The Occupation Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Jobs, Vocations, and Careers (Paperback)

A character’s job is powerful, allowing you to convey a lot of characterization about them in a single punch: traits, skills, priorities, and more. Yet, many writers don't think much about their character's occupation—or worse, they pick something randomly, and miss out on what that job can reveal.

Researching specific careers takes time, so we've done the work for you. Part how-to, part brainstorming tool, this guide showcases a range of jobs and breaks each down so you can find the perfect match for your character and write about it with authority. 

This book will help you: 

• Choose a Tailor-Made Job for Each Character. From everyday professions to unusual careers, this book covers an array of vocations and provides you with characterizing details that give your cast realistic layers.
  
• Speed Up the "Get to Know You" Phase. Because each job needs a certain temperament, personality traits, and skills for it to be done well, it comes with some built-in characterization. Knowing the character's vocation, can shorten the learning curve for readers.
• Incorporate Emotional Depth Through Career Choices. Bring the real world into your fictional one by exploring the why behind a job choice. Whether it stems from an emotional wound, was birthed from an insecurity, or hints at a deep-seated need, that why creates instant depth for the character and more complexity for the story.
  
• Add Realistic Conflict and Tension. Work can tempt the character to cross moral lines, damage their relationships, and transform co-workers into dangerous enemies. Each occupation profile lists likely conflict scenarios so you can use the work environment to layer on challenges.
• Help Readers See Themselves in the Story. Work is often a struggle, demanding time, energy, and sacrifice. Seeing your character in this universal wrestling match will help readers feel connected to them. 

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Looking for the digital version? This book is also available as a PDF and eBook.