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It’s a big leap, taking a book from the idea in your head into words on a page. We believe this should be easy for us. That if we were “real writers” the words would just flow. But this is a huge leap you’re asking yourself to make.
If revising a book is like glazing a pot and firing it after having shaped it, writing the first draft is creating the clay out of thin air. Why do we expect this to be effortless?
THERE IS ANOTHER WAY.
Writing a story can still be fun. The secret I’ve found invaluable in bridging this gap is the tarot. Ideas are like dreams in our minds. On the way to becoming drafts, let the tarot serve as your stepping stone.
The hardest part about writing is turning the story in our imagination into words on a page. The universal imagery of the tarot helps you go from idea to story much more quickly and easily.
You'll learn all you need to know in the course! The best part about this system is that you don't need any prior tarot knowledge to benefit.
We'll be using the cards as a shorthand with your imagination that's built on your relationship to the images you see, not anyone else's.
If you've studied the tarot for years, that's wonderful, but you'll still get the full benefit of this course even if you've never held a deck before.
SIGN ME UP
- Create story arcs you're eager to draft
- Write scenes that sizzle
- Connect to story ideas with ease
- Access the deeper meaning and symbology in your writing
- Never fear the blank page again
- Navigate stuck points in your story
- Find the subtext of your scenes to make them riveting
- Face any stuck point in writing with a tool at the ready
I’ve read tarot for over twenty-five years, and the cards have become personal guides and advisors for me and for my writing community.
Studying Art History for my BA and Psychology and Expressive Arts for my Masters sparked a lifelong love for the magic of visual language. In developing a literary lexicon for tarot, I’ve transformed my relationship to writing, and my students’ and clients’ processes have evolved beyond my and their
wildest expectations.
I've honed this process in several iterations of this course, as well as in ongoing work with individual clients and students.
It is my honor and my joy to share this method with you.
ways of seeing
We'll be starting at the foundation of working with tarot this week: how we look at images. Humans see stories in images naturally -- let's expand that skill!
You will learn:
- How humans look at images
- The psychology of pictures
- Shifting the role of tarot to a writing tool
- Introducing the tarot suits in fiction
questions + courts
In this lesson, we lay the foundation of the practice: questions and how to ask them so we unlock obstacles. In addition, we look at how characters appear in the tarot.
You will learn:
- Creating effective questions for tarot
- The anatomy of a useful question
- Character + plot as they appear in the cards
recording the cycle
In this lesson, we'll be getting to the major arcana, the first 22 cards of the tarot and their role in building satisfying story structure.
Our topics:
- Identifying major events in a character's life
- Connecting your own life and experience to the archetypes of the deck
- Building your own reference manual to store your discoveries for future projects
story cartographer
Here we address tarot spreads, not only pre-existing ones, but how to create your own custom spreads to suit your precise needs
You'll learn:
- The syntax of tarot spreads
- How to transform a question into a spread
- Techniques to add nuance and depth to your results
story building
Let's take everything we've learned so far and see how these principles and steps combine to create something even bigger, like an entire book!
You'll learn:
- Idea generation methods
- Planning your story without overdoing it
- Going from idea to novel
Watch Caroline coach a student from murky to magical middle in three conversations. See a real novel transform as the course material is put into practice. Follow along to see how to do the same for your book.
Video, audio, and transcript formats included.
$197 VALUE
Your map through the course, complete with checklists for the lesson material, maps to guide visual learners through the middle, as well as guided prompts for all the exercises. PLUS a tutorial on how to use the workbook digitally. Yours to reuse for future writing projects, too!
$97 VALUE
let's get started.
- Five In-Depth Lessons
- Transcripts and Audio Versions of Each Lesson
- Five Case Studies showing the method in action (Valued at $197)
- Weekly Lesson Workbooks with Exercises + Templates (Valued at $97)
- Lesson Access for the Course's Lifetime (Valued at $397)
- Q+A Archive of student questions (Valued at $197)
- Template to create your own Tarot Reference Manual (Valued at $97)
We are 100% dedicated to your writing and creative process and believe wholeheartedly that you can complete your book. For this reason, we don't offer refunds for our courses. Once you enrol, we are totally behind you, cheering you on.
However, we are only half the equation. In order to create results, you must take action .
Our team is committed to doing everything we can to make this easy and straightforward to do. We have supported dozens of writers in overcoming writing challenges to complete books. We are confident we can help you, too.
Don't hesitate to reach out with questions before you join -- we want you to feel this is the right fit for you.
Students share their experiences with Caroline's courses:
I learned a ton! It’s given me more tools for my creative projects and empowered me to trust my own intuition as well.
I feel empowered to build my own interpretations of images and cards and much less bound to books and rules. Thank you for the thought and care you put into the course.
CARA FINNEGAN,
United States
STORY ARCANA
Definitely take it...Doing this course has demystified the rough draft novel. It doesn't scare me as much as it used to. I understand better how much the rough draft is a lump of clay and that it can be messy as it needs to be!
I really enjoyed the support and ...willingness to be an empathetic witness to my process.
NANCY SULAIMAN,
Canada
DREAM TO DRAFT
Finding a community of other writers, and discovering how encouraging and supportive that felt was a huge shift for me. Before I took the course, I had a lot of doubt about whether I was “really” a writer, and it was finding a community of other writers, plus your encouragement and validation, that made me believe that I am a writer and to feel confident claiming that identity.
For the first time, I’ve found a writing process that feels not only sustainable but enjoyable, and I can’t believe it’s that simple!
TAMSIN SMITH,
United Kingdom
NEXT DRAFT
what are you waiting for?
- Five In-Depth Lessons
- Transcripts and Audio Versions of Each Lesson
- Five Case Studies showing the method in action (Valued at $197)
- Weekly Lesson Workbooks with Exercises + Templates (Valued at $97)
- Lesson Access for the Course's Lifetime (Valued at $397)
- Q+A Archive of student questions (Valued at $197)
- Template to create your own Tarot Reference Manual (Valued at $97)
There are lots of writing courses out there. Is Story Arcana a match for your needs?
Let’s find out.
YOU ARE A FIT FOR STORY ARCANA IF:
- You are working on a novel project
- You loved your story at first, but now you're worried it can't work
- You feel stuck and you want the magic back
- You need tools to address the parts of the book that don't click
- You're ready to open a new door to your imagination
Writing a novel is a challenge, but it doesn't have to be a painful one. After getting through the rush of excitement at the beginning of the draft, everyone gets stuck.
The difference between those who get through and whose who give up is often a tiny tweak and some help from a tool, like the method you'll learn in Story Arcana. How much longer are you willing to let your writing dreams gather dust?
How does this course work?
Is there a schedule I have to follow?
How much time do the lessons take?
Do I need to be super tech-savvy to take this class?
Does this course include readings with Caroline?
How long do I keep access to course material?
If I change my mind after signing up, can I get my money back?
transform your writing today!
- Five In-depth Lessons
- Transcripts and Audio Versions of Each Lesson
- Five Case Studies showing the method in action (Valued at $197)
- Individual Lesson Workbooks with Exercises + Templates (Valued at $97)
- Lesson Access for the Course's Lifetime (Valued at $397)
- Private Non-FB Community Forum(Valued at $97)
- Q+A Archive of past live calls (Valued at $197)
- Template to create your own Tarot Reference Manual (Valued at $97)
