Posts Tagged ‘tarot’

Sexy Sentences: Writing Advice

SENTENCES. THEY’RE YOUR MOST INTIMATE WHISPER, the pillow talk of your writing life, the tickle of your breath in your reader’s ear. They’re both the whistle of the midnight train and the track your writing heart rides upon. Like a bumbling 20-minute freight, your sentences might ramble on. Or they might bustle through as quick as a three-car commuter rail. No matter. Your sentences—shapely, lovely, long or not-so, curving through a landscape of ideas or driving straight at the brick wall of conclusion—sing your siren song.

One of my tarot-writer heroes, Barbara Moore, shared an article by writer Susan DeFreitas titled, “The Gift of Gab: Mastering the Maximal.” In it, DeFreitas treats us to lovely examples of long, winding sentences, then names the purposes—besides the purely aesthetic pleasure they provide—such sexy sentences might serve.

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Writing coach

Need help with your book? I’m available for book coaching and manuscript review!
Click to read Should I Hire a Writing Coach in THE WRITER magazine.

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Creative Writing and Tarot Cards!

ON SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7TH, JAMIE AND CREATIVITY COACH LEZLIE LAWS  will present an all-day workshop to explore how the 78 evocative images of the tarot can unlock your creativity! In this Creative Writing and Tarot Cards workshop, you’ll discover fresh, unexpected solutions.

Write to Discover Tarot’s Personal Meaning

While tarot has a long and arcane history, there’s no need to dive into esoteric research to access its wisdom. Instead, we’ll immerse ourselves in the visual language of the cards, concentrating on what personal meaning tarot holds for us. With decks (and journals) in hand, we’ll let the magic and the beauty of the tarot transform our relationship with our own creativity, including,

  • tarot for self-reflection
  • evoking higher wisdom with the cards
  • problem-solving with tarot

One of the most fascinating things about using tarot cards for creativity is that you don’t have to know anything about traditional card meanings to benefit from them. Each card offers a miniature world of images, symbols, colors, characters, and possibilities, all waiting to spark your imagination.

For writers and artists, tarot can be a wonderful tool for moving beyond habitual ways of thinking. Sometimes all it takes is an unexpected image to shift your perspective, suggest a fresh approach, or reveal something you hadn’t consciously considered.

Exercise: Creative Writing and Tarot Cards

Try drawing a card and spending a few minutes simply looking at it. What catches your attention first? A character’s expression? An object in the background? A particular color or gesture?

Rather than reaching for a guidebook, ask yourself what the image suggests to you. Does it remind you of something from your own life? Does it evoke an emotion, a memory, or a question you’ve been wrestling with?

Now take out your journal and begin writing. Let one association lead to another without worrying about where you’re headed.

You might discover the beginnings of a story, an unexpected solution to a creative problem, or a new understanding of something that’s been occupying your thoughts.

That’s the beauty of working with tarot as a creative tool. The cards don’t have to tell you what to think. Instead, they can help you discover what you already know—or what you’re just beginning to imagine.

The cost for this workshop, $185, includes lunch. Register with Lezlie Laws at info@lezlielaws.com.


Black and white photo of memoir book coach Jamie Morris who writes here about creative writing and tarot cardsCreative writing and tarot cards go hand in hand. The images on the cards can open unexpected doors into your imagination. Whether you’re exploring a new writing project, wrestling with creative blocks, or searching for fresh inspiration, sometimes a different perspective is exactly what you need. If you would like some support bringing your ideas to life, let’s connect. You might also be interested in my books: Plotting Your Novel with the Plot Clock and Jamie Helps Mel Write a Novel.

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