elizzawrites

[elizzawrites]

Using the Tarot to Outline your Novel (i.e. How to Hit all of the Emotional Beats in your Story) Pt. 3

You can find parts 1 and 2 below, which cover how to outline Act I and Act II respectively

https://elizzawrites.tumblr.com/post/649373445019271168/using-the-tarot-to-outline-your-novel-ie-how-to

https://elizzawrites.tumblr.com/post/649373715585433600/using-the-tarot-to-outline-your-novel-ie-how-to

Act III

The Devil: The protagonist is still vulnerable and uncertain of what path they should be taking. Now is the ideal moment for the antagonist to mess with them psychologically; though, the antagonist does not inherently need to be responsible for this beat. Force your protagonist to face temptation. Offer them what they want but at a great cost. Perhaps if they listen to the advice from Temperance, they will overcome the temptation. Otherwise, they’ll fail. This should force the protagonist to question what they really want and what they’re willing to do to get it.

The Tower: Whether or not the protagonist succumbed to the temptation, the rug needs to be pulled out from under them and it needs to be their fault. The Devil exposed their flaws as well as their desires, and they’ll need to confront those flaws. Perhaps now is the time for the foreshadowing in Justice to pay off.

The Star: The protagonist has hit absolute rock bottom. Ever since Death, things have been going steadily downhill. They’ll need to rally themselves, but they can’t do it alone. They need support from their Lovers character and any other allies they made along the way. These allies are the Star that will guide them out of the darkness. The protagonist can’t be held up by their goals alone anymore.

The Moon: Just because the protagonist has found their guiding Star doesn’t mean their out of the woods yet. The Moon is a moment of both confusion and reflection that should mirror the High Priestess in a lot of ways. The protagonist is forming a new plan, but they know it won’t be easy to pull off.

The Sun: The protagonist has their allies and they have a plan. Now they need to put it into action. Things should be going well for the protagonist during the Sun, and it should look like they’ll succeed without a problem.

Judgement: Before the protagonist can succeed and live happily ever after, the antagonist has one more road block in store for them and it's the toughest one yet. The question you need to answer during Judgement is, did the protagonist learn their lesson? If they did, then they’ll be able to overcome the roadblock. If they didn’t, then they’ll fail. This is a literal judgement of your main character and shouldn’t hinge on the actions of the side characters, even if they are there to support them.

The World: This is the exact opposite of the Fool. Whether your protagonist failed or succeeded, they are an entirely different person and their World has changed because of it. Go back to the beginning and give the audience a glimpse of how the protagonist’s everyday life has changed for the better or worse.

#writeblr #writing #creative writing #writing advice #outlining #novel outline #planning #tarot #novel #amwriting

[elizzawrites]

Using the Tarot to Outline your Novel (i.e. How to Hit all of the Emotional Beats in your Story) Pt. 2

This is a follow up to my post about using the tarot to outline your novel. You can find Pt.1/Act I here: https://elizzawrites.tumblr.com/post/649373445019271168/using-the-tarot-to-outline-your-novel-ie-how-to and Pt.3/Act III here: https://elizzawrites.tumblr.com/post/649374068990148608/using-the-tarot-to-outline-your-novel-ie-how-to

Act II

The Chariot: The protagonist is confident in whatever they plan they came up with during the Hierophant. In fact, they are too confident and charge in without fully understanding the consequences of their actions. It is up to you whether or not this course of action works and to what extent; however, there need to be consequences for the protagonist’s rashness.

Strength: If the Chariot worked well for the Protagonist, then they are high off of that success and have the confidence to go through with their plan. If the Chariot didn’t go well, then the protagonist needs to shake and harden their resolve. They haven’t learned their lesson yet and have only strengthened their determination to do things the wrong way.

The Hermit: If the Lovers showed the audience what the protagonist is like with their other half, then the Hermit shows the audience what the protagonist is like on their own. If you want this to be a moment of abandonment, it can be, but the Hermit is traditionally a moment of quiet contemplation.

The Wheel of Fortune: This one is pretty straightforward, all you need to do is reverse the protagonist’s luck. If things have been going poorly for them, then have something go well. If things have been going well, have something go poorly.

Justice: Whatever happened during the Wheel of Fortune, the protagonist must come to terms with it and understand why it happened. This is where the protagonist begins to realize the consequences, positive and negative, of their actions. This is also the time to show that whatever rules the protagonist was playing by (see Hierophant) will come back to bite them in the ass.

