The Occupation Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Jobs, Vocations, and Careers
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- Create Date：2021-04-03 15:00:51
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Angela Ackerman
- ISBN：099929637X
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Summary
Releases July 20th， 2020。
What if you could fast-track the reader’s understanding of a character without chunky paragraphs of description that kill the story’s pace？ And what if you could use a common element of daily life to explore story goals， relationships， themes， and even the character’s internal growth？ You can。 It’s time to activate the power of your character’s occupation。
Whether a character loves or hates what they do， a job can reveal many things about them， including their priorities， beliefs， desires， and needs。 The Occupation Thesaurus will show you how a career choice can characterize， drive the plot， infuse scenes with conflict， and get readers on the character’s side through the relatable pressures， responsibilities， and stakes inherent with work。
Do more with your description and choose a profession for your character that showcases who they are， what they want， and what they believe in。 With over 120 entries in a user-friendly format， The Occupation Thesaurus is an entire job fair for writers。
What if you could fast-track the reader’s understanding of a character without chunky paragraphs of description that kill the story’s pace？ And what if you could use a common element of daily life to explore story goals， relationships， themes， and even the character’s internal growth？ You can。 It’s time to activate the power of your character’s occupation。
Whether a character loves or hates what they do， a job can reveal many things about them， including their priorities， beliefs， desires， and needs。 The Occupation Thesaurus will show you how a career choice can characterize， drive the plot， infuse scenes with conflict， and get readers on the character’s side through the relatable pressures， responsibilities， and stakes inherent with work。
Do more with your description and choose a profession for your character that showcases who they are， what they want， and what they believe in。 With over 120 entries in a user-friendly format， The Occupation Thesaurus is an entire job fair for writers。
Reviews
William
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Awesome reference。 Sometimes when you're writing you just want a job to give a character -- this lets you pick one at random and then chew on the implications and see if you like them， which is a way of working that really works for me。 Clearly written， good level of detail， easy to use。 Awesome reference。 Sometimes when you're writing you just want a job to give a character -- this lets you pick one at random and then chew on the implications and see if you like them， which is a way of working that really works for me。 Clearly written， good level of detail， easy to use。 。。。more
Sarah Lapalme
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This is such a great resource to help writers nail down the perfect occupations for their characters。 At least that's my opinion。 It's certainly helped me。 This is such a great resource to help writers nail down the perfect occupations for their characters。 At least that's my opinion。 It's certainly helped me。 。。。more
Cayla
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Good sourceGreat source for ideas as I want to break away from the normal go-to roles。 I hope to see more jobs added， especially for writers exploring occupations from the 1800-1950 period。
Debbie Mitchell
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Your books are amazing and so helpful！ Every time I read it， I get a new sense of making writing more interesting。 I feel you make writers improve their game。 Bravo！ I own three so far， this one， the Rural one and the Emotion one。 I hope to someday own the whole set！
☘Misericordia☘ ⚡ϟ⚡⛈⚡☁ ❇️❤❣
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Q: 。。。 the possibilities are endless for delicious conflict。 （c）Another great volume aimed at giving the aspiring （and not-so-aspiring） the tools （or even a shedful of those！） to showing our characters working， choosing chareers， moving forward （or in plenty other directions） with their aspirations。Love how it's recommended to tie the occupation in with the human needs （from the most basic ones such as survival to the more advanced like fulfillment）。 What makes human pursue particular jobs， what Q: 。。。 the possibilities are endless for delicious conflict。 （c）Another great volume aimed at giving the aspiring （and not-so-aspiring） the tools （or even a shedful of those！） to showing our characters working， choosing chareers， moving forward （or in plenty other directions） with their aspirations。Love how it's recommended to tie the occupation in with the human needs （from the most basic ones such as survival to the more advanced like fulfillment）。 What makes human pursue particular jobs， what makes them good （or horrible） at them - all of these are transferable between the RL psychology and lit。 The writer shouldn't forget that even when trying to write the most one-off MC ever。 A whole plethora of fun setups investigated in-depth。Work and relationships - another venue to set up conflict and character dev and generally lots of fun and mayhem:Q:At work， people have differing viewpoints， opinions， manners， and personalities that are not always compatible。 And， in most occupations， everyone is expected to put differences aside and work as a team。 Only … is that what happens， especially these days？ You don’t need a physical watercooler to spread gossip when everyone in the office has text-messaging。 And why risk being overheard bad-mouthing a co-worker when you could use IMs and memes instead？ Face it， around the office， smiles can hide knives。Here are some of the ways work and relationships often make bad dance partners。 （c）Q:A character from a tight-knit family may accept a position that’s closer to home， even if it’s less desirable than other offers。 Someone else might pursue a career because she comes from a family of first responders or nurses or teachers， and following in her loved ones’ footsteps provides a sense of belonging。 In another scenario， a character who loses her father to cancer may take over his real estate practice as a way to honor him and keep his legacy alive。 In situations like these， the character’s need for love or belonging drives her decision-making。 （c）Q:Granted， not every stereotype is accurate， and we obviously want to avoid clichéd characters; individualization is an important part of the character-building process， so we’ll discuss this in-depth in just a bit。 But， at first blush， a character’s job can provide a baseline for readers about things that are probably true， shortening the learning curve in the getting-to-know-you process。 （c）Q:As technology streamlines processes and robots replace heartbeats， becoming obsolete is a worry for many。 （c） 。。。more
