Master Lists for Writers: Thesauruses, Plots, Character Traits, Names, and More

It's really helpful for my first novel I am currently writing

Ms. Donovan first came to my attention through her blogs at bryndonovan.com. She has an enormous treasure of writer’s resources posted there, as well as a plethora of other goodies under Semi-Charmed Life, Reading and Geekery, and My Work. Here’s a delightful spoiler: YOU NEED THIS BOOK. Bryn Donovan’s Master Lists for Writers is many things in one. It’s a thesaurus. It’s a primer on characterization. It’s an idea machine. It’s a gold-mine for newbie-writers and veterans alike. Suffering from Writer’s Block? Here’s your cure. But Master Lists is more than just Master Lists. It’s a primer. It’s a textbook. It would be gold in a creative writing classroom. Ms. Donovan provides instructive insight into the purposes, uses and applications behind each subtopic she explores. I keep this book on my most-used reference shelf at arm’s reach from my computer. Master Lists provides nearly fifty pages of descriptive tags for characters. If you find that some of your characters always have the same “look,” or you rely on the same old descriptors, this book will give you plenty of other ideas to populate your pages with fresh blood. Besides that, there are lists of actions and responses that will help round out your tags. But if you need more than that for your characters, you’ve found the right resource. Master Lists provides over fifty pages of names from many time periods and locales, positive and negative character traits, quirks, and ways to show the character’s character. There’s a small section on setting and it is divided by types of sensory descriptors. Donovan packs a major punch in only ten pages though. Do you struggle writing dialogue? This book is for you. Same goes for action and sex scenes. Donovan will help you get through the touchiest of situations. Hands down, the best part of this book for me is the big section on PLOT. If you need ideas for your next story, Bryn Donovan’s got suggestions for many types of stories and also covers character motivation. Wait a minute. I lied. The best, best, best part of this book is the cheer-leading that Bryn does for other writers. She ends her book with a list of ten, thoroughly discussed reasons why you should write your book. This is a writer who is paying her own success forward. This review is also posted on foxywriterchick.com June30, 2017 posting

Every writer I know has been there. I myself have been there multiple times; that place where your imagination dries up and all of your brilliant ideas disappear like a butterfly in the fog, leaving you staring at a blank screen, dazed and absentmindedly tapping your foot to the throb of a blinking curser. Or maybe you find yourself in that situation where you are able to write, but the words just don’t seem to fit. You are having a difficult time expressing yourself and your writing sounds flat, dull, uninspiring, even boring. You have writing goals and publishing deadlines to meet. What do you do? Well, you can do what I have done in the past…just blow off your writing for the day. After all, there is all of that research that needs to be done – you know, on Facebook. But if you are looking to spend your time a little more productively, then I would highly recommend picking up a copy of Master Lists for Writers, by Bryn Donovan (Munds Park Publishing, 2015). Master Lists for Writers is a tremendous resource for writers at any stage in their career. Whether you are working on your very first story or novel, or you are a veteran published author, you will find inspiration and motivation within the almost three hundred pages of writing tips and lists included between the covers of this gem. Some of the helps you will find inside include: - 183 different facial expressions - Page after page of physical and emotional descriptions for your characters - 500 great words for action scenes - 25 plot twists - 25 motives for murder - 100 character quirks - 50 ways to show a character is a good person - Ways people say Good-bye - Ways people verbalize negative feelings - 50 actions that show attraction And the lists go on and on... There is one whole section devoted to character names, from Viking names to medieval England. If your story takes place in the old west, and you are looking for just the right name for your protagonist or your antagonist, then the list 200 names from the Wild West would be a good one to check out. Or maybe your story is more contemporary. Don’t worry, there’s no need to pick a name out of the phone book. Master Lists for Writers has a list of 400 different names for contemporary heroes and heroines. Another section covers dialogue and yet another has numerous lists devoted to plotting your story. The only downside I see to this book is that it is filled with so much useful information that you might be in danger of spending your time reading through the lists instead of actually doing your writing! But I think that Bryn Donovan even anticipated that possibility because the last list in the book is 10 Reasons Why You Should Write That Story.

This is a handy resource book to keep. While I would use it more for inspiration or for writing exercises as one wouldn't want to over use it. It offers lots of things to think about and consider when working on your project (or your next project). Lots of ideas to help when plotting a new story or to help with writers block. All the various and interesting lists makes this a very useful book. One thing I must note is that this book does contain some mature content, so a bit of caution for younger writers.

This book is definitely really helpful when it comes to having writers block or finding a another word for "--"

Got this for my sister because she asked for it during Christmas.

This is a must have for anyone writing whether you're experienced or new to writing. Bryn breaks things down in a very organized way . Highly recommend.

Just what I needed. I was stuck writing my novel, looking of words, idioms etc. This book has the repository, I can refer to find expression for my thoughts.

Consise and very usefull, a good book to help you write with all considerations. Some other books splain just one aspect off writting, this one privides a lot of resources.

Bryn Donovan has worked hard to provide a fascinating and useful compendium of words, phrases, and triggers to help the writer. It may not make the actual graft easier, but if used sensibly, this book can improve that work immensely. I don’t regard these lists as ‘cheat sheets’ because you still have to put in the effort, to create the plot, define the characters and to imagine their fictional world. What’s on offer, then? The section on descriptions of facial expressions is useful, because it’s so easy to fall back on ‘he smiled’ or ‘she grinned’. The human face is capable of manifold aspects, some quite subtle; choose the most apt for the scene or emotion. Body language speaks to us with subtlety too, and yet as writers we tend not to employ the richness that is visible to the discerning eye – again, conveying a character’s mood. Naturally, we have the usual eye, complexion, face, body, mouth, hair and body descriptions – try to vary the characters in the story so they’re not all similar. One section of particular interest is that concerning ‘evocative images’ – a single feather or a rainbow in an oil slick can provide a telling image in a scene, put the reader there in the character’s point of view. Other lists provide sounds and scents for settings – again, putting the reader in the story. There are lists for plotting: romance, high-stakes, twists, humour, motives for murder etc. I’ve got more than enough plots going on for my various projects, I must admit, though it’s conceivable that some of the suggested plots could be opted for a short story or three. Dialogue can be a tr4ial for some writers. Make it real without being boring or slowing down the story. Here we have lists showing how people say ‘no’, ‘yes’ or ‘verbalize positive (or negative) feelings’ and so on. There’s a good selection of character names and character traits, too. The book ends with an important list: ‘10 reasons why you should write that story’. I endorse all ten and particularly commend #7: Because it doesn’t have to be perfect. Whatever your hang ups, get the story written. ‘It’s the final draft that counts.’ And this book will help you polish your novel to get there.

Buon prodotto

Little did I think when I bought yet another writing book that I would get such a treasure! I have written a lot, with warts to show as evidence, and my shelves are stacked with How to Write books. So yet another is ho hum - until I opened this one! Hesitate not, fellow writers - Master Lists for Writers will be your reference for years to come. Along with Words and Expressions from Medieval England and before you utter another Merde, turn to the Scents for Settings and liven up your own scene with a ponk.