Creative Woo-riting, Part 3

Hello, hello! I'm back with more behind-the-scenes brainstorming of my latest short story, "Revolve Her," inspired by the lyrics of the Beatles album Revolver. As it was a rather metaphysical story, I decided to approach it in a rather metaphysical way, especially since I'd had major writer's block and needed some help however I could get it!

As mentioned in my last post, to get an initial, intuitive peek at my main characters, I conducted a tarot reading. Because...why not? I knew I wanted tarot to feature in the story somehow, so it felt appropriate to use it as an actual tool in crafting the story.

In my previous post, I shared the reading results for my protagonist, Ellie. Today I'm sharing another cursory character sketch using the same method. Once again, I used Ethony Dawn's Story Tarot Spread and the Tarot of Haunted House deck to learn a bit about my secondary character Beverley:

This photo is a re-creation of the original reading, but drat! I accidentally positioned the 4 of Swords upright when it had actually been reversed. Due to laziness, I am using this photo anyway. Just flip the image in your mind. :)

1. Significator: 5 of Pentacles. [Unlike the significator I deliberately chose for Ellie, I think I drew this card at random because I really didn't have a clear idea of this character.] She is destitute, working here to make what money she can, though has a true gift for spiritual connection and insight. Has to fend off a lot of creeps and skeptics, though, that threaten this livelihood.

2. Challenge: 9 of Wands (reversed).She's been through some hard knocks, but her defenses are down, and she's starting to fear this will never end--the way things have been--overwhelmed by what opportunities could be passing her by. What's her next step, and should she get a plane ticket out of town for a completely new start elsewhere?

3. Opportunity: The Moon (reversed). The Protagonist's challenge is the Psychic's opportunity. [See previous post, where the Moon reversed also showed up for my protagonist, Ellie.] This lost soul finds her and, together, they navigate the path(s) visible to them or not yet [visible].

4. Environment: The Magician. All sorts of tools available to them in the crystal shop! Crystals, tarot, other divination, and her psychic gifts. It's all there, just takes them to use it and manifest real change.

5. The Reward: The Emperor (reversed). Overthrowing the Patriarchy. She is vulnerable to men, too. [See previous post, where this issue also came up for Ellie.]

6. The Outcome: 4 of Swords (reversed)*. Getting up and out of her situation before it can snare her in its clutches for good. She's had enough time standing still and analyzing it to death. Time to rise and step out into the moonlight with our Protagonist, facing fears and following intuition together (?). Maybe she does leave town with the Protag. or just buys a ticket and leaves it to fate [at this point I had drawn a clarifying card, the Wheel of Fortune, which added that last bit of insight]. Goes to airport and sees where the next departures are headed. Standing up to men fires her up for positive change.

* To repeat my caption above, yes, the 4 of Swords was actually reversed. Ignore my shoddy work in re-creating the scene for the photo.

In my journal I then went on to look at the overall trends in the cards, particularly that out of six cards there were four Major Arcana and four reversals. I took this to mean: "This is a massive, ongoing issue for her with significant impact on her future. She's low energy and vulnerable, scared, and hesistant/resistant, though."

And I LOVE THIS: I next asked what the story's heat level should be, not sure how far I wanted to go with romance yet also not certain that a tarot card could give a clear answer on that...and then I drew this:

HA! BURN, BABY, BURN!!! 🔥🔥🔥

So, yeah. For the record, a tarot card can be very, very clear on that point. 😆

I wouldn't say I took the heat level that far in the story, but I did appreciate getting the go-ahead for some sexual tension if I wanted it! And as for Beverley, this exercise genuinely did help me begin to shape her in my mind, to get a sense of what her own conflict might be.

How closely did I follow this in the story? Read it and find out! 😃

"Revolve Her" is available in the Paperback Writers anthology at Amazon: http://getbook.at/PaperbackWriters

Creative Woo-riting, Part 2

Eek. Took me longer than expected to get back here, but I've been busy editing for myself and others, so that's a good thing! Am stealing a moment now to bring you the next installment of my "Creative Woo-riting" series, in which I share a little of the metaphyzzle shizzle that went into writing "Revolve Her." Here's the blurb:

Dr. Robert has spun Eleanor round like a record. He rocked her world in the UK, then turned it upside down in the US. Hot, dry, sunny Sedona, Arizona is nothing like the London she left behind for love. And now, on her own, Eleanor — Ellie — isn’t sure where she belongs.

She’s not the only lost soul, however, when someone else’s violent past traumatizes her present. Unsure whether the threat only lives in her mind or if a spirit actually lurks in her motel room, Ellie seeks the aid of a psychic medium named Beverley. Unfortunately, Ellie’s life takes another turn for the worse when Beverley’s own troubled history comes around to haunt them both—and this time, it’s definitely not Ellie’s imagination. That revolver is real, and it’s taking aim. But who is it for?

