I did it! Using tarot cards, I actually wrote a novel. Well, very nearly. I wrote the required 50K by November 30 and before this week is up,  I’ll have finished the story.

The process was very interesting. I used Corrine Kenner’s Tarot for Writers to get started. I created characters using the spreads in the book. I  also used a three-card, a six-card, and a Celtic Cross spread for plot development. For me, the character creation was the most interesting and the most fun. In the end, I think they, more than the plot spreads, drove the action.

The protagonist’s foil, Alice, has been my favorite character. In this steampunk version of late 1890s St. Paul, MN, Alice is a priestess in a temple dedicated to the three faces of the goddess. She is an oracle and her medium is photography. Using solutions and chemicals infused with magical herbs for developing, the image becomes not the picture of the seeker that Alice shot but a message from the goddess.

The novel turned out to be more an exploration of the nature of divination and destiny and one’s role in creating the future than anything else.

So tarot created the story on many levels. Below is Alice’s spread. What kind of character would you create using that spread? How have you used tarot creatively? Did you participate in NaNoWriMo? Let me know in the comments

After a short introduction to tarot, Tarot for Writers delves into character creation. So that’s also where I started. Corrine doesn’t just teach about tarot, she also teaches writing and explains the various types of characters: protagonist, antagonist, foils, supporting characters, and stock characters. The first writing practice is to pull a card for each character. Later, cards are pulled to further develop the characters.

I’m going to use the Lo Scarabeo Tarot for all my basic outlining, such as character identification and basic plot. I’m using the Fey Tarot for further character development and the Tarot of the Sweet Twilight for further plot development. I have not yet decided on which deck to use for the setting. The Lo Scarabeo Tarot is a very basic, easy deck (for me), which is why I’m using it for outlining. The Fey and Sweet Twilight are not very traditional, which is why I’m using them…to purposely get lost in the images and to kick start my imagination. So, as you track my progress, know that many of my notes and decisions will be based on intuition and ideas that strike my fancy rather than traditional card meanings.

So far, I only have cards pulled for the protagonist, protagonist’s foil, antagonist, and antagonist’s foil. Here are the main character identifications:

I think it is very interesting that the protag and the antag are both threes and that both the foils are naturally reflective (one gazing into a mirror, the other gazing into a cup), which is exactly what they should be. Even thought the character in the 3 of Pentacles looks male, my main character will be female. I am using these cards for general appearance, character, and what they do, although other cards will flesh these ideas out quite a bit.

Filling in some details

After general character identification, Corrine walks us through character building. I selected some of the questions she provided and pulled cards for each of my four main characters. The questions I selected from Corrine’s list include (followed by the spread position name I used in parentheses):

What does your character look like? (Appearance)

How does your character spend his or her free time? (Hobby)

Does your character have a spouse, children, or pets? (Family)

What are your characters hopes and dreams? (Hopes & Dreams)

What does your character fear the most? (Greatest Fear)

I did all four characters but am only posting the protag and her foil (mostly because I think I might like the foil better than the protag—is that going to be a problem later, I wonder?).

Protagonist

She is younger, maybe late teens or early 20s and a craftsperson’s apprentice. She is rather plain and serviceable in appearance but loves to decorate herself with all kinds of accessories. Her hobby is fencing but she’s absolute rubbish at it. Her family consists of her sister (who is her foil) and her father, an impenetrable man who just wants to be left alone to watch the world go by. She dreams of someday having a “normal” family. Her greatest fear is things not going according to plan. Sadly, she has no name yet. Anyone care to christen her?

Protagonist’s Foil

She is a sibyl at a local temple and I think she is the protag’s older sister. She is bright and colorful, as unlike the moon as one can be…bright copper hair, freckles, and she adores the sun. She loves good food and beautiful things…and she particularly loves games of chance (very unlike her sister and an interesting amusement for an oracle, don’t you think?). She considers her sister priestesses as her family, although she and her sister do have a special bond. That book she’s reading might play a role in the story, being a portal into another world. She hopes one day to not just to serve the goddess but also to rise in her profession and wield real power, perhaps as a kind of demigod. Her greatest fear is falling in love.

Stay tuned for more characters, plots spreads, and who knows…maybe even a setting. Let me know how your novel is coming. If you post your NaNoWriMo tarot usage on a blog, include the link in the comments. Feel free to add me as a writing buddy (and let me know, so I can add you). My user name is mysticfaerie.

Contest Winner Announcement and Special Halloween Treat!

Don’t forget, on Thursday I’ll announce the winner of the Tarot of the Sweet Twilight and will present a very special interview with an artist who is a true treat.