The Hanged Man: After having done some reflecting throughout Act II (see the Hermit and Justice), the protagonist thinks they can see the big picture. The secret of the Hanged Man is that the protagonist believes that whatever hardship they’ve faced so far has given them the perspective they need to complete their journey, but the worst is right around the corner.

Death: This is the moment where the protagonist feels safe and comfortable but their worst fear, the one thing they don’t know how to handle, comes knocking at their door. This is an excellent time for the antagonist to make a big move, while the protagonist is placid. If you want this to be literal, it can be and you can kill off a character.

Temperance: The protagonist is shaken and being pulled in a million different directions. They face what feels like insurmountable odds and need to find balance. Now is a good time to give the protagonist and their Lovers character an emotional moment. The Lovers character should be the perfect balance to the protagonist and thus be able to pull them out of their slump.

#writeblr #writing #outlining #creative writing #writing advice #planning #novel outline #tarot #novel #amwriting

[elizzawrites]

Using the Tarot to Outline your Novel (i.e. How to Hit all of the Emotional Beats in your Story) Pt. 1

The Tarot has a built in story in the form of the Major Arcana that is all about learning lessons and personal growth, which makes it perfect for planning the emotional beats of the novel. Each card is an emotional beat rather than a scene or a plot point. You can combine different beats into single scenes or have one beat stretch across multiple scenes to fit the pacing of your novel. Below is my take on using the tarot to plot out Act I, and I will be creating Act II and Act III. Like I said, this is my personal take, and you are welcome to to disagree or have your own take. In the future, I will also make a post on how to use the Minor Arcana to flesh out your characters and story.

Part 2/Act 2: https://elizzawrites.tumblr.com/post/649373715585433600/using-the-tarot-to-outline-your-novel-ie-how-to

Part 3/Act 3: https://elizzawrites.tumblr.com/post/649374068990148608/using-the-tarot-to-outline-your-novel-ie-how-to

Act I

The Fool: The protagonist living their ordinary life, ignorant and unaware of the trials that they will soon have to face. Now is the time to hint at what’s wrong with their normal life and what their flaws are. If there isn’t something wrong, then they won’t have any motivation to change.

The Magician: The inciting incident. This is a moment of sudden transformation, where the protagonist's life is upended and everything they thought to be true turns out to be false. This should be a drastic transformation such that the protagonist’s life after the incident is unrecognizable.

The High Priestess: The protagonist has a realization about their lives related to the inciting incident that forces them to confront their preconceived notions about themselves and the world around them.

The Empress: The protagonist attempts to deny these realizations and returns to their home or somewhere/someone that brings them comfort.

The Emperor: The protagonist does not receive the comfort they desired and are given advice by someone, possibly in a position of authority over them, that will help them on their journey.

The Hierophant: The protagonist decides to solve their problem through some pre-existing set of rules. This can be society’s rules or their own personal rules.

The Lovers: The protagonist’s closest companion is introduced/re-introduced. This character does not have to be a love interest; they just have to be someone who completes the protagonist in some manner. They can also be a foil and/or rival to the protagonist who makes the protagonist’s flaws all the more obvious. This character should not be the antagonist.

#writeblr #writing #outlining #creative writing #writing advice #planning #tarot #novel #novel outline #amwriting

[elizzawrites]

Using the Tarot to Outline your Novel (i.e. How to Hit all of the Emotional Beats in your Story) Pt. 3

You can find parts 1 and 2 below, which cover how to outline Act I and Act II respectively

https://elizzawrites.tumblr.com/post/649373445019271168/using-the-tarot-to-outline-your-novel-ie-how-to

https://elizzawrites.tumblr.com/post/649373715585433600/using-the-tarot-to-outline-your-novel-ie-how-to

Act III

The Devil: The protagonist is still vulnerable and uncertain of what path they should be taking. Now is the ideal moment for the antagonist to mess with them psychologically; though, the antagonist does not inherently need to be responsible for this beat. Force your protagonist to face temptation. Offer them what they want but at a great cost. Perhaps if they listen to the advice from Temperance, they will overcome the temptation. Otherwise, they’ll fail. This should force the protagonist to question what they really want and what they’re willing to do to get it.

