Search  for anything...

The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Expression (Second Edition) (Writers Helping Writers Series)

  • Based on 1,925 reviews
Condition: New
Checking for product changes
$16.19 Why this price?
Save $1.79 was $17.98

Buy Now, Pay Later


As low as $4 / mo
  • – 4-month term
  • – No impact on credit
  • – Instant approval decision
  • – Secure and straightforward checkout

Ready to go? Add this product to your cart and select a plan during checkout. Payment plans are offered through our trusted finance partners Klarna, PayTomorrow, Affirm, Afterpay, Apple Pay, and PayPal. No-credit-needed leasing options through Acima may also be available at checkout.

Learn more about financing & leasing here.

Free shipping on this product

This item is eligible for return within 30 days of receipt

To qualify for a full refund, items must be returned in their original, unused condition. If an item is returned in a used, damaged, or materially different state, you may be granted a partial refund.

To initiate a return, please visit our Returns Center.

View our full returns policy here.


Availability: In Stock.
Fulfilled by Amazon

Arrives within 30 days
Order within 21 hours and 46 minutes
Available payment plans shown during checkout

Publisher ‏ : ‎ JADD Publishing; 2nd ed. edition (February 14, 2019)


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Paperback ‏ : ‎ 302 pages


ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0999296345


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 49


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.17 pounds


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7 x 0.69 x 10 inches


Best Sellers Rank: #4,107 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #13 in Fiction Writing Reference (Books) #19 in Words, Language & Grammar Reference


#13 in Fiction Writing Reference (Books):


#19 in Words, Language & Grammar Reference:


Frequently asked questions

If you place your order now, the estimated arrival date for this product is: within 30 days

Yes, absolutely! You may return this product for a full refund within 30 days of receiving it.

To initiate a return, please visit our Returns Center.

View our full returns policy here.

  • Klarna Financing
  • Affirm Pay in 4
  • Affirm Financing
  • Afterpay Financing
  • PayTomorrow Financing
  • Apple Pay Later
Leasing options through Acima may also be available during checkout.

Learn more about financing & leasing here.

Top Amazon Reviews


  • Excellent reference- from beginning to end!
This is an excellent book!! Listing many emotions, this book also details many of the "physical signals" that a person feeling that emotion might display, while giving writers tips for showing that a person is feeling these emotions. Excellent reference - from beginning to end! Please mark if you find my review helpful. Thank you so much! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on February 28, 2019 by Peggy

  • Still the Best Writing Resource and the Second Edition Is Worth It!
Like many writers, I have the original ET. This book has been my #1 Go-To Writing Help book ever since the first version released. Learning how to show emotions was one of the last big skills I struggled with before my writing was publishable, and years ago, Angela and Becca's insights were the key to helping me past that hump in my learning curve. I'm thrilled they've taken the time to add their latest knowledge to a second edition of this book, bringing it up to the level of advice and quality content of their later books. I hope this new version helps others as much as the first version helped me. But this Second Edition prompts the question: If I have the first edition already, do I need the second edition? Well, the original edition was 168 pages and the second edition is 296 pages (PDF format) -- almost double -- so obviously, there's a lot of new information. But let's talk details. :) If you already have the first edition, here are the main improvements: * 55 New Entries * Expanded Details for ALL 130 Entries (adding "may de-escalate to" insights and "associated power verbs" for every entry) * 4 New Advice Sections (character research, emotion in dialogue, emotion and subtext, and brainstorming for emotion) (The post I did on my blog last month has more specifics if you want it. Search on my name and "second edition.") ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2019 by Jami Gold

  • Recommend but has ONE Significant Flaw - Men
I like this book. I use it often so I hate to give it only 4 stars, but I realized something about many of the emotional responses presented -- often, they don't apply to men. Men don't always respond the same way as women. See HURT. And that has been my problem with this book though I only realized why tonight. When I'm looking to describe certain emotional responses by my male characters, there simply isn't anything that fits. I ask "would a man acts this way?" to each application, and often the answer is No. So while the book has been uniformly great for my female characters, it's lacking for my male. The responses to ANGER and more hostile or overt emotions like it can apply to men as well as women, but for the more, say, internal emotions, men suffer here from lack of representation. BUT I DO RECOMMEND THE BOOK! I DO! But maybe supplement with something like it written by a man would fill the gaps. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2020 by Liz in Indy

  • I can't edit without this... Such a help!
I had the original and I just upgraded to the extended version. This book is a huge help in the editing process. I find I have "go to" words and phrases, and a character will "slump" or "narrow their eyes" over and over. Problem is, when I need to correct these things, I go blank. The great thing is I pick up my Emotion Thesaurus and look up the emotion I am trying to convey, and BAM! there it is, a list of new options that gets the same point across and lets me SHOW rather than TELL. I'd love to give this five stars, but I still find the same problem I had with the original... I go to look up the emotion I am trying to convey, and it is not there. So I have to stop and think of a different, similar emotion. I do understand that emotions are similar, and we would not want to duplicate, but I would love a thesaurus-like section in the back, that lists emotions alphabetically, and similar emotions that ARE COVERED in the book, so I can go look for it in the back without as much trial an error. Are MOST emotions in the book? Yes, they are, but about once a week I come up with one that is not there, and I have to think of something similar. That's the only reason I'm taking off a star. Otherwise, this is a slam dunk. I own the whole series, but this one in particular sits on my desk because I use it all the time. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on March 9, 2019 by Kindle Customer

  • Must Have If You're an Emotional Slug Like Me
This is a must have addition for any writer who has a difficult time expressing emotions on the page. As an old man, brought up not to show emotions on your sleeve, much less in writing, it's difficult for me to find the right words to show emotion. My novel's characters are World War 2 military. In order to show their emotions beyond anger and surprise, this book has been invaluable. Anger is more than my common descriptions of flaring nostrils and pounding heartbeat. Now, my characters have may have a noticeable engorged vein when they step into another person's space. Or they may speak in an low even tone through clenched teeth. Must have book, as well as the rest in the series, if you want to make the emotional state of characters connect with readers. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2019 by Larry K

  • Even better than the original and that's saying a lot. A must for all writers!
The Second edition of The Emotion Thesaurus is even more wonderful than the original. With almost double the number and expanded entries, what was a crucial resource to me before has become even more of a go to when I am stuck trying to describe feelings and emotions. While I first used The Emotion Thesaurus for fiction writing, it is proving to be exactly what I need to describe a non-fiction manuscript I am working on. I bought it again in paperback but may also purchase it in Kindle form as well to have on hand at all times. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2019 by Sis Steele

  • Ready for an Upgrade?
This new edition is worth every cent! Not only have more emotions been added (Pity, Schadenfreude and Vindicated, for instance), Ackerman and Puglisi have added emotions the entry can de-escalate towards and there are exciting “power verbs” at the end of the entry. If you’re a writer, this is an excellent investment and tool for your craft. If you have a writer in your life, this is the perfect gift. (Add some highlighters and page tabs while you’re at it, if you give your writer a copy of the print version). Happy Writing! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2019 by KarenBridget777

Can't find a product?

Find it on Amazon first, then paste the link below.