Debra
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The many occupations in the world are impossible to list in just one book。 So I wasn’t surprised， just disappointed， to find that the two professions I hoped would be included weren’t there。 Nor were they available on the additional links provided。There were a couple of occupations， such as novelist and server， that didn’t really need to be listed。 Most of the writers who’ve purchased this book are likely familiar with the job， and most people have a pretty good idea of what a server’s job entai The many occupations in the world are impossible to list in just one book。 So I wasn’t surprised， just disappointed， to find that the two professions I hoped would be included weren’t there。 Nor were they available on the additional links provided。There were a couple of occupations， such as novelist and server， that didn’t really need to be listed。 Most of the writers who’ve purchased this book are likely familiar with the job， and most people have a pretty good idea of what a server’s job entails， or can talk to servers at local restaurants。 It’s also curious how many times the word clairvoyance was listed under the category of the ‘Useful Skills， Talents or Abilities’ under each occupation。After reading the book from cover to cover， I did find it helpful in choosing careers for key characters in an upcoming novel。 If you’re a writer and can’t find the occupation you’re searching for this book， other ideas could crop up， so I recommend reading as many of the occupation descriptions as possible。 。。。more
Aime Sund
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**I was part of the ARC review team and received a copy of the book from the authors。 I happily leave this review。**Many authors are familiar with the series of Thesauruses written by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi from One Stop for Writers。 The latest installment is every bit as useful and also insightful。 Do you think about your character's occupation when beginning your draft？ Is the occupation you choose reflected in the character's behavior， motivations， reactions， etc， or rather， does t **I was part of the ARC review team and received a copy of the book from the authors。 I happily leave this review。**Many authors are familiar with the series of Thesauruses written by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi from One Stop for Writers。 The latest installment is every bit as useful and also insightful。 Do you think about your character's occupation when beginning your draft？ Is the occupation you choose reflected in the character's behavior， motivations， reactions， etc， or rather， does the occupation influence those aspects as part of the story？ If not， this book will tell you why it should and then give you a multitude of jobs to explore and consider！The authors begin with a detailed explanation of the role an occupation can play in constructing your characters， their arcs， and story events。 An important part of writing believable， relatable stories is to keep the details real and tangible to the reader。 Occupations are a great way to anchor your characters in their world and endear them to readers。 Have you ever read a book where the character has your occupation or one you have done in the past？ Then you know the instant comfort and rapport you have with that protagonist。 The Occupation Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Jobs， Vocations， and Careers highlights this piece of the author-reader relationship， giving you many options to research。A large part of the book is devoted to an actual list of occupations。 Each listing contains motivations， situations， and emotions all derived from what holding that job entails。 It really is a comprehensive picture of the life of a person with that occupation。 Loads of research went into compiling such a list， and the authors went even further in enlisting their Street Team to individually publish a webpage entailing a job they held that isn't in the book。 A brilliant idea that increases the depth and breadth of The Occupation Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Jobs， Vocations， and Careers that much more！ I highly recommend checking out The Occupation Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Jobs， Vocations， and Careers as you create your characters or when you need some conflict for your story。 It may be a part of the day many people would like to forget， but researching and including a well-developed occupation can bring another layer of depth and tangibility to your characters and story。 。。。more
Eleanore June
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Helpful， but not as helpful as some of the other books。 I think it's because there are so many fairly common jobs that are not listed， and the ones listed are very specific。 Helpful， but not as helpful as some of the other books。 I think it's because there are so many fairly common jobs that are not listed， and the ones listed are very specific。 。。。more
S。M。 Dapelo
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Great resource book。
Chellie Huss
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Wish for fantasy occupationsThe occupations I was really hoping for writing this thesaurus were fantasy type。 I can mix， match and research to fill in the blanks。Thanks for another great thesaurus 👍🏼😀👍🏼
Russell Ricard
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The Occupation Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Jobs， Vocation， and Careers is terrific。 Like other books in their Writers Helping Writers series， I’m particularly fond of Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi’s call to writers to explore the psychology of characters。 In sync with that， The Occupation Thesaurus offers an excellent springboard for further research， which helps facilitate the crafting of specificity in character， description， and world-building。
Michelle Cornish