The Tower: Whether or not the protagonist succumbed to the temptation, the rug needs to be pulled out from under them and it needs to be their fault. The Devil exposed their flaws as well as their desires, and they’ll need to confront those flaws. Perhaps now is the time for the foreshadowing in Justice to pay off.

The Star: The protagonist has hit absolute rock bottom. Ever since Death, things have been going steadily downhill. They’ll need to rally themselves, but they can’t do it alone. They need support from their Lovers character and any other allies they made along the way. These allies are the Star that will guide them out of the darkness. The protagonist can’t be held up by their goals alone anymore.

The Moon: Just because the protagonist has found their guiding Star doesn’t mean their out of the woods yet. The Moon is a moment of both confusion and reflection that should mirror the High Priestess in a lot of ways. The protagonist is forming a new plan, but they know it won’t be easy to pull off.

The Sun: The protagonist has their allies and they have a plan. Now they need to put it into action. Things should be going well for the protagonist during the Sun, and it should look like they’ll succeed without a problem.

Judgement: Before the protagonist can succeed and live happily ever after, the antagonist has one more road block in store for them and it's the toughest one yet. The question you need to answer during Judgement is, did the protagonist learn their lesson? If they did, then they’ll be able to overcome the roadblock. If they didn’t, then they’ll fail. This is a literal judgement of your main character and shouldn’t hinge on the actions of the side characters, even if they are there to support them.

The World: This is the exact opposite of the Fool. Whether your protagonist failed or succeeded, they are an entirely different person and their World has changed because of it. Go back to the beginning and give the audience a glimpse of how the protagonist’s everyday life has changed for the better or worse.

#writeblr #writing #creative writing #writing advice #outlining #novel outline #planning #tarot #novel #amwriting

[elizzawrites]

Using the Tarot to Outline your Novel (i.e. How to Hit all of the Emotional Beats in your Story) Pt. 2

This is a follow up to my post about using the tarot to outline your novel. You can find Pt.1/Act I here: https://elizzawrites.tumblr.com/post/649373445019271168/using-the-tarot-to-outline-your-novel-ie-how-to and Pt.3/Act III here: https://elizzawrites.tumblr.com/post/649374068990148608/using-the-tarot-to-outline-your-novel-ie-how-to

Act II

The Chariot: The protagonist is confident in whatever they plan they came up with during the Hierophant. In fact, they are too confident and charge in without fully understanding the consequences of their actions. It is up to you whether or not this course of action works and to what extent; however, there need to be consequences for the protagonist’s rashness.

Strength: If the Chariot worked well for the Protagonist, then they are high off of that success and have the confidence to go through with their plan. If the Chariot didn’t go well, then the protagonist needs to shake and harden their resolve. They haven’t learned their lesson yet and have only strengthened their determination to do things the wrong way.

The Hermit: If the Lovers showed the audience what the protagonist is like with their other half, then the Hermit shows the audience what the protagonist is like on their own. If you want this to be a moment of abandonment, it can be, but the Hermit is traditionally a moment of quiet contemplation.

The Wheel of Fortune: This one is pretty straightforward, all you need to do is reverse the protagonist’s luck. If things have been going poorly for them, then have something go well. If things have been going well, have something go poorly.

Justice: Whatever happened during the Wheel of Fortune, the protagonist must come to terms with it and understand why it happened. This is where the protagonist begins to realize the consequences, positive and negative, of their actions. This is also the time to show that whatever rules the protagonist was playing by (see Hierophant) will come back to bite them in the ass.

The Hanged Man: After having done some reflecting throughout Act II (see the Hermit and Justice), the protagonist thinks they can see the big picture. The secret of the Hanged Man is that the protagonist believes that whatever hardship they’ve faced so far has given them the perspective they need to complete their journey, but the worst is right around the corner.

Death: This is the moment where the protagonist feels safe and comfortable but their worst fear, the one thing they don’t know how to handle, comes knocking at their door. This is an excellent time for the antagonist to make a big move, while the protagonist is placid. If you want this to be literal, it can be and you can kill off a character.

Temperance: The protagonist is shaken and being pulled in a million different directions. They face what feels like insurmountable odds and need to find balance. Now is a good time to give the protagonist and their Lovers character an emotional moment. The Lovers character should be the perfect balance to the protagonist and thus be able to pull them out of their slump.

