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When it comes to storytelling, fear is more than a feeling; it’s an underlying force that runs through multiple story elements, influencing plot, character arc, internal growth, and conflict. Fear mak...

Antiheroes, Antagonists & Villains, are morally gray characters who make trouble in your story. But what's the difference? Which do you need?

With backstory, the trick is to only show what is necessary to supply context. Tie it to the current scene, and to the emotions at play.

It’s important to avoid throwing your readers out of the story. These five DO-NOTs for fantasy writers will help you achieve that.

Fear is more than an emotion—it's one of the biggest influencers of behavior. Here are tips to write realistic in-the-moment fear reactions.

If you have a very busy brain, like me, you might be sub-par at distinguishing between a great idea and I must do this great idea RIGHT NOW.

Want to succeed at writing picture books? Discover 4 practical tips to streamline your manuscript and create stories young readers will love.

Writing a character with a phobia? Be sure to grab this limited-time phobias mini guide, free when you purchase The Fear Thesaurus.

Does your story have a few problems and you don't know how to fix them? You'll want to read this post - emotion amplifiers may be the answer!

Fear exists to alert us to potential harm. But how do we get our characters to express it realistically? Angela helps us to figure that out.

We'll look at five places where the reader can start to disengage, even when the writing itself seems fine.

Here are 8 ways to show, not tell, a character's fear. These fear signals are recognizable to readers because they've experienced them, too.

Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi may have dreamed of selling more than a million books (1.5 million so far, if we’re counting)—but the authors of the wildly successful Emotion Thesaurus and subsequen...

Enter for a chance to win feedback on the first 5 pages of your novel by editor Michelle Barker. Good luck. :)

Show a character's fear via behavior, choices, and avoidance using The Fear Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to What Holds Characters Back

Learn how to show how fear affects your characters, holding them back and making them too afraid to step beyond their comfort zone.

Explore how characters express emotions to connect with readers. Uncover the importance of authentic feeling in storytelling.

Learn how are phobias different from other fears and how to write about characters with them + a free phobia mini guide!

Fiction University is a site dedicated to helping writers and authors improve their writing craft and their publishing careers.

Uncover the fears holding your character back and how to show it through their behavior and choices using The Fear Thesaurus writing guide.

Uncover the fears holding your character back and how to show it through their behavior and choices using The Fear Thesaurus writing guide.

Download 25+ free fiction-writing worksheets and checklists from Writers Helping Writers. Build stronger plots, characters, and settings.

Learn how to show how fear affects your characters, holding them back and making them too afraid to step beyond their comfort zone.

We're looking for kind individuals who love to review writing guides! If you'd like to be among the first to see The Fear Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to What Holds Characters Back, please fill out the...

Write authentic characters by writing realistic acts of resistance when they come face to face with their fear of change.

Write authentic characters by writing realistic acts of resistance when they come face to face with their fear of change.

Fear is more than an emotion; it is an underlying force that runs through every story element, including character development, plot, arc, conflict, and theme. It’s what draws readers in, holds their ...

Enter for the chance to win feedback from amazing guest editors that can help take your story from good to great.

Use this thesaurus to explore the unhealthy coping mechanisms your character might rely on and the healthy methods they'll need to evolve.

Looking for the best gifts for writers? Try something from this curated list - there's something to fit every budget including free gifts!

Amplifiers provide conflict to propel a protagonist along their character arc - but there are times you should hold off using them.

Need help writing about your character's relationships? This database lists different types and shows you how to use them in the story.

Is your character ready to ask for help? Learn how to write this healthy coping mechanism into your story!

Understanding the levels of conflict and how various challenges will interact is key to building a rich, powerful story

If you would like objective feedback on your opening pages, please use the form to enter our contest. Good luck. :)

This free brainstorming sampler showcases the power of show-don't-tell description. Use it to build in meaningful layers of characterization, support your plot, help readers develop feelings for your ...

What is your character hiding? Use this thesaurus to learn about fears driving the secret, deceptive behaviors, accidental tells, and more.

Explore how to write inner conflict that captivates readers. Join Angela's workshop to dive into your character's struggles and psychological processes.