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This book is so much more than a list of descriptions of occupations。 The introduction includes valuable information regarding how to use occupations in fiction。 Characters are impacted by the jobs they choose， and those jobs are often a source of many types of conflict。 One of my favourite things about this thesaurus is the occupation speed dating appendix which lists character traits and suggests a number of occupations a character with those traits might be drawn to！ Such a useful book - I hi This book is so much more than a list of descriptions of occupations。 The introduction includes valuable information regarding how to use occupations in fiction。 Characters are impacted by the jobs they choose， and those jobs are often a source of many types of conflict。 One of my favourite things about this thesaurus is the occupation speed dating appendix which lists character traits and suggests a number of occupations a character with those traits might be drawn to！ Such a useful book - I highly recommend it if you are writing fiction and want to dig deeper into your characters’ jobs。 。。。more
Joy Held
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If there’s one thing writers learn early， it’s how important details are to the success of the work。 Fiction， nonfiction， and everything else resonate better with readers when the content rings true。 Getting the specifics correct says that the writer cares about the product and the consumer。 It’s also a good idea to get the small things correct because readers know they’re reading good work by an author who went the extra mile to be sure the details are solid。 Readers will applaud such effort wi If there’s one thing writers learn early， it’s how important details are to the success of the work。 Fiction， nonfiction， and everything else resonate better with readers when the content rings true。 Getting the specifics correct says that the writer cares about the product and the consumer。 It’s also a good idea to get the small things correct because readers know they’re reading good work by an author who went the extra mile to be sure the details are solid。 Readers will applaud such effort with positive comments and buying the next book， but they will also let everyone know when something isn’t quite right。 Due diligence by a writer where the nitty-gritty is concerned is how the helpful line of books from authors Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi come in handy。 These two word nerds （term applied lovingly） have done more than enough leg work to help any writer get the facts straight。 The latest addition to the Ackerman/Puglisi library is THE OCCUPATION THESAURUS: A WRITER’S GUIDE TO JOBS， VOCATIONS， AND CAREERS。 Not only does this work offer a treasure trove of information and the all-important details， the title is a tiny thesaurus in and of itself （occupation， jobs， vocations， careers。） Why would anyone fall prey to the dreaded “word echo” （using the same word too often on a page， in a paragraph， etc。） syndrome when books like the Occupation Thesaurus exist？ In addition to offering concise job descriptions， the Occupation Thesaurus is a handy tool for coming up with ideas。 When the brain seems dry but the deadline looms， reference tools such as those crafted by Ackerman and Puglisi go the distance when inspiration is sought。 Before you think that the book is simply a list of careers and what they do， glance back at the full title。 It states that this work is a helpful tool for writers， and the content proves this by suggesting a range of writing helpers to further inspire and add depth of understanding。 For instance， each vocation provides an overview of the work done followed by juicy details such as training necessary， character traits， reasons why a character might choose the profession， and so much more。 For a quick and different perspective on this book， if you work in any kind of career counseling or services， this book should be sitting on the top shelf in your office。 It’s an amazing collection of who， what， why， and what if about the work people do。 Ackerman and Puglisi have previously published other books in their thesaurus line as well。 The Occupation Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Jobs， Vocations， and Careers is the crown jewel that cracks the code for crafting realistic character occupations that adds detail to the work。 This information contributes to what readers want: the real deal。 Thanks to Ackerman and Puglisi， writers have a tool to help them create authentic characters that readers will believe。Disclosure: the reviewer received an advanced reading copy of the book from the authors。 。。。more
Roland Clarke
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The Occupation Thesaurus – a reviewI was privileged and excited to read an ARC of The Occupation Thesaurus。 This is my rambling review and I’ll start with the crucial and deserved rating: 5 stars *****The core of this non-fiction reference book is – as the title suggests – an extensive selection of Occupations with details on them all。 I should mention the US emphasis， although the authors clearly state aspects like training/requirements for a job might vary between states and countries。 As an e The Occupation Thesaurus – a reviewI was privileged and excited to read an ARC of The Occupation Thesaurus。 This is my rambling review and I’ll start with the crucial and deserved rating: 5 stars *****The core of this non-fiction reference book is – as the title suggests – an extensive selection of Occupations with details on them all。 I should mention the US emphasis， although the authors clearly state aspects like training/requirements for a job might vary between states and countries。 As an ex-pat Brit， I was aware of this but never felt that aspect distracted from the immense value of the information。 The excellent opening sections on numerous aspects of job selection， motivation， and their value to writers， are essential reading。 They are jammed full of ideas， observations， and suggestions on how to apply Occupations in your writing。They triggered some interesting thoughts for me。 Topics covered are: It’s All in the Details; The Motivations behind Career Choice; Careers that Characterize; Jobs as Sources of Tension and Conflict; Jobs Can Support Story Structure and Character Arc; Vocations as Thematic Devices; Choosing a Career for Your Character; Additional Tips for Writing about Occupations。 These sections alone make this book invaluable。 Many of the comments felt topical in the light of the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on the economy， society， and job issues。 