Video I love: Song Inspiration

As I mentioned on Sunday, I just sent my WiP, a contemporary romance tentatively titled Let Me Be Your Prince, off to my first reader.

High school teacher and single mother, Reese Ingram, has been friends with playboy actor, Jace Brodie, more than a decade. Over the years Reese became increasingly attracted to Jace, as an empty nest looms in front of her, Jace changes the rules to their friendship. But will Reese risk being just another notch in Jace’s bedpost to satisfy that attraction?

Today, I’m sharing a few of the songs that inspired it.

• You by Switchfoot spoke to me when first trying to get inside Jace’s head.

• All of the lyrics for Lost by Faith Hill really strike a cord with me when thinking of Reese and Jace’s story.

Is it obvious to you
When you walk into a room
Your face is all I see
And my heart races so fast
I never knew a rush to feel like that
Every time you’re touching me

I never did believe in anything
I couldn’t hold between my fingers
But the way you make me feel
It’s just so real the way it lingers

I get lost inside your stare
Lost when you’re not there
When everything I have doesn’t mean a thing
If it’s without you
If it’s a dream, don’t wake me up
I’ll scream if this isn’t love
If bein’ lost means never knowin’
How it feels without you
I wanna stay lost (forever)
(I wanna stay lost forever with you)

No, this feeling doesn’t end
It’s with me everywhere I am
Hope it never goes away
It’s like defying gravity
Losin’ all control and bein’ free
And I always wanna stay

I never thought that I’d let go
Long enough to fall for someone deeply
Who had the power to erase my fears
And find me so completely

I get lost inside your stare
Lost when you’re not there
When everything I have doesn’t mean a thing
If it’s without you
If it’s a dream, don’t wake me up
I’ll scream if this isn’t love
If bein’ lost means never knowin’
How it feels without you
I wanna stay lost (forever)
(I wanna stay lost forever with you)

Don’t tell me where we’re goin’
I don’t wanna know
I like the mystery (I like the mystery)
I can’t believe we’ve come this far
So far away from where we started off
You found me when I wasn’t lookin’
You found me

And now I’m lost inside your stare
Lost when you’re not there
And everything I have doesn’t mean a thing
If it’s without you
Without you
If it’s a dream
Don’t wake me up
I’ll scream if this isn’t love
If bein’ lost means never knowin’
How it feels without you
Yeah, if bein’ lost means never knowin’
How it feels without you
Oh, if bein’ lost means that I’m never
Gonna be without you
I wanna stay lost forever
I wanna stay lost forever with you

• Everything about Secret by Seal grabbed me by the throat and wouldn’t let go.

What song is speaking to you? I’d love to hear from you

MayNoWriMo 2011 Update

Well, June now

I joined Joely Sue Burkhart’s writing challenge in the hopes of finishing the first pass of revisions on my WiP.

Eighth weekly update…revision pass uno is done and off to my first reader!  Whee…

To make it accountable, I said:

• Act One (16K) the first week — This section ended up at 16,399 words.
• Act Two, part one (16K) the second week — This section ended up at 16,449 words.
• Act Two, part two (16K) the third week — This section was short by quite a bit, ended up at 12,276 words. As I mentioned this was the section that gave me the most trouble and will likely need the most reworking.
• Act Three (16K) the forth week — This section was also short, ended up at 13, 576 words, but feels right despite the fact I’ll likely have to rework it.

I had been aiming for a first draft between 62K-64K and this came in at 58,700.  I’m okay with that.  Now, what to work on next…

How did working toward your goals go this week?

Tarot 101

Welcome to my series of Using Tarot in Writing based on Jenna Reynolds’ Tarot spreads. If you’re just joining the series, you may want to catch up on the earlier installments before continuing with this one.
Part one, Introduction
Part two, Plotting and Brainstorming
Part three, Character Circle
Part four, Character Creation
Part five, The Hero’s Journey
Part six, Creating a World

Part 7, In other words, Tarot for the Layman

Celtic Tarot The Lover Card

I’m going to kick it off with a quote from Christopher Vogler (you can read the rest of his comment on the The Hero’s Journey post):

I saw it as an ancient book, perhaps Egyptian, that had its covers torn off so that its pages could be arranged in any order, sort of like post-modern life and our web-like experience of the Internet.