#writeblr #writing #outlining #creative writing #writing advice #planning #novel outline #tarot #novel #amwriting

[elizzawrites]

Using the Tarot to Outline your Novel (i.e. How to Hit all of the Emotional Beats in your Story) Pt. 1

The Tarot has a built in story in the form of the Major Arcana that is all about learning lessons and personal growth, which makes it perfect for planning the emotional beats of the novel. Each card is an emotional beat rather than a scene or a plot point. You can combine different beats into single scenes or have one beat stretch across multiple scenes to fit the pacing of your novel. Below is my take on using the tarot to plot out Act I, and I will be creating Act II and Act III. Like I said, this is my personal take, and you are welcome to to disagree or have your own take. In the future, I will also make a post on how to use the Minor Arcana to flesh out your characters and story.

Part 2/Act 2: https://elizzawrites.tumblr.com/post/649373715585433600/using-the-tarot-to-outline-your-novel-ie-how-to

Part 3/Act 3: https://elizzawrites.tumblr.com/post/649374068990148608/using-the-tarot-to-outline-your-novel-ie-how-to

Act I

The Fool: The protagonist living their ordinary life, ignorant and unaware of the trials that they will soon have to face. Now is the time to hint at what’s wrong with their normal life and what their flaws are. If there isn’t something wrong, then they won’t have any motivation to change.

The Magician: The inciting incident. This is a moment of sudden transformation, where the protagonist's life is upended and everything they thought to be true turns out to be false. This should be a drastic transformation such that the protagonist’s life after the incident is unrecognizable.

The High Priestess: The protagonist has a realization about their lives related to the inciting incident that forces them to confront their preconceived notions about themselves and the world around them.

The Empress: The protagonist attempts to deny these realizations and returns to their home or somewhere/someone that brings them comfort.

The Emperor: The protagonist does not receive the comfort they desired and are given advice by someone, possibly in a position of authority over them, that will help them on their journey.

The Hierophant: The protagonist decides to solve their problem through some pre-existing set of rules. This can be society’s rules or their own personal rules.

The Lovers: The protagonist’s closest companion is introduced/re-introduced. This character does not have to be a love interest; they just have to be someone who completes the protagonist in some manner. They can also be a foil and/or rival to the protagonist who makes the protagonist’s flaws all the more obvious. This character should not be the antagonist.

#writeblr #writing #outlining #creative writing #writing advice #planning #tarot #novel #novel outline #amwriting

[elizzawrites]

In the same vein of cave paintings having children’s handprints higher than their height suggesting them being lifted up or sitting on the shoulders of adults, there’s footprints in Australia dating to the Ice Age showing a group of adults and children walking to a body a water, and one child breaking away from the group to seemingly skip in a wavy path until rejoining the group

This is like 20 thousand years ago! And the joy and happiness of going to water made this child playfully skip along! It’s universal! Dancing their way back to their family!

In a language we will never hear, a culture we’ll never know, with thoughts and ideas we can only imagine! There are millennia of untold moments of happiness, of human connection and warmth that are gone forever. But they still happened! Did that family even notice the tracks they left? How could they have known that that one day their impossibly distant descendants would be able to see the imprints they made?

Another set of tracks in the same area shows three men hunting a giant kangaroo, running at incredible speeds, but one of them had only one foot! They jumped along on one foot, every so often an imprint from a stick appearing. How did they lose their limb? An accident? A fight? A predator? Was it completely gone or maimed? Was it from birth? Either way this person was cared for by their family and was able to heal and participate fully in life! They most likely felt grief when their family member lost the use of their limb! Who cared for them? Who gave them the stick to help them walk? What kind of joy did their family feel when they made a recovery? Did someone shape and carve the stick? They certainly worked all of their other wooden tools, something as essential that would have been too.

This was during the ice age when Australia became a brutally cold, dry desert. Their entire food system had to change. By all indications it should have been a stark and difficult life of little resources. But no! They worked together! They looked after their wounded and sick! The speed that these hunters were running at was incredible and means they were well fed and healthy! A millennia of helping one another and caring for one another and all we can get are tiny glimpses of these moments did they catch the kangaroo did they laugh and congratulate each other when they did how happy were they to bring it back to their families I just

[elizzawrites]

Hi, if you care about us Autistic folks then please boost this

[elizzawrites]

Now that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and The White House have finalized new nondiscrimination provisions under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, it is more important than ever to know your rights and what to do if you face discrimination. 

