Day 4 and Counting
Following an "every other day" pattern so far. Doesn't help that Tuesday's and the night shift at work throw me off schedule. Writing is a six-day work week -- and Tuesday seems to be my day off. :-)
I've already got the manuscript open, so I'll get some pages written during lunch and later tonight after I shovel out the driveway from the latest snowstorm. It's the first chapter, and beginnings are always difficult, even when you've written the prologue. I know the cards for each chapter, and this first one is the Page of Rods. The suit of Rods is more familiarly known as Wands, but my first experience with Tarot cards was through the Aquarian deck illustrated by David Palladini, and it's Rods rather than Wands in that version.
I'm using the common Celtic Cross spread, which uses ten cards in addition to the Significator, which is the first card drawn and represents the person being read or the question that they're asking. As I noted in yesterday's post, I'm planning to break the narrative into two parts, and those match the cross pattern, which uses six cards to form the cross and displays the final four in a straight, vertical line to the right.
That being said, here's the "reading" that I'm following for the book, each card representing a chapter break.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SIGNIFICATOR -- KNIGHT OF SWORDS
PART ONE -- BODILY CHANGES IN PAIN, HUNGER, FEAR AND RAGE
FIRST CARD -- PAGE OF RODS
SECOND CARD -- THE MAGICIAN
THIRD CARD -- KNIGHT OF PENTACLES
FOURTH CARD -- THE TOWER
FIFTH CARD -- KNIGHT OF CUPS
SIXTH CARD -- FIVE OF CUPS
PART TWO -- THE GIRL WITH THE RADIUM EYES
SEVENTH CARD -- THE HIEROPHANT
EIGHTH CARD -- PAGE OF CUPS
NINTH CARD -- TWO OF RODS
TENTH CARD -- NINE OF SWORDS
What I find interesting about the process for this novel is how the cards, which I drew as if I was performing an actual reading, informed the plotting process, suggesting natural highs and changes in direction. I fly by the seat of my pants primarily, and I'm learning to trust my instincts. There's always rewrites to save the day. :-)
I've already got the manuscript open, so I'll get some pages written during lunch and later tonight after I shovel out the driveway from the latest snowstorm. It's the first chapter, and beginnings are always difficult, even when you've written the prologue. I know the cards for each chapter, and this first one is the Page of Rods. The suit of Rods is more familiarly known as Wands, but my first experience with Tarot cards was through the Aquarian deck illustrated by David Palladini, and it's Rods rather than Wands in that version.
I'm using the common Celtic Cross spread, which uses ten cards in addition to the Significator, which is the first card drawn and represents the person being read or the question that they're asking. As I noted in yesterday's post, I'm planning to break the narrative into two parts, and those match the cross pattern, which uses six cards to form the cross and displays the final four in a straight, vertical line to the right.
That being said, here's the "reading" that I'm following for the book, each card representing a chapter break.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SIGNIFICATOR -- KNIGHT OF SWORDS
PART ONE -- BODILY CHANGES IN PAIN, HUNGER, FEAR AND RAGE
FIRST CARD -- PAGE OF RODS
SECOND CARD -- THE MAGICIAN
THIRD CARD -- KNIGHT OF PENTACLES
FOURTH CARD -- THE TOWER
FIFTH CARD -- KNIGHT OF CUPS
SIXTH CARD -- FIVE OF CUPS
PART TWO -- THE GIRL WITH THE RADIUM EYES
SEVENTH CARD -- THE HIEROPHANT
EIGHTH CARD -- PAGE OF CUPS
NINTH CARD -- TWO OF RODS
TENTH CARD -- NINE OF SWORDS
What I find interesting about the process for this novel is how the cards, which I drew as if I was performing an actual reading, informed the plotting process, suggesting natural highs and changes in direction. I fly by the seat of my pants primarily, and I'm learning to trust my instincts. There's always rewrites to save the day. :-)