Coincidence: A Tarot Spread for Fiction Writers
A strange coincidence your character can't stop turning over. What is it, and what's really behind it?
What This Spread Helps You Do
A coincidence is a hint that something is going on beyond the surface events. It's a thread your character gets to follow. This spread starts with the odd thing they notice, then goes two cards deeper into what's causing it.
The Spread
Draw one card for each position:
The coincidence
- What they notice: the strange detail or event your character can't let go of.
Underneath it
- Deeper layer: what's actually going on below the surface of it.
- Origin: who or what set the whole thing in motion.
How to Use This Spread
You will need a tarot deck to do these exercises. Grab your deck and let's get started.
The Tarot Prompting Process works like this:
- First, find a quiet spot where you can concentrate.
- Spend a few minutes thinking about the story, specific scene, or character you'd like to work on. What do you already know? What puzzle piece(s) are you missing?
- Based on what came up in step 2, choose a prompt to help you go deeper into the scene.
- Grab a tarot deck.
- Shuffle with your story question in mind.
- When you feel ready, draw cards and interpret them for your answers.
If you don't yet have a deck, you can go to randomtarotcard.com and click the deck for a random card draw.
Different Ways to Interpret the Cards
- Visual Interpretation: Look at the images and symbols present on the cards. What jumps out at you? What ideas and associations do the visuals trigger related to your question? Often just looking at the imagery can help you pull ideas from your subconscious. You can connect and combine these with what you already had in mind.
- Traditional Card Meaning Interpretation: Look up the card's meaning for further insight. You can use the guidebook that came with your deck, a site like Tarot.com, or the Storytellers Tarot Reference Guide in Tarot for Fiction Writers. I like to look at several different guidebooks for ideas.
- Combination: Combine these two methods and journal or jot down notes.
The Prompt
Coincidence?: What strange coincidence could your character notice and investigate? Draw one card representing the initial circumstances/details of the coincidence. Draw two more cards to explore deeper layers and potential origins/causes of the coincidence.
Want more spreads like this to help with your creative process?
Check out the full book Tarot Spreads for Fiction Writers with 200+ prompts to help you deepen your characters, develop unforgettable plots, and get you unstuck.
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