To better explain what these protections mean, Out2Enroll partnered with trans comic artist, Dylan Edwards, on a series of illustrated discrimination situations. 

Read up on your rights with this guide from Out2Enroll >> 

[elizzawrites]

WIP Intro: Tales from Aurea

Hi everyone, thought I’d introduce the main story of “Tales from Aurea”!

Genre: High fantasy with elements of horror and mystery

Contains: Supernatural horror, adventure, political intrigue, a demonic cult, dragons, found family, anthro races, LGBTQ+ characters, war, complex worldbuilding, magic, multiple factions of both good and bad characters each with differing and sometimes conflicting goals

Sources of inspiration: The eastern European mythology of dragonmen and hala demons, history - especially of the Roman Empire, elements of Pathfinder/DnD lore, games including Guild Wars 2 and The Elder Scrolls

General warnings: Violence/death, genocide, non-graphic sexual content - please don’t follow unless you are 18+

Status: First drafting, incomplete

Taglist: Let me know if you’d like to be added!

Summary

The Aurean Empire has seen better days.  In centuries past, their vast legions marched across the continent of Calthia.  Now a combination of domestic uprisings and opportunistic raiders has brought the dying Empire to its knees.  What they don’t know is that a single, covert group, the Irkallu, is pulling the strings to orchestrate their downfall.  The Irkallu are powerful, smart, organized - and they seem to be everywhere.  Worst of all, they are zealots who worship an ancient conqueror as an Abyssal god - offering up their bodies as vessels to demons in order to carry out his supposed will.  

There’s only one thing they fear: a legendary people called the zmaj, who have the unique spiritual ability to slay the otherwise immortal demons.  The zmaj, lost to time and history, are scattered, few in number, and almost completely withdrawn from a world who has forgotten them - a weakness the Irkallu intend to exploit before their enemies can remember and unite.  

But then something unforeseen happens: a young zmaj named Kaja shows up in the Aurean Empire, scared and alone, found by people who know nothing of her identity or of the shadow war they unwittingly step into when they choose to help her.  As the companions get drawn further and further into the conflict, it becomes increasingly clear what they need to do: they must find Kaja’s people before the Irkallu do, and rally them to the fight.

Because the collapse of the Aurean Empire is just the opening act.

The Main Cast

Kaja  |  Zmaj  |  She/her  |  The Lost Child

Jo  |  Natiuhan  |  She/her  |  The Disgraced Warrior

Sakrattars  |  Elf  |  He/him  |  The Academy Dropout

Leif  |  Human  |  He/him  |  The Drunken Fighter

Amale  |  Lycaeon  |  He/him  |  The Tracker for Hire

[elizzawrites]

How to Support Authors Without Spending Any Money

[elizzawrites]

So, India is dying.

Look, I know a good number of you are from the US and things aren't amazing there either, but my country is literally on the brink of collapse. So I'd love it if we could talk about that for a minute.

If you can't do anything else, please just read and reblog.

A second COVID wave has taken out the healthcare system. There are no more hospital beds. There's an oxygen shortage. There's a critical vaccine shortage. The Central Government has thrown its hands up and is passing the baton to the State Governments to do what they can.

There are over 16 million covid cases. A record 330,000 new cases reported yesterday - comparable to the US at its peak. 187,000 dead as of today.

There is no plan.

Mass cremations are taking place. The cremation grounds are running day and night and they are short on wood. People are watching their loved ones die while waiting for a hospital bed, and then they're unable to give them the proper burial rights.

Hospitals are overwhelmed. Patients are being confined, two to a bed. They're the lucky ones.

We are on the verge of people dying in the streets.

This is the second-most populous country in the world. The largest democracy. A country that encapsulates over 15,000 years of recorded human history and has endured everything from famine to invasion to colonisation.

We might be at the end. This might be the thing that does us in.

People are dying.

People are dying.

People are dying and there is no plan.

More good news? Variants are popping up. A double mutation strain has shown up. It is resistant to current vaccines. This will not go away. This is the devastation they warned of when the anti-maskers were out protesting the minor inconvenience of covering their face in public.

My country is on the verge of an emergency state. Our government has failed us. This is as dire a situation as it ever could be.

Look. I don't do much with my life. I write fics, some of you have read them and that's pretty much it. I spend my days with my head in the clouds because that's where I like to be.