The authors reference how the trickle-down effect from such a crisis causes a wider economic crisis across multiple industries。From the opening sections onwards， it’s “a matter of figuring out which ones [Occupations] will work for your characters…” Over 125 jobs are covered from Actor to Yoga Instructor with sections for each job on: Overview; Necessary Training; Useful skills， talents， and abilities; Helpful character traits; Sources of Friction; People they might interact with; How this occupation might impact the character’s needs; Twisting the fictional stereotype; Characters might choose this profession because they。。。Plenty to set the grey cells sparking。I could relate to so much in the light of my own characters’ occupations and my own diverse careers。 Some occupations seemed absent at first – until I applied some lateral thinking。 For instance， the female protagonist of my debut novel was a horse rider – not included。 But as a Professional Athlete her traits were represented。 There is enough variety in the detailed Occupations in other related fields presented。 Plus， the Animal Trainer applies to horses - and other creatures including marine。 Just think sideways。 I have a secondary character who is the PA to a Fashion Designer。 No PA， but the Personal Assistant to a Celebrity has relevant elements。Or to quote the authors， “explore ones with similar responsibilities， risk， or theme to get you started，” using the appendices especially。Warning – with a wink – rabbit-holes galore abound here。 Or triggers for lateral plotting。For instance， “…even an innocent nosebleed that turns the entryway into a murder scene can create imaginative and embarrassing complications…” That snippet is now my favourite image – and idea rabbit-hole。 Don’t ask what Occupation that came from。 Real Estate Agent？Anyway， I didn’t read every Occupation entry in detail， but I ensured I read ones familiar to me – e。g。 Actor， Farmer， Police Officer， Reporter – my own profession – and Talent Agent。 These all were accurate with aspects I would have forgotten but agree with。Plus， I read ones I was intrigued by – e。g。 Astronaut， Funeral director， Palaeontologist， Robotics Engineer， and Treasure Hunter。 I was tempted to read every entry。 My secondary characters have jobs and so should yours。 This book will always prove useful – and I’ve found more material for ongoing characters – like that Fashion Designer。 And there are enough unusual professions like Dream Interpreter， Glassblower， Podcaster， Reiki Master， and Tattoo Artists， to set your ideas flowing。 Even the familiar – or not – Novelists， ？？！！***My approach might skim the surface， but this is the way most will use this invaluable resource。 Dipping in-&-out， researching for specific Occupations， marker on that key profession， these are some of the ways I use the other thesauri in the indispensable series。There are also inspirational appendices to spark more thoughts and plotlines。Appendix A: Occupation Speed Dating: Where you start by identifying a standout trait for your character， then using some graphics find an occupation match。And Appendix B contains a Career Assessment that can help you put all the pieces together。In addition， this is not a static reference tool。 The list will be updated as “the Occupation Thesaurus at One Stop for Writers isn’t limited by page count， so you will find more of our entries there…”Navigation in this thesaurus and others in the series is simple， with a clear table of contents including links to external resources。 To quote a recent reply I made about the authors’ Emotional Thesaurus， “…I have a Kindle for PC version of ET， The Rural Setting T。， and The Urban Setting T。， as well – and all three are easy to use。 In fact， the Kindle Index facility helps。 I’m reading an ARC of the new Occupation Thesaurus as a PDF – also extremely useable。”This addition to the stable is already proving another winner and an essential in this writer’s library。 And as one friend suggested， it could help anyone struggling to figure out what kind of job they want in real life。 Or as another writer friend wrote， “What a totally brilliant idea and resource。”What better why to improve existing characters or even spark story ideas。Now to weave in “a part-time pastor or priest doing ethical hacking as a way to supplement his income” as Angela and Becca suggested。 Or was it a Ghost doing my writing？Reviewed first at: https://rolandclarke。com/2020/07/21/t。。。 。。。more
Calvin D。
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The Occupation Thesaurus is the 7th and latest in the line of writers’ guides。 As usual， the thesaurus begins with a series of informative articles geared toward how to use occupation to define a character。 It begins with a discussion of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and why a character might be motivated to choose a particular career。 Discussions regarding how careers characterize， how jobs can create tension and conflict， and how a character’s occupation can be used for character arcs and theme。 The Occupation Thesaurus is the 7th and latest in the line of writers’ guides。 As usual， the thesaurus begins with a series of informative articles geared toward how to use occupation to define a character。 It begins with a discussion of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and why a character might be motivated to choose a particular career。 Discussions regarding how careers characterize， how jobs can create tension and conflict， and how a character’s occupation can be used for character arcs and theme。 The articles are well-researched and allow a writer to brainstorm ideas for story。 Some tips on using occupations round out the well-researched articles before we get into the meat of the thesaurus: the list of over 100 occupations。The occupations run the gamut from the ordinary （Chef， Barista， Lawyer） to the unconventional （Dream Interpreter， Food Critic， Personal Assistant to a Celebrity） to the unusual （Ethical Hacker， Food Stylist， Professional Mourner）。 It is not an exhaustive list （where is my YouTube/Social Media star？ Podcaster is close， I suppose）。 I know I’ll be looking up the Professional Mourner and Crime Scene Cleaner for my upcoming novel。Each entry is a two-page spread which includes a brief overview of the occupa- tion， the necessary training， and a list of useful skills and traits someone entering this job might have。 