I LOVE that image. It appeals to me as both an avid reader and an aspiring author.

During the course of this series some questions came up which prompted the addition of this post to the series. I also added a Tarot section to the sidebar to further assist you.

When I do a spread I like to lay it out on a black cloth. Certainly not a must but I find it helps the images to stand out better, clearer. Some people will say you should be grounded before working with the cards, be on the ground floor, in a quiet space, etc. Not going to happen in my house, LOL. The most important thing is to approach Tarot with an open mind and take notes.

My friend Maria Zannini posed these questions:

So how much of Tarot do you have to know ahead of time?

I knew nothing when I started. I’d never held a deck or even had a reading done. (Still haven’t had a reading done for that matter.) All I had was a vague unease about Tarot. (Minister’s daughter, what can I say.)

I’ve been working with the Tarot for a year now, all self taught. So you don’t have to be an expert with Tarot to use it creatively

Is there a meaning to each card or is it more an intuitive interpretation by the person reading the cards?

I think it’s a little of both. To expand my original answer, Tarot can be used as springboard for your ideas and impressions, allowing your intuition to tell you stories. Much like Mr. Vogler’s comment above. Each deck usually comes with a little booklet which will give the basics, the meanings that deck creator put to the cards. You can also look up meanings on any number of websites and in books. With a little basic study of the symbolism on the cards you can add in your own interpretations. Read the name of the card. Does it spark anything for you? Look at the number, it can tell you if you are at the beginning, middle, or end of a progression of events. Does one symbol stand out to you? And if you have a deck with images you can work with just that, taking your inspiration from what you see in the images. Describe or free write what you see in the image. If you were inside the picture, what would you hear or smell, feel or taste? When you look at the color scheme does a certain mood come to mind?

I have found a combination of noting meanings and my visual impressions works best for most spreads. One tool I like to use with Tarot is mind-mapping which I talked about in the Character Circle post.

I found this Tarot Card Worksheet from Tarot Studies really helpful when I first started working with the cards.

And as I’ve mentioned throughout this series you really should invest in Tarot for Writers by Corrine Kenner.

My first reader, and best friend, asked these questions:

RWS High Priestess Card

What is the best deck for writing related stuff?

The principles of Tarot work pretty much the same no matter what deck you use (I recommend using a deck with images on all the cards) but you’ll find that most books talk about the Rider-Waite deck or one of its clones. I don’t own it myself though I suspect I will at some point. I’ve included links to three of the versions:

The Original Rider Waite Tarot Pack

Rider-Waite Tarot Deck

Radiant Rider-Waite Tarot Deck

Do you have a question in your mind ahead of time or do the cards lead you?

Well, both.

As my friend Joely Sue Burkhart talked about in her post, Writing with Tarot, Jenna Reynolds has taught her several tricks to use Tarot for inspiration. Recently, Joely was struggling with the theme of a piece. She started out by writing down her concerns then pulling a card at random and thought about what it could mean.

Most of the spreads I did within this series fall under the second part of this question, letting the cards direct me.

How do you know how many cards to lay down and/or turn over for a complete answer?

The simplified answer is you lay out however many cards you need for the designated spread.

The beauty of Tarot is that you can lay out as many or few cards as you need. You can do a simple Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How reading of a single card. (Example: 5 W’s & an H Card Exercise) Lay out three cards for a simple Goal, Motivation, and Conflict reading for your character and/or story. (First card=Goal, Second card=Motivation, and Third card=Conflict) Or lay out (ten) eleven cards for a classic Celtic Cross spread whether you’re outlining a story or creating a character. (Basic spread: The Celtic Cross — I refer you back to Tarot for Writers for the writing version.)

And you can always add a qualifying card to clarify any card you already laid down.