But two days ago, my grandmother tested positive, had to be taken to hospital and the ambulance caught fire.

She barely made it to the urgent care she needs.

So, here I am, using whatever meager platform I have to cobble this request together. Because I have to do something.

If you can, donate.

Or spread the word.

Help. Please.

[elizzawrites]

Using the Tarot to Outline your Novel (i.e. How to Hit all of the Emotional Beats in your Story) Pt. 3

You can find parts 1 and 2 below, which cover how to outline Act I and Act II respectively

https://elizzawrites.tumblr.com/post/649373445019271168/using-the-tarot-to-outline-your-novel-ie-how-to

https://elizzawrites.tumblr.com/post/649373715585433600/using-the-tarot-to-outline-your-novel-ie-how-to

Act III

The Devil: The protagonist is still vulnerable and uncertain of what path they should be taking. Now is the ideal moment for the antagonist to mess with them psychologically; though, the antagonist does not inherently need to be responsible for this beat. Force your protagonist to face temptation. Offer them what they want but at a great cost. Perhaps if they listen to the advice from Temperance, they will overcome the temptation. Otherwise, they’ll fail. This should force the protagonist to question what they really want and what they’re willing to do to get it.

The Tower: Whether or not the protagonist succumbed to the temptation, the rug needs to be pulled out from under them and it needs to be their fault. The Devil exposed their flaws as well as their desires, and they’ll need to confront those flaws. Perhaps now is the time for the foreshadowing in Justice to pay off.

The Star: The protagonist has hit absolute rock bottom. Ever since Death, things have been going steadily downhill. They’ll need to rally themselves, but they can’t do it alone. They need support from their Lovers character and any other allies they made along the way. These allies are the Star that will guide them out of the darkness. The protagonist can’t be held up by their goals alone anymore.

The Moon: Just because the protagonist has found their guiding Star doesn’t mean their out of the woods yet. The Moon is a moment of both confusion and reflection that should mirror the High Priestess in a lot of ways. The protagonist is forming a new plan, but they know it won’t be easy to pull off.

The Sun: The protagonist has their allies and they have a plan. Now they need to put it into action. Things should be going well for the protagonist during the Sun, and it should look like they’ll succeed without a problem.

Judgement: Before the protagonist can succeed and live happily ever after, the antagonist has one more road block in store for them and it's the toughest one yet. The question you need to answer during Judgement is, did the protagonist learn their lesson? If they did, then they’ll be able to overcome the roadblock. If they didn’t, then they’ll fail. This is a literal judgement of your main character and shouldn’t hinge on the actions of the side characters, even if they are there to support them.

The World: This is the exact opposite of the Fool. Whether your protagonist failed or succeeded, they are an entirely different person and their World has changed because of it. Go back to the beginning and give the audience a glimpse of how the protagonist’s everyday life has changed for the better or worse.

[elizzawrites]

Using the Tarot to Outline your Novel (i.e. How to Hit all of the Emotional Beats in your Story) Pt. 2

This is a follow up to my post about using the tarot to outline your novel. You can find Pt.1/Act I here: https://elizzawrites.tumblr.com/post/649373445019271168/using-the-tarot-to-outline-your-novel-ie-how-to and Pt.3/Act III here: https://elizzawrites.tumblr.com/post/649374068990148608/using-the-tarot-to-outline-your-novel-ie-how-to

Act II

The Chariot: The protagonist is confident in whatever they plan they came up with during the Hierophant. In fact, they are too confident and charge in without fully understanding the consequences of their actions. It is up to you whether or not this course of action works and to what extent; however, there need to be consequences for the protagonist’s rashness.

Strength: If the Chariot worked well for the Protagonist, then they are high off of that success and have the confidence to go through with their plan. If the Chariot didn’t go well, then the protagonist needs to shake and harden their resolve. They haven’t learned their lesson yet and have only strengthened their determination to do things the wrong way.

The Hermit: If the Lovers showed the audience what the protagonist is like with their other half, then the Hermit shows the audience what the protagonist is like on their own. If you want this to be a moment of abandonment, it can be, but the Hermit is traditionally a moment of quiet contemplation.

The Wheel of Fortune: This one is pretty straightforward, all you need to do is reverse the protagonist’s luck. If things have been going poorly for them, then have something go well. If things have been going well, have something go poorly.

