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! You can read my contribution to the extras list here: My Experience as a Golf Course Groundskeeper.

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.