Now, if you’re interested in learning Tarot in more detail and/or to do readings to apply to life you may want to check out the Learn Tarot website or buy the book Learning the Tarot: A Tarot Book for Beginners by Joan Bunning. This course is one of those things I’ve been meaning to do…and I will, someday

Additionally, I’ve seen this book Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom: A Book of Tarot by Rachel Pollack recommended around the web and have added it to my list!

• Do you have additional questions?
• Do you have Tarot tips?
• What has been your experience with Tarot?

You may also enjoy:

Tarot Journal for getting to know the cards.

Tuesday Book Talk

Open Thread for Readers:

• Got a book you want to talk about?
• Frustrated with a book or series?
• In love with a new one?
• Found a buried treasure?
• An issue that keeps popping up in the books you are reading?
• Just want to chat about stuff in general?
• Post away…

MayNoWriMo 2011 Update

Well, June now

Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there. Wishing you a day spent with your loved ones!

I joined Joely Sue Burkhart’s writing challenge in the hopes of finishing the first pass of revisions on my WiP.

Seventh weekly update…the dog days of summer are here And we’re having fun with the new dog. However, my 5 to 6 am writing time has become dog walking time to beat the heat (we’ve been in triple digits all week). I’ve also fallen behind in commenting on everyone’s blogs though I have been reading through Google reader never fear…I hope I can catch up this week.

On the revision front, I’m calling Act two, part two done for now. I’m still shy of my word count goal but realized I was adding words for the sake of word count rather than improving the story. I’ve moved onto Act three this weekend. :crossing fingers: it goes smoother than this last section!

To make it accountable, I said:

• Act One (16K) the first week — done (over the 16K goal by about 100 words)
• Act Two, part one (16K) the second week — done (shy of the 16K goal by about 600 words)
• Act Two, part two (16K) the third week
• Act Three (16K) the forth week

How did working toward your goals go this week?

Tarot: Creating a World

Welcome to my series of Using Tarot in Writing based on Jenna Reynolds’ Tarot spreads. If you’re just joining the series, you may want to catch up on the earlier installments before continuing with this one.
Part one, Introduction
Part two, Plotting and Brainstorming
Part three, Character Circle
Part four, Character Creation
Part five, The Hero’s Journey

Part 6, Creating a World

This is another one of Jenna’s spreads I’ve not done before. So we’re doing this live. Shuffle, cut, deal. I’m using my Celtic Tarot deck.

Based on Jenna Reynolds’ Creating a World Spread

Starting at 12 o’clock we have:

• Religion/Magic — The Empress — This card reminds me of Druids. I’d start by researching Druids, creating the beliefs and mythos around that.

• Economics — 3 of Chalices — Water is the currency. Salt water is the third (or lowest) tier, fresh water is the second, and rain water is the first tier.

• Arts, Play, and Fun — Reversed 9 of Pentacles — That bird stands out to me. Pets are a huge part of the people’s lives. When I think of birds I think of singing and music which remind me of dancing. The Pentacles appear gold but that’s not a currency to the people rather it’s the metal with which they craft their statues and sculptures. The card has a water color feel which is another art medium for the people of this world.

• Military/Warfare — 9 of Swords — The people of this world fight with swords and fire. Their warfare is medieval.

• Language — 5 of Wands — This card reminds me of Native American Indians dancing around a fire to tell of stories of the hunt, the battle victories, etc. I’d research one of the nations to create the language.

• Urban and Rural — 4 of Wands — Again this card reminds me of Native American Indians. I would focus my research in that area.

• History — Ace of Swords — That looks like a crown on the sword. The background is fiery. The history of this world is rife with hostile coups for the monarchy.

• Biome (Climate and Geography) — The Magician — The majority of the world is lush and fertile for growing crops. The man is wearing a hat and very little clothing, there are periods of intense heat, perhaps like the high desert or the surrounding mountains.

• Education — Reversed King of Swords — The reversed nature of this card talks about cruelty and/or barbarity which makes me think about the way the sons of Sparta were trained in the movie 300.

