Look out!
NaNoWriMo starts in less than a month. Are you signed up? Are you thinking about it? If you are, I have some tools for you to help you get started layering 3-D characters, creating believable worlds, structuring compelling plots and more.
Don’t know what NaNoWriMo is? From the NaNoWriMo site:
National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing November 1. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30.
Valuing enthusiasm and perseverance over painstaking craft, NaNoWriMo is a novel-writing program for everyone who has thought fleetingly about writing a novel but has been scared away by the time and effort involved.
Because of the limited writing window, the ONLY thing that matters in NaNoWriMo is output. It’s all about quantity, not quality. The kamikaze approach forces you to lower your expectations, take risks, and write on the fly.
If you want to take part in this crazy, intensive month where you can find support for your insanity, head over to NaNoWriMo to sign up. Then come back here and let me know you are on board!
NaNoWriMo Writer Specials (good through 10/31/2008)
1. Hero’s Journey Spread ($35 for NaNoWriMo participants. Normally $45)
2. Hero’s Journey For Two Spread) ($55 for NaNoWriMo participants. Normally $65)
2. Character Insight Spread ($35 for NaNoWriMo participants. Normally $45)
See all of these and other spreads for fiction writers here.
And don’t forget that I love to design spreads to help you delve further into your books. Here what other authors have said about my creative writing consultation services:
- “When reading your comments I got chills and just kept saying wow over and over. This has been really tremendous. And I also must thank you because I was considering taking a plot thread out of the story but have decided that I really shouldn’t now that I’ve read your comments. They really did help me visual my plot as it relates to Vaughn. I’m totally jazzed about writing this story now. Thank you! I’ve told everyone how awesome this experience was!” — Tess Harrison
- I’m so grateful for that class–you can’t imagine how indispensable the Hero’s Journey spread has been for me. It’s given me some amazing breakthroughs, and it was instrumental in writing my last outline for a proposal. It’s almost eerie when I look back and think, wow, if I hadn’t pulled that card, the novel might have taken an entirely different turn.–Jeri Smith-Ready, Wicked Games, Pocket Books 2008
- Well, I have to admit I was a bit skeptical…I’d never had a reading of any kind before. I was amazed on card 2 when you saw the heroine as an animal doctor. She is! You hit it very close and gave me a couple of other things to rethink. I’m trying to decide which reading to have you do next! Thank you so much!– Lori C
- Fae Sutherland wrote an entire blog entry on her experience with me.
I am offering my Hero’s Journey workshop again. Seating is limited to 12 participants so I can offer each of you my full attention. It is a four week class that will run the month of November. If you are interested in learning more, drop me a note at Workshops to get more information.
PERMISSION TO FORWARD GRANTED
Tarot For Writers: Hero’s Journey
Let Arwen show you a new way to approach your writing. Hang on to your manuscripts as she unleashes the power of Tarot for you. In an online workshop, you will learn how to utilize the Tarot for yourself on a personal level. Meet your characters as you have never met them before. Learn about their quirks and let your journey through the cards introduce you to their own past. Writer’s Block will never be a problem again with the Tarot cards to give you insight.
This will be an online class.
What can you expect from this class?
~We will start on Saturday November 1st and end on Sunday Sunday November 30th
~To learn key words for the twenty-two major arcana cards as well as for the remaining 54 minor arcana cards
~To have a completed plot by the end of the month if you do all the lessons
~An active teacher who will answer your questions and encourage you. I won’t just download lectures and leave you hanging
~A very tight schedule guaranteed to open your imagination up as you are introduced to this fascinating tool for writing
What do you need for this class?
~A deck of Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot cards or a suitable clone (or confer with me if you wish to use an alternative deck)
~Daily Internet access
~Time to do one lesson per two days
~An open mind
~A willingness to work with others
~A willingness to ask questions
What would be nice to have?
~Tarot For Yourself, by Mary K. Greer is recommended
Is there a cost for this?
~Yes, $50
Sign me up!
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~If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.
~For more information, please contact Workshops
Class size is limited to 12 to ensure quality of response and interaction.
Last day to sign up is Friday October 24th
Instructor Bio: Arwen has been reading the Tarot since 1979 and began reading professionally in 1982. She has taught workshops on Tarot for the professional fiction writer as well as “How To Create Your Own Spread” and “Learning To Read Intuitively”.
A self-confessed tarotaholic, Arwen owns a collection of quite a few decks. She is intrigued by the various ways artists express the archetypes of the Tarot. She subscribes to the Jungian model of philosophy in her reading. One of her passions is designing Tarot spreads. Currently she is engaged in writing a series on fairy tales and spreads that examine the underlying ideals found in fairy tales.
Having run her web-based Tarot business since 2005, Arwen also reads online as well as in person and over the phone. In addition, Arwen has read on the Free Reading Network. Arwen is also past editor of the ATA Quarterly journal. Her column, The Fool’s Corner, can be read in the Tarot World magazine.
Hey I’m Marguerite, Fae’s sometime co-author and I’ve heard all about the wonderful time she had with you. I want to sign up, but where in the Nano forums do I go?
Hi Marguerite! This is a workshop I’m doing in conjunction
with the NaNoWriMo event. It’s not a part of NaNoWriMo. 🙂
If you are ready to sign up, you can paypal me the class fee to the email in the article. readings AT tarotbyarwen DOT com is the one to use.
Hi, Arwen,
I’m still having trouble signing up for this class. When I “add to cart” it opens Paypal, but none of your information is there as to the email address I send the money to, etc. Can you help? I want to make sure I use the correct account info so you can get your money. 😉
Hi! Just paypal the $50 to readings@tarotbyarwen.com I apologize. I seem to have hosed the code and I can’t get it fixed! BAH!
Hello! This sounds really cool. I just want to make sure that the goal is to archive 50,000 words along with working with the cards along the way.
Thanks! Ronda
Hello Ronda! The goal is to help you have plot points to write towards. I am going to incorporate a weekly word count as well. 12500 a week will get you your 50k by the month’s end. The workshop ends before the month so you can focus those last few days on driving forward.
We won’t be sharing the mss but we will be sharing cards drawn and plot discussions. I’m hoping folks will encourage one another to get that 50k out. 🙂
Hello Arwen:
Two other questions. I have the Fenestra Tarot deck, but it has the 22 Major and 56 Minor Arcana cards so I hope that won’t be a problem.
Secondly, I’m going to be out of town on the 1st and 2nd, but with any luck I’ll get internet access at the hotel. Is that going to be a problem?
Marguerite
Not at all. I own the Fenestra Tarot and it is an RWS clone or close enough. You will miss the opening assignment but I can also send that ahead to you so you can work on it there if you like.