Riffing on the song titles and lyrics of the Beatles album Revolver, “Revolve Her” spins a supernatural tune of its own about a woman who knows where she comes from and will decide for herself where she’s going.

So, there's a bit about the story, which was largely inspired by The Beatles in subtle and unconventional ways. And also unconventionally, I decided to consult tarot cards for ideas on characterization!

Using Ethony Dawn's Story Tarot Spread, I laid out the following cards from the Tarot of Haunted House deck to get some insight into my story's protagonist, Ellie:

The notes I scribbled as I first interpreted this spread go a little somethin' like this...

1. Significator: Queen of Wands for August 5. [This date is Ellie's alleged birthday and when Revolver was released in '66! So, I deliberately chose this card to represent the fire sign of Leo. The rest of the cards, however, were selected at random.]

2. Challenge: The Moon (reversed). Fear, deception, disillusionment. She's lost and depressed and letting doubt get the better of her.

3. Opportunity: Strength. She has occasion to find inner strength as mirrored in her own reflection or the spirit or medium. This strength could lead her down the wrong path, though. Her smile is more smirky and devious/vengeful.

4. Environment: King of Wands. Seductive, handsome man with the power. She is vulnerable and useless around him -- or the spirit was, and this energy affects the protagonist.

5. The Reward: 5 of Wands. There is struggle and confusion that she must overcome to truly find her strength and the clarity to light her path. She must throw off the cloak that conceals the real her. Break free from the tangle of men.

6. The Outcome: 8 of Cups. An escape to higher ground. A more enlighted path that discards the toxic influences/habits that no longer serve her.

I went on to feverishly jot down ideas from there in my journal, as I always like to brainstorm a story with pen and paper. I'd just never tried tarot before as a prompt! The results were cool. It's interesting to look back on this now that I've written and published the story. I'd say all of this does factor into it in some way.

Next up is the reading I did for my psychic medium, Beverley. Until then, dearies, whether it's books or tarot, I wish you happy reading!

Creative Woo-riting, Part 1

Howdy and happy weekend, all! As mentioned in my last post, I'm back now to talk a bit about the writing process for my latest project, "Revolve Her" (a short story that you can find in the Beatles-themed anthology Paperback Writers). I've taken to calling the process creative "woo"-riting, however, as this time, I not only wrote about the metaphysical, I practiced it as well to get the inspiration flowing.

In a previous post, I talked about how 2018 wasn't the most stellar year for my writing. For pretty much the entire year, I was blocked, so I seized it as an opportunity (if not took it as a sign) to step back and incubate in self-care and mystical study for a while. At the very least, all the stuff I've learned will make it into my future books! But it's all truly been transformational for me as a human being in general, and I think I needed to fill my cup in that respect before I could go back to being a writer, too.

In any case, to get to the point, when authors Morgan and Jennifer Locklear invited me to contribute a short story to the Paperback Writers anthology last year, I panicked that I wouldn't seize on an idea in time, given the absolute standstill of 2018. So, I felt I needed to get more serious about intention-setting and committing to follow-through. I began on the first evening of a new moon with a tarot spread, seeking advice on writing this story--and meeting its deadline. The oracle card I drew at the end of the reading as a final word (from the Sacred Rebels deck) was this:

"Bring it into form." Uh, yep! Definitely the kick in the pants that I needed to get out of my writer's block and start manifesting ideas on the page again. By this point, my writing muscles were almost in atrophy, so just the image of this card was revitalizing and inspiring to see.

My next step was to conduct a new-moon ritual adapted (okay, totally ripped off) from Kelly Fitzgerald at The Truth in Story. The original video doesn't appear to be available anymore (or at least I can't find it), but, basically, she approached intention-setting using geomancy and the Wildwood Tarot. For this, she used a book box (which you can still get a glimpse at in this video: https://youtu.be/DXFbZtKH0WU), and I myself have ended up using a little wooden box with a hinged lid, like what you could store a tarot deck in. And whereas Kelly filled her box with normal sand, I found garnet sand from a Scottish seller on Etsy that is absolutely gorgeous and just the vibe I need. In the sand, you place stones in the shape of a geomancy figure that best expresses your intention. I take it a step further by using onyx rune stones that themselves represent the gist of what I'm after. In this case, the geomancy figure I chose was "The Way" (a straight line of four dots) to represent the path (and movement) forward, and the runes essentially reflected clarity, creativity, inspired communication, and a fruitful outcome.