If that wasn’t enough， the thesaurus also provides sources of friction， how the occupation would impact a character and how to twist the stereotypes: every- thing necessary to brainstorm ideas about character or plot or provide a jumping-off point to begin research into these professions。As per usual， the entries are well-researched and detailed。 They cover a wide- range of occupations you might find in contemporary North America， but may have to be adjusted if an author is writing outside of those geographic or temporal boundaries。Is this an essential book？ Does it rank up there with the best thesauri Ms。 Ackerman and Ms。 Puglisi have produced？ No。 The only one of their thesauri I consider essential is The Emotion Thesaurus。 However， as another book about character， it ranks up there with the Positive and Negative Traits books and the Emotional Wound Thesaurus for designing characters。 It provides yet another detailed examination of a way to define a character。And like all the other thesaurus’ in the series， I’ll be purchasing a hard-copy for my writers’ reference bookshelf as soon as it is released。All in all， this is a worthy addition to the thesauri that Ackerman and Puglisi have written。 It is well-researched and covers a wide range of occupations。 It is not an es- sential resource， but I still plan on getting my own hard copy to put on my shelf when I need to brainstorm some ideas。I received an ARC of The Occupation Thesaurus in exchange for an honest review。 4。5 Stars out of 5 。。。more
Annie Lima
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I found this to be a really useful resource。 I anticipate using it for every book I write from now on， to make sure I pick the right occupation for each character and describe the details of their job well。 I definitely recommend the Occupation Thesaurus - it would be a great addition to any author's toolbelt。 It might even be useful for someone researching a new possible career for themselves！ I found this to be a really useful resource。 I anticipate using it for every book I write from now on， to make sure I pick the right occupation for each character and describe the details of their job well。 I definitely recommend the Occupation Thesaurus - it would be a great addition to any author's toolbelt。 It might even be useful for someone researching a new possible career for themselves！ 。。。more
Nancy
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What a treasure for a writer。 The Occupation Thesaurus belongs on a shelf with writer's reference books。 From the job overview to training to character traits that work best， the details in each job entry give plenty of ideas for deepening a character and bringing them to life。 Learn what might cause friction in the job or what character might choose that job and the background that might bring that choice about。 I highly recommend this reference book， The Occupation Thesaurus。 Thank you to the What a treasure for a writer。 The Occupation Thesaurus belongs on a shelf with writer's reference books。 From the job overview to training to character traits that work best， the details in each job entry give plenty of ideas for deepening a character and bringing them to life。 Learn what might cause friction in the job or what character might choose that job and the background that might bring that choice about。 I highly recommend this reference book， The Occupation Thesaurus。 Thank you to the authors for the early copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Cheryl Rainfield
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A Great New Tool For Writers: The Occupation Thesaurus Writers， if you want to add layers to your character and plot， you can add more by choosing a career that best fits your character’s personality or motivations， or that will bring greater tension to your story—and the best book to inspire you in this is The Occupation Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi。 An occupation for your character can help characterize them， generate conflict， reveal dysfunction， or reveal their passion and A Great New Tool For Writers: The Occupation Thesaurus Writers， if you want to add layers to your character and plot， you can add more by choosing a career that best fits your character’s personality or motivations， or that will bring greater tension to your story—and the best book to inspire you in this is The Occupation Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi。 An occupation for your character can help characterize them， generate conflict， reveal dysfunction， or reveal their passion and quirks。 The Occupation Thesaurus details many jobs， giving an overview of each job; the useful skills， talents， or abilities for the job; helpful character traits; sources of friction; people they might interact with; how the job might impact your character’s needs; ways to twist the stereotype; and reasons a character might choose this profession。 It is sure to spark your own thoughts on why and how an occupation may impact your character。The Occupation Thesaurus doesn’t just describe many jobs， it also explores why your character might choose—or run from—a particular job， including because of their needs， emotional wounds， and interests and passions。 It explains how a job can characterize your character， revealing personality traits， talents and skills， hobbies， economic status， and more， and the ways a job may bring tension and conflict。 The articles are thoughtful and insightful， with concrete examples that make it clear how the profession you choose for a character can reveal more about the character， affect the storyline， increase tension， help your character achieve their goal， and even awaken a character’s need for change。 This book is full of great advice for writers， including skipping the boring stuff， dismantling stereotypes， and being specific。The Occupation Thesaurus also includes some great bonuses at the back of the book， including a worksheet; occupation speed dating （choosing an occupation from your character’s personality type）; a career assessment worksheet and example; career assessment cheat sheet; and recommended reading list。The Occupation Thesaurus will have you looking at occupations in a whole new way， delving deeper into the psychological， motivation， and need aspects， as well as the source of potential conflict or growth。 Highly recommended。 。。。more
Sacha Black