Justice: Whatever happened during the Wheel of Fortune, the protagonist must come to terms with it and understand why it happened. This is where the protagonist begins to realize the consequences, positive and negative, of their actions. This is also the time to show that whatever rules the protagonist was playing by (see Hierophant) will come back to bite them in the ass.

The Hanged Man: After having done some reflecting throughout Act II (see the Hermit and Justice), the protagonist thinks they can see the big picture. The secret of the Hanged Man is that the protagonist believes that whatever hardship they’ve faced so far has given them the perspective they need to complete their journey, but the worst is right around the corner.

Death: This is the moment where the protagonist feels safe and comfortable but their worst fear, the one thing they don’t know how to handle, comes knocking at their door. This is an excellent time for the antagonist to make a big move, while the protagonist is placid. If you want this to be literal, it can be and you can kill off a character.

Temperance: The protagonist is shaken and being pulled in a million different directions. They face what feels like insurmountable odds and need to find balance. Now is a good time to give the protagonist and their Lovers character an emotional moment. The Lovers character should be the perfect balance to the protagonist and thus be able to pull them out of their slump.

[elizzawrites]

Using the Tarot to Outline your Novel (i.e. How to Hit all of the Emotional Beats in your Story) Pt. 1

The Tarot has a built in story in the form of the Major Arcana that is all about learning lessons and personal growth, which makes it perfect for planning the emotional beats of the novel. Each card is an emotional beat rather than a scene or a plot point. You can combine different beats into single scenes or have one beat stretch across multiple scenes to fit the pacing of your novel. Below is my take on using the tarot to plot out Act I, and I will be creating Act II and Act III. Like I said, this is my personal take, and you are welcome to to disagree or have your own take. In the future, I will also make a post on how to use the Minor Arcana to flesh out your characters and story.

Part 2/Act 2: https://elizzawrites.tumblr.com/post/649373715585433600/using-the-tarot-to-outline-your-novel-ie-how-to

Part 3/Act 3: https://elizzawrites.tumblr.com/post/649374068990148608/using-the-tarot-to-outline-your-novel-ie-how-to

Act I

The Fool: The protagonist living their ordinary life, ignorant and unaware of the trials that they will soon have to face. Now is the time to hint at what’s wrong with their normal life and what their flaws are. If there isn’t something wrong, then they won’t have any motivation to change.

The Magician: The inciting incident. This is a moment of sudden transformation, where the protagonist's life is upended and everything they thought to be true turns out to be false. This should be a drastic transformation such that the protagonist’s life after the incident is unrecognizable.

The High Priestess: The protagonist has a realization about their lives related to the inciting incident that forces them to confront their preconceived notions about themselves and the world around them.

The Empress: The protagonist attempts to deny these realizations and returns to their home or somewhere/someone that brings them comfort.

The Emperor: The protagonist does not receive the comfort they desired and are given advice by someone, possibly in a position of authority over them, that will help them on their journey.

The Hierophant: The protagonist decides to solve their problem through some pre-existing set of rules. This can be society’s rules or their own personal rules.

The Lovers: The protagonist’s closest companion is introduced/re-introduced. This character does not have to be a love interest; they just have to be someone who completes the protagonist in some manner. They can also be a foil and/or rival to the protagonist who makes the protagonist’s flaws all the more obvious. This character should not be the antagonist.

[elizzawrites]

Using the Tarot to Outline your Novel (i.e. How to Hit all of the Emotional Beats in your Story) Pt. 3

You can find parts 1 and 2 below, which cover how to outline Act I and Act II respectively

https://elizzawrites.tumblr.com/post/649373445019271168/using-the-tarot-to-outline-your-novel-ie-how-to

https://elizzawrites.tumblr.com/post/649373715585433600/using-the-tarot-to-outline-your-novel-ie-how-to

Act III

The Devil: The protagonist is still vulnerable and uncertain of what path they should be taking. Now is the ideal moment for the antagonist to mess with them psychologically; though, the antagonist does not inherently need to be responsible for this beat. Force your protagonist to face temptation. Offer them what they want but at a great cost. Perhaps if they listen to the advice from Temperance, they will overcome the temptation. Otherwise, they’ll fail. This should force the protagonist to question what they really want and what they’re willing to do to get it.

