhaustive describe page for each trait. These are great resources for writing, too, after the MP is figured out, because of the myriad examples the authors provide for the trait's cause, how they suggest character behavior, character thoughts, and at the end of each descriptive page a list of opposing traits that cause conflict...potential polar opposite values. These two books are the perfect working companion to The Moral Premise astute writer.
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ostarahw
5.0 out of 5 stars MUST HAVE TOOL
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 31, 2017
Verified Purchase
I'm writing the same review for the book 'positive trait thesaurus' and 'negative trait thesaurus' as they are equal in quality and usefulness:
I don't believe there is any reason to write anything more until you have purchased these books!
Unless you have a masters in psychology maybe you won't need them. Even so, I believe it would be a good quick reference.
These books hand writers the tools they need to understand the complex nature of their characters psychology.
These books will give you a clear cause and effect to every personality trait your character has, giving you a more indepth understanding of your own character, which will in turn give your reader a more in depth understanding of your character and be more involved in your story.
Unless you enjoy torturing yourself and making life harder on yourself:
A must have.
11 people found this helpful
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Working Mom
5.0 out of 5 stars Love this book
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 14, 2015
Verified Purchase
Hi, Love this book! It's like the psychologist's explanation of what makes people tick. It's a great resource, incredibly detailed and soundly researched. I recommend it to any writer who needs help with details to create certain personalities. For instance, if you want to create a person that's courageous, it offers a description of the trait, what categories it can be applied to (such as that person would be achievement oriented), a list of similar attributes (brave) and reasons you might describe a character as courageous - one would be they "have a strong moral code." It's invaluable once you understand how the author can contribute to your writing. It will really help you dive deep into developing a character before you even start writing a story. I usually buy books for my ipad so I can carry with me and read at will. This series I'm going to also get in paperback.
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nicole
5.0 out of 5 stars I can't say enough good things about the three books in this set
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 30, 2016
Verified Purchase
I can't say enough good things about the three books in this set. They are absolutely amazing and insightful, and I will keep them for years to come.
This one focuses on building a well rounded character. It gives a good understanding of the villain in a novel, and how despite people wanting there to be no redeeming qualities within them, even their actions can be based on something positive within their character. I use these three books more than any in my library, and keep them near at hand whenever I sit down to write. I love how they give lists of characteristics that could rub the wrong way with each positive trait, so you can build truly complex characters. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to become an author, or is one already.
3 people found this helpful
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Bryn Jones
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Writing Coaching Book!
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 14, 2017
Verified Purchase
I'm not a new writer. I've been published, both fiction and non-fiction. That's not to say I don't need reminders and coaching! I found this book, as well as the others in this series by Angela and Becca to be great "coaching" books. They're not breaking new ground, but they explain the method of "show" rather than "tell" better than anyone else I've read. While many writer's books will tell "what" good writing should look like, or "what" a strong character will be like, they break down how to do it.

Are there things that I already knew, or have done? Yes. But, having it in print, reminding me, and giving me a clear how-to was the coaching I needed.
23 people found this helpful
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