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As far as I'm concerned， Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi have immortalized themselves as automatic buys for the rest of eternity。 If you're a writer， do yourself a favor and make sure you add this book to your craft shelf。 The Occupation Thesaurus is， without doubt， another home run。 Ackerman and Puglisi take character occupations to the next level by showing you how to:Connect occupation to your book's themeCreate conflict with an occupationLink occupations to your character's emotional wound As far as I'm concerned， Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi have immortalized themselves as automatic buys for the rest of eternity。 If you're a writer， do yourself a favor and make sure you add this book to your craft shelf。 The Occupation Thesaurus is， without doubt， another home run。 Ackerman and Puglisi take character occupations to the next level by showing you how to:Connect occupation to your book's themeCreate conflict with an occupationLink occupations to your character's emotional wounds and flawsDraw spectacular details out from your characters occupations to hook readers and make your story sparkleAnd that's before you get to the meat of the book。Each occupation is rammed full of details like the training each job requires， helpful character traits for the role， skills and abilities you'd need to perform it， how to avoid stereotypes， ideas and motivations for choosing the perfect occupation as well as plenty of ideas for how to create friction and conflict。Each and every thesaurus Ackerman and Puglisi produce is spectacular。 The Occupation Thesaurus is no different。 Full of inspiration， teachings and knowledge that's guaranteed to take your writing to the next level。 It's a must， you need this book on your craft shelf。 。。。more
Maureen S
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In my twenty-plus years of teaching fiction techniques， I have only recommended a handful of books to my students and clients。 That short list includes The Thesaurus Series of seven books by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi， the co-founders of Writers Helping Writers。I now recommend their eighth book， another jewel in their series。 The title explains the subject: The Occupation Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Jobs， Vocations， and Careers。As writers， our primary goal is to create believable， symp In my twenty-plus years of teaching fiction techniques， I have only recommended a handful of books to my students and clients。 That short list includes The Thesaurus Series of seven books by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi， the co-founders of Writers Helping Writers。I now recommend their eighth book， another jewel in their series。 The title explains the subject: The Occupation Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Jobs， Vocations， and Careers。As writers， our primary goal is to create believable， sympathetic， fully engaging characters。 To reach that goal， we can use the OCCUPATION THESAURUS to add layers of flesh to our characters’ bones。How？ Through their occupations and vocations， characters will gain depth and seem more alive。Why？In real life， our professions and vocations identify， label， and define us as people。 Likewise， in fiction， professions and vocations can identify， label， and define your characters to magnify their appearances on paper as living， breathing story-people。 Too， through the judicious selection of your characters’ professions and vocations， you can insert logic into their thoughts and actions， and emotion into their reactions to story situations。The authors begin their occupation thesaurus with instructive essays that serious writers should read， carefully， since each one is a mini-writing lesson。 The topics are: motivations behind career choice; careers that characterize; jobs as sources of tension and conflict; jobs that support story structure and character arc; and vocations as thematic devices。The mini-lessons preface treatments of 124 professions， in alphabetical order from Actor to Yoga Instructor。The authors closed their useful writing tool with appendices: Appendix A Occupation Speed Dating; and Appendix B Career Assessment。 They also supplied additional resources for further research。Without question， the Occupation Thesaurus is a convenient， readable book for writers who wish to add flesh to bones。 。。。more
Ekta
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In 2012， Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi， co-founders of Writers Helping Writers and One Stop for Writers， released the first edition of _The Emotion Thesaurus_， a reference guide that has become invaluable to writers。 Much like a standard thesaurus， the book offers alternative ways to express various feelings。 Since then， Ackerman and Puglisi have gone on to publish several other thesauruses， including those for personal traits and settings。The latest resource to land on writers’ desks is _Th In 2012， Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi， co-founders of Writers Helping Writers and One Stop for Writers， released the first edition of _The Emotion Thesaurus_， a reference guide that has become invaluable to writers。 Much like a standard thesaurus， the book offers alternative ways to express various feelings。 Since then， Ackerman and Puglisi have gone on to publish several other thesauruses， including those for personal traits and settings。The latest resource to land on writers’ desks is _The Occupation Thesaurus_， and it takes the concept of a traditional thesaurus and elevates it。 At first glance， providing a thesaurus for occupations may not make sense。 Ackerman and Puglisi， however， keep their goal of helping writings in the forefront as they proceed with this book。Opening the thesaurus to a particular occupation—Pharmacist， for example—will give writers， first， the basic overview of that occupation and a description of what a person in that field does。 A pharmacist， according to the thesaurus， fills medical prescriptions and documents the medications a physician might order。 The regard for a pharmacist is high， Ackerman and Puglisi point out， because of the immense trust customers place in the field in general。 The entry then goes on to list the training needed to become a pharmacist and any skills or talents that a person would be able to apply to the job。 Then comes the goldmine of information that has become the touchstone of Ackerman and Puglisi’s reputations。The entry lists character traits of people who enter that profession。 For a pharmacist， the entry says that， among other things， pharmacists are “discreet” and “observant。” Next comes a list of possible sources of friction a character in a particular profession might encounter: dealing with a customer who has dependency issues， for example。 