The Tower: Whether or not the protagonist succumbed to the temptation, the rug needs to be pulled out from under them and it needs to be their fault. The Devil exposed their flaws as well as their desires, and they’ll need to confront those flaws. Perhaps now is the time for the foreshadowing in Justice to pay off.

The Star: The protagonist has hit absolute rock bottom. Ever since Death, things have been going steadily downhill. They’ll need to rally themselves, but they can’t do it alone. They need support from their Lovers character and any other allies they made along the way. These allies are the Star that will guide them out of the darkness. The protagonist can’t be held up by their goals alone anymore.

The Moon: Just because the protagonist has found their guiding Star doesn’t mean their out of the woods yet. The Moon is a moment of both confusion and reflection that should mirror the High Priestess in a lot of ways. The protagonist is forming a new plan, but they know it won’t be easy to pull off.

The Sun: The protagonist has their allies and they have a plan. Now they need to put it into action. Things should be going well for the protagonist during the Sun, and it should look like they’ll succeed without a problem.

Judgement: Before the protagonist can succeed and live happily ever after, the antagonist has one more road block in store for them and it's the toughest one yet. The question you need to answer during Judgement is, did the protagonist learn their lesson? If they did, then they’ll be able to overcome the roadblock. If they didn’t, then they’ll fail. This is a literal judgement of your main character and shouldn’t hinge on the actions of the side characters, even if they are there to support them.

The World: This is the exact opposite of the Fool. Whether your protagonist failed or succeeded, they are an entirely different person and their World has changed because of it. Go back to the beginning and give the audience a glimpse of how the protagonist’s everyday life has changed for the better or worse.

#writeblr #writing #creative writing #writing advice #outlining #novel outline #planning #tarot

[elizzawrites]

Using the Tarot to Outline your Novel (i.e. How to Hit all of the Emotional Beats in your Story) Pt. 2

This is a follow up to my post about using the tarot to outline your novel. You can find Pt.1/Act I here: https://elizzawrites.tumblr.com/post/649373445019271168/using-the-tarot-to-outline-your-novel-ie-how-to and Pt.3/Act III here: https://elizzawrites.tumblr.com/post/649374068990148608/using-the-tarot-to-outline-your-novel-ie-how-to

Act II

The Chariot: The protagonist is confident in whatever they plan they came up with during the Hierophant. In fact, they are too confident and charge in without fully understanding the consequences of their actions. It is up to you whether or not this course of action works and to what extent; however, there need to be consequences for the protagonist’s rashness.

Strength: If the Chariot worked well for the Protagonist, then they are high off of that success and have the confidence to go through with their plan. If the Chariot didn’t go well, then the protagonist needs to shake and harden their resolve. They haven’t learned their lesson yet and have only strengthened their determination to do things the wrong way.

The Hermit: If the Lovers showed the audience what the protagonist is like with their other half, then the Hermit shows the audience what the protagonist is like on their own. If you want this to be a moment of abandonment, it can be, but the Hermit is traditionally a moment of quiet contemplation.

The Wheel of Fortune: This one is pretty straightforward, all you need to do is reverse the protagonist’s luck. If things have been going poorly for them, then have something go well. If things have been going well, have something go poorly.

Justice: Whatever happened during the Wheel of Fortune, the protagonist must come to terms with it and understand why it happened. This is where the protagonist begins to realize the consequences, positive and negative, of their actions. This is also the time to show that whatever rules the protagonist was playing by (see Hierophant) will come back to bite them in the ass.

The Hanged Man: After having done some reflecting throughout Act II (see the Hermit and Justice), the protagonist thinks they can see the big picture. The secret of the Hanged Man is that the protagonist believes that whatever hardship they’ve faced so far has given them the perspective they need to complete their journey, but the worst is right around the corner.

Death: This is the moment where the protagonist feels safe and comfortable but their worst fear, the one thing they don’t know how to handle, comes knocking at their door. This is an excellent time for the antagonist to make a big move, while the protagonist is placid. If you want this to be literal, it can be and you can kill off a character.

Temperance: The protagonist is shaken and being pulled in a million different directions. They face what feels like insurmountable odds and need to find balance. Now is a good time to give the protagonist and their Lovers character an emotional moment. The Lovers character should be the perfect balance to the protagonist and thus be able to pull them out of their slump.

#writeblr #writing #outlining #creative writing #writing advice #planning #novel outline #tarot