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authors, books, brainstorming, character development, characters, Debra Dixon, GMC, Goal Motivation & Conflict, HEA, Jenna Reynolds, plotting, Raelyn Barclay, readers, reading, recommended reads, tarot, tarot spreads, writers, writing
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 read the part one Introduction before continuing with this installment.
Part 2, Plotting and Brainstorming
I’m using my Celtic Tarot deck for this exercise and it switches out the elements between swords and wands. As I’m just brainstorming I’m not going to focus on the elements right now. I’m also doing this real time. I shuffled the deck, cut it, dealt it, and this is what I ended up with.
Let’s start with the lead character’s Goal, Stakes, and Obstacles — the bottom half of the spread.
Based on the first card on the top half of the spread, I’m going to say my lead is a woman and I’ve named her Regina (from the bottom of the card) Thorn (a play on throne).
- Goal: 2 of Cups
Regina is happy in her career as a guidance counselor and per her ten year plan she’s now ready to take the plunge into marriage. She’s known she’d marry Darin Knight for years because they’ve been dating off and mostly on since college.
- Stakes: 4 of Wands
Regina is so sure she’ll marry Darin that wedding preparations are already underway. Everyone knows about the wedding except the groom and Regina will never live up to it if he turns her down.
- Obstacles: 3 of Swords
A funny thing happened on the way to the wedding…Regina fell in love with someone else.
So, a little GMC *(Goal, Motivation, and Conflict) for Regina:
School guidance counselor, Regina Thorn, wants to marry her college sweetheart because both their careers are established and it’s time, but on the way to the alter Regina meets and fall in love with another man.
Not the strongest but we’re just brainstorming here. Still plenty of time to add, change, etc.
Now, let’s look at the top part of the spread.
Act One:
- Beginning: Queen of Cups
Regina is at work, she and Darin are in one of their “off again” periods, and she’s pensive. How can she win him back?
- The Trigger Event: The Hierophant
Regina volunteers at the community center where Darin teaches swimming every weekend but Darin resists her charms.
Act Two:
- Midpoint: The Lovers
Just as Darin seems to be coming around to Regina’s way of thinking, she meets therapist, Keith Painter. Keith fulfills holes she didn’t know she had.
Or maybe, Regina starts going out with Keith to make Darin jealous.
Act Three:
- The Black Moment: 2 of Swords
Both men want her, she wants both men, but she can’t have both and the two men are pulling her apart.
Or maybe, making Darin jealous backfires and he walks out of Regina’s life.
- End: 10 of Cups (I love getting this card, especially at the end. It always spells HEA for me.)
Regina’s choice was hard won but she got her man and the family she dreamt about. (And no I’m not saying which one, LOL)
And all of that gets me thinking about the antagonist in this story.
Is it Darin?
Astronomer, Darin Knight, wants to keep the friends with benefits relationship with Regina as is because he’s still not ready for marriage but his college words are coming back to haunt him, “Let’s give it ten years, get our careers established first, then we’ll get married.” Time has run out.
Or, is it Keith?
Shy occupational therapist, Keith Painter, has admired Regina from afar and wants to show her all men aren’t players because he’s watched Regina and Darin for months, knows Darin is just using Regina, but Darin fights for Regina when he’s threatened by Keith.
For Fun:
- What can you add to this brainstorm session?
- Or, do the cards tell you a different story?
No worries if this exercise sparks an idea or two for you — I have no plans to write this one. Besides, the story you write from this spread would be entirely different from mine.
*GMC: Goal, Motivation & Conflict by Debra Dixon is a recommended read.
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.
Keri said:
Awesome post! I think I’ll try this spread to brainstorm for my WIP- it needs a little more conflict in the beginning, I think.
Raelyn Barclay said:
Thanks for stopping by Keri! It’s a fun and easy spread, hope it helps.
Maria Zannini said:
So how much of Tarot do you have to know ahead of time? Is there a meaning to each card or is it more an intuitive interpretation by the person reading the cards?
Raelyn Barclay said:
Hi Maria!
I knew nothing when I started. I’d never held a deck or had a reading or anything other than a vague unease about Tarot. Perhaps a post on just those questions is in order 🙂
I think it’s a little of both. Each deck usually comes with a little booklet which will give the basics, the meanings that deck creator put to the cards. But if you have a deck with images you can go with just that, taking your inspiration from what you see in the images.
For example, when I did the spread for this post I used the images without looking up any of the meanings. In next week’s post I hope you’ll see a bit more of a combination.
Erin Brambilla said:
We’ve both got plotting on the mind today, huh? These posts are so interesting and if you ever did a post answering basic tarot questions (like you said in your reply to previous poster), that would be awesome.
Raelyn Barclay said:
Thanks for stopping by Erin. I guess I need to plan a Q&A post 🙂
Ciara Knight said:
I agree. GMC is a must read! A book to keep on the shelf.
Raelyn Barclay said:
Oh, yeah, definitely keeper material. Thanks for stopping by Ciara!
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Audrey's Writing Closet said:
I used Tarot once to broaden my MC’s but I never thought about using it for an entire WIP. I truly love this. There’s no way anyone could get writer’s block, that’s for sure. I’m going to do this for my next story. Thanks Raelyn. I will be back. 🙂
Raelyn Barclay said:
The possibilities are endless that is for sure 🙂 Glad you found something new to play with.
Thanks for stopping by Audrey.
~Bonnie~ said:
I love this series of articles! Though I cannot get access to the sheets that are mentioned, I opened files for the characters in Scrivener and tried to do the best there in following/ Thanks for posting this.
Raelyn Barclay said:
I’m glad you’re enjoying the Tarot series. There are no specific sheets linked but if you go to this post you’ll find some links to spreads. I love Scrivener but I’ve never tried to post a spread there. I have, however, written the results out similar to this post.
Thanks for stopping by Bonnie.