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Unlocking Creativity: The Impact of the Descriptive Thesaurus Collection with Becca Puglisi

This episode of Way-word Writers features Becca Puglisi, co-author of the Descriptive Thesaurus collection and a passionate educator in the writing community. Becca shares her unconventional journey into writing, which began at 30, initially as a means to earn extra income, leading her to explore various genres before co-authoring the Descriptive Thesaurus. She and Angela Ackerman, her co-author, were compelled to create the thesaurus as a solution to their struggles with expressing emotions in their writing. This episode delves into the genesis of their partnership, the development of the Descriptive Thesaurus collection, and how it's become an indispensable resource worldwide. Becca also discusses the decision to self-publish due to content theft and the necessity for timely publication. The discussion also covers the scope of the Descriptive Thesaurus collection, its purpose for brainstorming rather than direct replication, and how it aids writers in creating authentic, multidimensional characters and settings. Becca highlights their digital platform, One Stop for Writers, as an extension of the thesaurus collection, providing comprehensive tools for story mapping and character development. The episode wraps with insights into the emotional amplifiers thesaurus, Becca's personal favorites from the collection, and the future of their publishing endeavors.

00:00 Introduction to Wayward Writers and Becca Puglisi
00:54 Becca Puglisi's Unconventional Journey into Writing
02:19 The Birth of a Writing Partnership: Becca and Angela
05:15 The Genesis of The Emotion Thesaurus
07:37 The Decision to Self-Publish: A Leap of Faith
10:40 Exploring the Thesaurus Collection: A Deep Dive
14:26 The Comprehensive List of Thesaurus Books
18:01 Exploring Creative Uses of Thesauruses in Writing
19:12 The Debate: Do Thesauruses Limit Creativity?
20:30 The Power of Adding and Tweaking for Authenticity
21:36 Diving Deep into the Occupation Thesaurus
23:40 Personal Favorites and the Impact of Research
27:53 Introducing One Stop for Writers
31:22 The Future of Thesaurus Collections and Final Thoughts

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