• Societal Roles — Reversed Knight of Swords — This card screams warrior to me. I think there would be a warrior cast, a merchant cast, etc.

• Science and Technology — 6 of Swords — This card gives me the feeling of Vikings invading. I’d research their science and technology and combine it with the Druid information.

• Law, Crime, and Ethics — 2 of Chalices — This card give me the impression of a feudal lord, no idea why, and that works for the legal system on this world so I’d go with it. Ethics is harder to nail down. (Matter of fact, I’m drawing a blank as I type this. Remember I’m doing this live. So, I’d probably draw a qualifying card to help pin down the ethics if I was creating this world for a story I was actually writing.)

• Marriage, Sex, Kinship — Ace of Wands — That looks like a tree branch which makes me think of family trees thus I’d say family is tight-knit, often many generations living in one home. The single hand makes me think of the old Scottish custom of Handfasting, and I love that! (Couples would marry by Handfasting — basically that means they would live together for one year and a day then if a child is born or at least conceived within that time the couple would be legally married.) And the sex I’ll leave to Maria Zannini as she’s got a way with alien sex and this is feeling like a fantasy or alien world.

• Political System — 6 of Pentacles — I already mentioned a monarchy so I’ll stick with that. Additionally, this card shows a set of scales and the six Pentacles are very prominent which says the monarchy is advised by six counsel members to keep things in balance. For kicks and giggles, I’m going to add that those six counsel members can veto the monarchy.

• At the center is the Name of the World (an optional card draw) — Reversed Knight of Pentacles — I called this an optional card draw because you may already know the name of your world before you do the spread. I didn’t know the name so drew the card. That looks like a dragon. Loving dragons right now. However, it’s late and my mind is turning to mush. The name on the card is Cavaliere di Denari. How about Dragari? Or, Dengon? Just plain Cavaliere is kinda cool too. So many choices

What about you? What world did you see in the cards? I’d love it if you shared in the comments.

There’s been some interest in a Q&A and/or Tarot 101 post. What I’ll do is gather up all the questions y’all note in the comments on any of the Tarot posts and write up a post at the end of the series. Thank you for the interest and support of this series.

MayNoWriMo 2011 Update

Well, June now

I joined Joely Sue Burkhart’s writing challenge in the hopes of finishing the first pass of revisions on my WiP.

Sixth weekly update…the wee beasties are officially out of school for the summer. I’m still plugging away at Act two, part two and while I’m not done with the revisions of this section I am feeling better about it overall. I’m about half way through, working to add layers and words. So I keep on keeping on.

To make it accountable, I said:

• Act One (16K) the first week — done (over the 16K goal by about 100 words)
• Act Two, part one (16K) the second week — done (shy of the 16K goal by about 600 words)
• Act Two, part two (16K) the third week
• Act Three (16K) the forth week

How did working toward your goals go this week?

Staying on Task Update

I’m interrupting the Tarot series — life got in the way this last week so I didn’t get around to doing the next spread — but never fear, it will return next Thursday.

Dug from the movie UP

Six weeks ago I posted Staying on Task…SQUIRREL! about my attempt to find a schedule that worked. If you’ll remember, I posted this schedule:

1. Walking and/or D&E Writing (new wordage)
2. [30]Professional: Check E-mail, Social Media, and Blog Comments (on my blog not following up on others)
3. [60]General Cleaning and Laundry
4. Professional: Google Reader and Commenting (Twitter for re-tweets only)
5. ___
6. ___
7. [15]Personal: Check E-mail, Facebook, and Blog Comments (on my blog not following up on others)
8. ___
9. Personal: Google Reader and Commenting
10. ___
11. Professional: Research, Write, and/or Schedule Blog Post
12. [30]Professional: Check E-mail, Social Media, and Blog Comments
13. [30]Zone Cleaning, Re-boot Laundry (put in dryer), and Hot Spot Cleaning
14. ___
15. ___
16. Personal: Research, Write, and/or Schedule Blog Post
17. [15]Personal: Check E-mail, Facebook, and Blog Comments
18. ___
19. ___
20. ___
21. ___
22. [30]Professional: Check E-mail, Social Media, and Blog Comments
23. END DAY WITH SOMETHING FUN!