In an effort to offer writers every avenue of information possible， entries also include ways to challenge the stereotype of a given profession and why characters might choose the job they do。 The entry is rounded off with how the occupation would impact the character’s needs， a reference to the work done by psychologist Abraham Maslow and his deduction that a person has five basic needs to be met before they feel fulfilled。 Early in the thesaurus， Ackerman and Puglisi reprint Maslow’s pyramid and offer a quick explanation of the diagram as well as how these needs are tied directly to a person’s work。The enormity of the work put into this book is obvious in every single entry。 While at first glance a character’s choice of career or vocation may not seem to impact a story’s conflict or plot， Ackerman and Puglisi emphasize just the opposite。 Every aspect of a character’s life， they say， impacts that character and how s/he interacts with other characters。 When done well， a character’s occupation can play into the conflict， whether directly or indirectly， and add layers to a story that enrich it and make it stand out。The biggest bonus comes in one of the appendices where the authors give writers a template to follow in order to help them determine what career or vocation a particular character might pursue。 The flow chart leads writers through， essentially， an analysis of their characters and makes all of the information come together to create a solid three-dimensional character that will shine。Ackerman and Puglisi also go above and beyond in offering writers possibilities of vocations and careers。 “Pharmacist” and “flight attendant” are on the list of occupations to explore， but so are “model” and “air traffic controller。” The only things missing from this outstanding book are a writer’s imagination and dedication to writing the best story possible。Another winner that should be on the shelf of every writer， Ackerman and Puglisi have outdone themselves with _The Occupation Thesaurus_。 。。。more
Clennell Anthony
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I have to say that as a writer， I never really thought to find such a comprehensive guide concerning professions。 Every time I have had to research an occupation in several different books and sources， but now， I can flip through this thesaurus。 Yes， it's true there are some professions that are not present， but there are so many in the book。 What I truly enjoyed about this book was that it wasn't just a list of occupations and their functions。 In the beginning of the book， the authors offer a r I have to say that as a writer， I never really thought to find such a comprehensive guide concerning professions。 Every time I have had to research an occupation in several different books and sources， but now， I can flip through this thesaurus。 Yes， it's true there are some professions that are not present， but there are so many in the book。 What I truly enjoyed about this book was that it wasn't just a list of occupations and their functions。 In the beginning of the book， the authors offer a rationale for how this can improve the overall development of a character。 I never really thought of it that way。 After reading this book， I realized how important a character's occupation can be to the development of the character but how the audience/reader perceives the character。 Will the character be the typical individual within their profession， or will this character step outside the box and surprise the reader and him/herself as well？ It's an interesting concept and it has made me aware of a part of my character development that may have needed a little work。 So， thank you ladies for a great book full of wonderful information and ideas。 I have to say it has given me a few creative ideas along the way while I read。 CSA 。。。more
Marina Costa
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This Occupational Thesaurus is a very good resource for any writer。 Plenty 0f jobs listed， as well as their importance in character development under various angles - plot-related， personality-related， theme-related and more。 Also， there are several useful writing tips in each of the job descriptions， making it easy for a shy， introvert， little town writer to write characters who have exciting jobs of national importance， with believable details。 It is definitely time to make the characters' job This Occupational Thesaurus is a very good resource for any writer。 Plenty 0f jobs listed， as well as their importance in character development under various angles - plot-related， personality-related， theme-related and more。 Also， there are several useful writing tips in each of the job descriptions， making it easy for a shy， introvert， little town writer to write characters who have exciting jobs of national importance， with believable details。 It is definitely time to make the characters' jobs count， which doesn't happen in certain books， where the job is just vaguely mentioned。。。In other words， I recommend it wholeheartedly - equally as the other thesauruses wrote by Becca and Angela！ 。。。more
Jarm Boccio
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Angela and Becca have done it again！ If you have never experienced one of their thesauri， it's a must for writers。 It is so comprehensive it could be used as an MFA course。 Find dozens of career entries， besides the psychological effects， positive and negative aspects and the personality type that might possibly be a good fit for that occupation。 It's a writer’s best friend！ Angela and Becca have done it again！ If you have never experienced one of their thesauri， it's a must for writers。 It is so comprehensive it could be used as an MFA course。 Find dozens of career entries， besides the psychological effects， positive and negative aspects and the personality type that might possibly be a good fit for that occupation。 It's a writer’s best friend！ 。。。more
Julie Hiner
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A must have for the toolbox of any author - regardless of experience level。 Even though it seemed impossible， the authors have yet again added another layer to the development of strong characters and an interesting storyline。 Yet another well organized， well presented reference that can be used time and time again for a slight tweak or a full boost to the fundamental aspects of a good story。
H。M。 Shander
