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 occupation, 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 essential 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