It takes about three weeks to develop a habit…I’ve had six. How did I do?

Well, I’ve been good about the Dark & Early for walking. The new dog has helped immensely with getting this done, no room for the “I’m too tired this morning” excuse. Currently, I’m working on revisions which I’ve learned through trail and error isn’t something I can work on D&E, so the writing aspect of #1 has not come into play yet.

#2 and #4 (as well as #7 and #9) have merged into one often lasting much longer than the allotted time. I’m not calling it a fail but it’s not a success either. Sadly I’ve not been as active in the commenting part #4 and #9 as I’d like but I’ve learned this is the area that suffers when I’m short on time.

#3 is a success but I kinda stacked the deck in my favor with that one.

#13 is mostly a success but like #3 I kinda stacked the deck with it as it has been a part of my routine for a while.

#11 and #16 have mostly been a success…posts continue to be posted…but the daily dedication to it is perhaps more 50/50. (Heck, this post is proof.)

All those blank spots were for the write-ins that came up on a daily basis. Overall, I’d say this schedule has been a success. However, with the addition of the dog and the advent of summer break starting today, I see a real need to revise this schedule.

Sigh. It’s almost like starting from scratch.

Any writerly tips and tricks?

MayNoWriMo 2011 Update

Well, June now, I guess.

I joined Joely Sue Burkhart’s writing challenge in the hopes of finishing the first pass of revisions on my WiP.

Fifth weekly update…yeah, epic fail.

I knew going in this section needed the most work and sadly I was sidetracked with a lot of family stuff. I know I won’t be finished by Thursday (last day of school for the wee beasties) but I’m keeping on. I’m now crossing fingers that I’ll at least get through Act Two, part two before Thursday

To make it accountable, I said:

• Act One (16K) the first week
• Act Two, part one (16K) the second week
• Act Two, part two (16K) the third week
• Act Three (16K) the forth week

How did working toward your goals go this week?

Tarot: The Hero’s Journey

Welcome to my series of Using Tarot in Writing based on Jenna Reynolds’ Tarot spreads. If you’re just joining the series, you may want to catch up on the earlier installments before continuing with this one.
Part one, Introduction
Part two, Plotting and Brainstorming
Part three, Character Circle
Part four, Character Creation

Part 5, The Hero’s Journey ~ Wheel of Destiny

Before I get into this post I want to mention Christopher Vogler’s The Writers Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers (a recommended read). This book opened my eyes to so many aspects of writing I don’t think I could sum it up and do it justice. In my humble opinion, you should read this book prior to applying Tarot to the formula of the Hero’s Journey.

Side note: I love that diagram because it shows both the Hero’s Journey AND the Character Arc WITH the Acts.

When it comes to Tarot, you have a bit of a built-in Hero’s Journey within the Major Arcana, it’s called the Fool’s Journey. If you lay out the numbered cards in three rows of seven you end up with the three stages of life — youth, maturity, and mastery. For more information on that, I refer you back to Corrine Kenner’s Tarot for Writers where she has a chapter on Tarot Journeys.

Going back to Jenna Reynold’s spread, we can follow the Hero’s Journey using just the Major Arcana or the whole deck.

This spread reads counter-clockwise: Ordinary World, Call to Adventure, Refusal of the Call, Meeting the Mentor, Crossing the Threshold, Tests-Allies-Enemies, Approach the Inmost Cave, the Ordeal, Reward, Road Back, Rebirth, Return with the Elixir

Based on Jenna Reynolds’ The Hero’s Journey ~ Wheel of Destiny Spread

Using just the Major Arcana of my Angel Tarot Deck ~

Act 1 (Separation)

• Ordinary World — The Star — Our young heroine, Roxanne, daydreams of being anywhere else while helping out on her family’s farm.

