My Big Picture Thesaurus

This big picture book is an inspired way of expanding vocubulary and showing the joy of language in a fun and highly visual way. Scenes with various alternative verbs and descriptions are enhanced by fantastic artwork that makes this a beautiful gift book. Children and adults will enjoy sharing this book or a child can enjoy reading quietly.

Even a quick glance at popular books, movies, and streaming series says it all-- a skillful application of tropes sells stories. That's because tropes create a foundation between the audience and the action. I'm not suggesting we slap a few tropes together, and call it done. I'm talking about twisting tropes to create characters that fans can't stop thinking about to increase story conflict. How do we do that? By digging down into the functions of tropes. But isn't a trope just a trope? What do secret baby, road trip, and revenge have in common? Conflict. Conflict. Conflict. The Trope Thesaurus explores tropes common in romance, mystery, suspense, thriller, science fiction, and fantasy. It also features a listing of tropes with their definitions, along with some ideas about how to use them more effectively to craft stronger stories. New and established writers will appreciate this different take on a craft topic in the quest to become a fan favorite.

It’s a writer’s job to create compelling characters who can withstand life’s fallout without giving up. But building authentic, memorable heroes is no easy task. To forge realistic characters, we must hobble them with flaws that set them back while giving them positive attributes to help them achieve their goals. So how do writers choose the right blend of strengths for their characters—attributes that will render them admirable and worth rooting for—without making it too easy for them to succeed? Character creation can be hard, but it’s about to get a lot easier. Inside The Positive Trait Thesaurus, you’ll find: * A large selection of attributes to choose from when building a personality profile. Each entry lists possible causes for why a trait might emerge, along with associated attitudes, behaviors, thoughts, and emotions * Real character examples from literature, film, or television to show how an attribute drives actions and decisions, influences goals, and steers relationships * Advice on using positive traits to immediately hook readers while avoiding common personality pitfalls * Insight on human needs and morality, and how each determines the strengths that emerge in heroes and villains alike * Information on the key role positive attributes play within the character arc, and how they’re vital to overcoming fatal flaws and achieving success * Downloadable tools for organizing a character’s attributes and providing a deeper understanding of his past, his needs, and the emotional wounds he must overcome If you find character creation difficult or worry that your cast members all seem the same, The Positive Trait Thesaurus is brimming with ideas to help you develop one-of-a-kind, dynamic characters that readers will love. Extensively indexed, with entries written in a user-friendly list format, this brainstorming resource is perfect for any character creation project.

Crafting likable, interesting characters is a balancing act, and finding that perfect mix of strengths and weaknesses can be difficult. Not only does a well-drawn protagonist need positive attributes to help him succeed, he must also have flaws that humanize him and give him something to overcome. The same is true of villains and the rest of the story’s supporting cast. So how can writers figure out which flaws best fit their characters? Which negative traits will create personality clashes and conflict while making success difficult? Nothing adds complexity like character flaws. 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 twists 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 The Negative Trait Thesaurus sheds light on your character’s dark side. Written in list format and fully indexed, this brainstorming resource is perfect for creating deep, flawed characters readers will relate to.

This book is a collection of essays written by a distinguished mathematician with a very long and successful career as a researcher and educator working in many areas of pure and applied mathematics. The author writes about everything he found exciting about math, its history, and its connections with art, and about how to explain it when so many smart people (and children) are turned off by it. The three longest essays touch upon the foundations of mathematics, upon quantum mechanics and Schrödinger's cat phenomena, and upon whether robots will ever have consciousness. Each of these essays includes some unpublished material. The author also touches upon his involvement with and feelings about issues in the larger world. The author's main goal when preparing the book was to convey how much he loves math and its sister fields.

"A treasure trove of encouraging words for writers..." New York Times Bestselling Author, Terri Blackstock “To every Christian writer who’s ever felt lonely, inadequate and probably delusional (can’t think of any that leaves out), this book throws out a cheerful welcome. In its pages, you’ll find a helpful and soul strengthening community. Enjoy.” ~David Kopp, best-selling co-author of The Prayer of Jabez, executive editor, Multnomah Books A powerful motivator for aspiring writers, Grit for the Oyster offers wit, wisdom, and inspiration to take that first step and persevere through the writing journey. More than a how-to, this confidence-building book is designed to draw readers to a closer relationship with God, to affirm their calling to write, and to offer pithy practical guidance from successful writers like Terri Blackstock, Martha Bolton, James Scott Bell, Liz Curtis Higgs, Dr. Gary Chapman, and David Kopp.​