A TV series or a movie becomes truly popular when viewers empathize with the characters and see their evolution. No work will truly captivate us if the characters in it seem flat and unconvincing.

A text that grabs attention is based on similarities with real life, and a good author skillfully uses knowledge of psychology. There is always a risk of going into dry explanations instead of showing feelings sincerely, deeply and voluminously - so that the reader or viewer feels the same as the hero.

“Without emotions, the hero’s personal journey is aimless and uninteresting. The plot line becomes a dry riverbed of meaningless events that no reader will waste time reading about. Why? First of all, because readers pick up a book for an emotional experience.”

“The Emotion Thesaurus” is a universal tool for breathing real life and warmth into characters. Writers Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi have collected 130 of the most common emotions and described each one in detail. Each is given a definition, corresponding body signals and internal impulses, reactions, signs of suppression, and a perspective on what the emotion will become if it increases or decreases. This is a must-have guide for anyone working with characters and wanting to learn how to write interesting dialogue, create tense conflicts, and create three-dimensional characters.

“As writers, we must bring our gifts of observation to the page. Readers have high expectations. Fortunately, the medium of emotion is highly customizable, and with a little effort, a writer can learn to describe original and believable reactions from each participant in the plot.”

In the preamble, the authors provide detailed instructions on how to use the thesaurus and tips on crafting: how to correctly transfer observations of people into the text, maintain a balance of verbal and nonverbal, include subtext, and avoid common mistakes of beginners. "The Emotion Thesaurus" can become a reference book for an experienced writer or a guide for those taking their first steps in prose or screenwriting.

However, this is only the tip of the iceberg - because, on the other hand, the work of Angela Ackerman and Becky Puglisi offers us a technology for analyzing the hidden experiences and motives that drive the people around us. It is also an excellent manual on psychology, useful for anyone who wants to study people: learn to read body language, understand your own and other people's reactions, develop empathy for the feelings of others.

Why read
Learn to create three-dimensional characters with believable reactions.
Check plot lines and characters for credibility, avoid self-repetition, learn the techniques of psychological prose.
Deeper understand people, their feelings, reactions and read body signals.
Features
130 articles on emotions in alphabetical order + a guide to screenwriting.
Anxiety, admiration, anger, love, despair, jealousy, happiness and shame – the whole spectrum of human feelings that are needed in the work.
For whom
For writers, screenwriters, comedians, directors – anyone who deals with creating characters – and for those interested in psychology.