Next, at the four corners of the box lid on the left-hand side are representations of the elements--a tealight for fire, feather for air, stone for earth, and a small cup of water for, well, water (for my cup, I use a seashell that I collected on the Cornish coast along with the feather and stone). Between these elements, you can then lay one or more tarot or oracle cards that likewise embrace the spirit of your intention. Like Kelly, I've opted to use the Wildwood Tarot, which I supplement with the Celtic Lenormand deck to get even more specific about my intention. The cards I chose for this one were also concerned with forward momentum and hitting my writing target with creativity and skill.

I meditated on this intention for two moon cycles, I believe, and I wrote like I hadn't written in well over a year! The ideas came to me fast and furious, and I rediscovered my drive and joy. It's not so much that I cast a "spell" to make this happen; the process simply compelled me to get specific about my goal and to remain focused on it. Even when I wasn't meditating before this ritual box (repeating my precise intention over and over like a mantra), just a glance at it would remind me of what I needed to do, and every time I saw it, I felt the power of its motivation. I even took a photo of it for when I was writing on the road, just in case I needed to see it to believe in it again. To believe in myself again. And yeah, okay, I suppose I do also believe that in sending an intention out into the universe in this ritualistic, repeated way--and putting an earnest effort out there to back it up--the energy and inspiration I needed were sent right back to me.

I must say this was a very moving process, and I think the story that resulted--"Revolve Her"--is all the more unusual and special for it. So, it's no surprise that now that I need to re-edit What the Clocks Know, I just did this ritual again at the new moon yesterday. Same tools, different intention (ergo different cards, runes, and geomancy figure).

We'll see how the upcoming cycle plays out, but, in the meantime, I'll be back here with more creative woo-riting. Enjoy the weekend, my lovelies!

Where'd the Clocks Go?

Follow my ebook shortlink (http://getbook.at/WTCK) to What the Clocks Know, and it leads to nowhere. Find the paperback at Amazon, and it's selling at a dramatically higher price. This can only mean one thing, folks.

Yep, the book's out of print.

But not for long! I've recently reclaimed my rights to this title and will be re-releasing it later this year, when it'll join Coattails and Cocktails under the Fallen Monkey imprint. (From Crooked Cat to Fallen Monkey? It's a virtual menagerie over here!)

What the Clocks Know won First Place in General Fiction in the 2017 Red City Review Book Awards, an achievement I'm incredibly proud of, especially since this story was the very first novel manuscript that I ever penned. Whittling that rookie effort into award-winning shape wasn't easy, and I'll be honest that there's still more sanding and varnishing to be done. One could say this of any story, so there's of course a time when we have to just let our book babies go and survive in the wild without us. That said, I'm seizing republication as an opportunity to re-edit Clocks into a stronger version of itself. I'm not talking total revamp, just tightening the opening chapters and little tweaks here and there as I read the book myself for the first time in years. It's been a decade since I started writing Clocks, and I expect the clocks know even more now. I know I do.

On a more superficial note, I'm also quite excited to present this book in a prettier package! For Clocks' second edition, I will be collaborating once again with the cover and interior designers of Coattails and Cocktails--a dream team to be sure! Watch this space (and my social media profiles) for updates.

Until then, dahhlings, I will be back to blog about the creative "woo-riting" that went into my latest paranormal project, "Revolve Her," which you can find now in Paperback Writers--an anthology of original stories inspired by the music of The Beatles. Universal. Romantic. Experimental. Timeless. Emotional. Fearless. Eleven short stories that all share a chord. (All proceeds benefit the World Literacy Foundation.)

~ Rumer

COVER REVEAL: Paperback Writers Anthology!

Title: Paperback Writers Anthology

Authors: Beck Anderson, Kris Babe, MJ Grace, Rumer Haven,
Shari Ivey, Effie Kammenou, Jennifer Locklear, Morgan Locklear,
Sydney Logan, Melanie Moreland, Susan K. Swords, Aubree Valentine

Genre: Stories include a mixture of Contemporary Romance, Romantic Comedy, Fantasy, Contemporary Fantasy, Dramatic Romance, Romantic Suspense, and Sweet Contemporary Romance

Release Day: June 11, 2019

Cover Designer: Jada D'Lee Designs

An anthology of original stories inspired by the music of The Beatles. Universal. Romantic. Experimental. Timeless. Emotional. Fearless. Eleven short stories that all share a chord.

All proceeds will benefit the World Literacy Foundation, a global non-profit organization working to ensure that every young individual regardless of geographic location has the opportunity to acquire literacy and reading skills to reach their full potential.

Foreword by Sylvain Reynard.

Paperback writers featured:

Beck Anderson

Kris Babe

MJ Grace

Rumer Haven

Shari Ivey

Effie Kammenou

Jennifer Locklear

Morgan Locklear

Sydney Logan

Melanie Moreland

Susan K. Swords

Aubree Valentine

   

Enter to win the Cover Reveal Giveaway HERE!