• Call to Adventure –The Hanged Man — Roxanne returns to the farmhouse and meets an uncle she didn’t know she had. He offers to take her home with him for a visit.

• Refusal of the Call — The High Priestess, reversed — Roxanne is interested but her parents need her help on the farm now that her brothers are away at university.

• Meeting the Mentor — Strength — At school the next day Roxanne mentions her uncle’s offer. Her teacher encourages Roxanne to take the chance and assures Roxanne her parents can get by for a few days without her.

Act 2 – A (Descent)

• Crossing the Threshold — Temperance — Roxanne agrees to go with her uncle for just one weekend.

• Tests, Allies, and Enemies — Justice — Roxanne’s uncle shows her a world vastly different from life on the farm, on the edge of a small town. She likes this new world and the possibilities it holds but struggles to balance her excitement for the adventure with her sense of responsibility to her parents.

• Approach the Inmost Cave — The Tower — Roxanne gets separated from her uncle during one outing. She can’t find him, he’s not listed in the phone book, and she can’t reach her parents.

• The Ordeal — The Magician, reversed — Roxanne gets the help of a psychic but ends up kidnapped.

Act 2 – B (Initiation)

• Reward — The Hierophant — While held captive, Roxanne befriends a young man, Michael, and they plot their escape.

• Road Back — The Fool — Roxanne and Michael break free but are chased by the false psychic’s dogs. They run blindly through fields.

Act 3 (Return)

• Rebirth — The Wheel of Fortune — Gasping for breath at the top of a hill, Roxanne recognizes where they are: just outside of the carnival where she first got separated from her uncle.

• Return with the Elixir — The World — Reunited with her frantic uncle, Roxanne realizes life on the farm isn’t so bad after all.

Perhaps overly simplified (and a little Wizard of Oz) but I think you get the idea. Now, you give it a try…

Based on Jenna Reynolds’ The Hero’s Journey ~ Wheel of Destiny Spread

Using all the cards of my Celtic Tarot ~

(I’ve included some keywords/phrases from Tarot for Writers to get you started.)

Act 1 (Separation)

• Ordinary World — 7 of Cups, reversed (indecisiveness, error, ambivalence)

• Call to Adventure –3 of Pentacles, reversed (mediocrity, puerility, pettiness, weakness, humility)

• Refusal of the Call — Strength (strength, power, energy, force, fortitude, heart, lust, life force, will, self-control, self-esteem, self-preservation, animal nature, instinct, heroism, ability, mastery, courage)

• Meeting the Mentor — Knave of Pentacles, reversed (delays in physical development and maturity)

Act 2 – A (Descent)

• Crossing the Threshold — 2 of Cups (love, attraction, romance, passion, desire, marriage, union, affinity, friendship, compatibility, affection, faithfulness, harmony, pleasure)

• Tests, Allies, and Enemies — 9 of Cups (social events, parties, gatherings, a comfortable mix of business and pleasure)

• Approach the Inmost Cave — King of Pentacles (a savvy and successful businessman, wealth, investment, business acumen, mathematical ability, success)

• The Ordeal — 3 of Swords, reversed (healing, recovery, blessings in disguise)

Act 2 – B (Initiation)

• Reward — 9 of Wands, reversed (obstacles, adversity, calamity, weakness, character flaws, fearfulness)

• Road Back — The Sun (consciousness, optimism, happiness, contentment, enthusiasm, joy, light, enlightenment, clarity, glory, heat, passion, radiance, action, celebration, the ego, eclipses)

Act 3 (Return)

• Rebirth — Three of Wands (established strength, business leadership and acumen, trade, commerce, cooperation, discovery)

• Return with the Elixir — The Star, reversed (broken dreams, dashed hopes, disappointments, unfulfilled wishes, darkness, obscurity)

So, what did you end up with? I’d love for you to share in the comments.

There’s been some interest in a Q&A and/or Tarot 101 post. What I’ll do is gather up all the questions y’all note in the comments on any of the Tarot posts and write up a post at the end of the series. Thank you for the interest and support of this series.