This review provides my evaluation of The Negative Trait Thesaurus and the The Emotional Wounds Thesaurus.

Puglisi and Ackerman have published eight thesauri for use by writers. Each begins with an informative introduction of 80-100 pages. Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs, described in the introductory text and appendices, is the theoretical basis framework underlying the content. Aside from this front material, these thesauri are technical references to consult when addressing particular needs.

I reviewed The Emotional Thesaurus earlier. However, a more practical -way to evaluate these works is to use them in an actual writing project. I selected two romance novels and used these references in developing character sketches of two male and two female protagonists and one male villain. It would have been useful to include The Positive Trait Thesaurus in this evaluation, but I do not have access to a copy.

Negative experiences have wounded each character, but the entries in the wounds thesaurus are too specific to be helpful. Each entry begins with a problem and, sometimes, a note elaborating the problem. An example, false beliefs underlying the problem, the character’s fears, responses the character may make, and the results follow this. The coverage concludes with lists of personality traits (i.e., attributes) that may result, flaws associated with those traits, triggers that might aggravate the wound and opportunities to overcome this wound. The book lacks an index, leaving it to users to search for specific terms in the text. I found this thesaurus to be of limited use in character development, but it may be more helpful in identifying particular events to embed in the story.

The negative traits thesaurus was much more useful in character development. The book covers 106 traits, but each entry covers the named trait and alternative terms. For example, the entry for cowardly lists fainthearted, fearful, and pusillanimous as similar flaws. The alphabetical index lists all the traits, enhancing the book’s usefulness. Likely causes of the trait and associated behaviors, attitudes, thoughts, and emotions are described, as are positive and negative aspects of the trait. Examples from films are provided, but those will be useful only to readers who have viewed and remember the films. Ways to overcome this flaw (negative trait) and traits in supporting characters that may cause conflict round out the coverage.

I found this thesaurus to be helpful in developing my character sketches. I spent a fair amount of time reviewing the coverage of traits that had not have occurred to me, and my characterizations improved. The section on associated behaviors and attitudes also stimulated thoughts about events I might work into the story.

I anticipate repeated use of the The Negative Trait Thesaurus and plan to buy it for my library. I may take another look at The Emotional Wounds Thesaurus when I create an action outline, but I am not convinced I will find it helpful. ( )

Where did I find this book? I purchased it from the Kobo store online.

Why did I purchase this book? I bought this along with a couple of other Writers Helping Writers guides. I read it first because it will help with the backstory and motivation for a main character I am currently writing.

Layout and should the book be read in a particular way? Aside from the introductory section, this book doesn’t have to be read straight through. There may even be parts of it you will never need or don’t want to read.

The book is structured with a series of introductory chapters dealing with things such as, what is an emotional wound?, character arc, brainstorming, the villain’s journey, revealing the emotional wound through behaviour, problems to avoid among others. This introduction works well to set up the reader and help them understand the function and structure of the actual thesaurus section.

The bulk of the book is divided into several main groupings with sub-topics (the events causing the emotional wounds). For instance, the first section is Crime and Victimisation. Within that, there are events such as a home invasion, being held captive, or identity theft. Each sub-topic is then assessed using several criteria. These are:

- Examples
- Basic needs often compromised
- False beliefs
- What the character may fear
- Possible responses
- Personality traits that may form
- Triggers
- Opportunities to face or overcome the wound

At the back of the book there are a series of Appendices. These include a useful flowchart a writer can use to crosscheck each of the elements required for a believable wounding event, a character arc progression tool (including a link to a printable version), and examples of emotional wounds in popular stories to illustrate the process at work in existing material.

What did I think of the book? The book was well set out and clear, with good examples and reasoning behind the discussions. I especially liked the inclusion of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs as the driving force behind the emotional response to events. The book appears to be US-centric. If you are writing a novel or story set in the US, it is very useful for someone who has not grown up or lived there, especially for understanding extreme emotional responses to certain things, such as the high cost of healthcare, or gun crime for example.

I did not read the book straight through, aside from the introductory chapters. I focussed on the emotional events that were of interest to me and skimmed the remainder. I don’t feel this detracted from my reading of the book in any way, after all, if you are looking for something in a traditional thesaurus, you don’t need to read the whole thing to find the word you seek.

I thought it was useful the authors included both positive and negative personality traits that might develop from experiencing traumatic events. I think we have a tendency to assume negative events will always have a negative influence on our psyche. However most things can have benefits if we take the time to look for them; the what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, or silver lining effect.

I found the Appendices at the back of the book are particularly helpful, notably the printable character arc progression tool.

Would I recommend this book and to whom? Yes, I would recommend this book, primarily to writers, especially if they struggle with identifying their character’s main motivation or need. It also works as a checklist to make sure you’ve written a well rounded character backstory or emotional response. Anyone who enjoys the psychology of trauma in general may find this book a worthwhile read purely for interest’s sake. ( )