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The Occupation Thesaurus is yet another tool in the writers toolbox。 Having read the other guides in this series， I knew I would find many useful tips， and I was not let down。 There are many occupations listed that I hoped would be in there， and there were many new career fields that some of my upcoming characters may have a career change。 ;） As a writer who spends hours fleshing out little details about her characters， I especially loved the first few chapters where you really get to dig into a The Occupation Thesaurus is yet another tool in the writers toolbox。 Having read the other guides in this series， I knew I would find many useful tips， and I was not let down。 There are many occupations listed that I hoped would be in there， and there were many new career fields that some of my upcoming characters may have a career change。 ;） As a writer who spends hours fleshing out little details about her characters， I especially loved the first few chapters where you really get to dig into a character's motivation for their career choice and finding a career that characterizes。 It takes you beyond the character who you've simply given a job to and helps find a career that better supports their emotional wounds and backstory， which ends up giving a lot more depth to your character's choices。 I， for one， will be purchasing a hard copy of this when it's available to add to my collection （the whole series is fantastic， btw）。 I think it's an absolute must for the writers who want readers to have a deeper connection to the characters we give life to。 。。。more
Lila Diller
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This is going to be so helpful！ I love the beginning where the authors give many reasons for choosing specific occupations and how to weave them into your story without dumping all the “boring stuff。”It shows how the occupations of your characters can add layers of meaning， theme， and conflict。 Then it lists dozens of specific occupations and helpful information， such as a general overview， necessary training， useful skills， talents， or abilities， helpful character traits， examples of how it cou This is going to be so helpful！ I love the beginning where the authors give many reasons for choosing specific occupations and how to weave them into your story without dumping all the “boring stuff。”It shows how the occupations of your characters can add layers of meaning， theme， and conflict。 Then it lists dozens of specific occupations and helpful information， such as a general overview， necessary training， useful skills， talents， or abilities， helpful character traits， examples of how it could be used as a source of friction， people they might interact with， how this occupation might impact the character's needs， twisting the fictional stereotype， reasons why characters might choose this profession。 I will be using this resource for years to come！（I received this book for free from the author。 I was not compensated for this review。 All opinions are my own， as was my decision to write a review。） 。。。more
Mike Emminger
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I am a relatively new author of fiction （although I wrote legal briefs for 40+ years） and I own every one of this series of books。 I am so glad that I bought my very first one， The Emotion Thesaurus， that one book lead me to all the others。 I am still amazed at the material contained in each book。 I had to get in on the ground floor of this book because the others help me EVERY DAY。 This one， The Occupation Thesaurus， is awesome。 I practiced trial law in NY and around the country for many years I am a relatively new author of fiction （although I wrote legal briefs for 40+ years） and I own every one of this series of books。 I am so glad that I bought my very first one， The Emotion Thesaurus， that one book lead me to all the others。 I am still amazed at the material contained in each book。 I had to get in on the ground floor of this book because the others help me EVERY DAY。 This one， The Occupation Thesaurus， is awesome。 I practiced trial law in NY and around the country for many years and came in contact with all types of professions and occupations。 I can't fathom how the authors assembled all this high quality and accurate information。 For me one of the most important parts of each book is the "Introductory Educational Material" provided。 Each book， but this one in particular， gives you the reasons why the topic is imporant and how you can utilize the listings。 Sure it's nice to know what a firefighter does， but the key is understanding why she chose this profession and how it influences everything she does。 I can not recommend this book highly enough。 I'll admit I got to see the e-book version early as part of the launch team but I can assure you I must have the hard copy and will be one of the first to order it when available。Mike Emminger 。。。more
Ritu Bhathal
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Having purchased all the other Thesaurus books in this fantastic set of resources， I jumped at the chance to be able to read an ARC of the Occupation Thesaurus。If all we wrote about， was what we know， then our characters would be a bunch of people with not very diverse backgrounds and jobs， but lo and behold， we now have a resource that will help us to find the perfect job for our characters， and a list of responsibilities， situations， characteristics required， personality traits， etc。 to help u Having purchased all the other Thesaurus books in this fantastic set of resources， I jumped at the chance to be able to read an ARC of the Occupation Thesaurus。If all we wrote about， was what we know， then our characters would be a bunch of people with not very diverse backgrounds and jobs， but lo and behold， we now have a resource that will help us to find the perfect job for our characters， and a list of responsibilities， situations， characteristics required， personality traits， etc。 to help us delve into a career we may have no previous knowledge of。Knowing an occupation， in detail， can really enhance your character， within a story。 The place they work， and the job they do can affect them emotionally， and mentally， so having this new thesaurus to help piece together information to flesh out your character's background is priceless， and can even give you catalysts for behaviours and incidents in your story。I can't wait for the hard copy to be available to order， because I'll be putting my order in straight away on the 20th July！ 。。。more
Kate Mclaughlin
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