A guide to using the Tarot as a tool in crafting characters, plots, and settings. Included are various spreads and interpretations I've come up with over the years, for use in my own projects. Any deck can be used, though I highly suggest the Rider...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
I've begun delving into short stories a lot more over the past several months, and I came up with this little spread to assist in planning and brainstorming ideas. Shorts share much in common with longer writing projects, but there's also many differences, the most obvious being limited word count to portray character, world, and plot with. I like to think of a short story as a snapshot of a larger situation. We only get to see a slice of what's going on, and that slice has to pack as much as possible to hook a reader. Short stories can be harder to write well than a novel, but the satisfaction of completing a well-turned piece is great for any writer's ego, and is great practice for developing our craft.
This nine card spread focuses on the basic points I've found essential when formulating a new piece. As always, this can be adapted to suit your particular needs and project. Each point will be derived from a single card, but you may draw additional cards from the deck to get more detail about a subject.
1: Theme: The overall mood, atmosphere and theme
2: Setting:The world or environment in which the story takes place
3: Protagonist:The main POV character or narrator
4: Major Characters: The other players in the story. Sidekicks, allies, family/friends, mentor, etc.
5: Motivation/Goal:What the protagonist/s want to accomplish, dream of, or hope for
6: Challenge/Antagonist:The obstacles standing in the way of the protagonist and their goals
7: Twist:An unexpected event or situation to complicate things, and to escalate the plot toward the climax
8: Climax:The big showdown, high point of the story, when everything comes to a head
9: Outcome:The resolution of the story, after the journey is complete. This card reflects the changes the characters have undergone over the course of the plot
