Tarot for Writers
Corrine Kenner
Llewellyn Publications
Nonfiction, Creativity/New Age/Writing
Themes: Cross-Genre, Occult
***+
Description
Since their creation, tarot cards have inspired stories with their imagery. Originally used to tell tales of the future, they can also help craft works of fiction. The author explains the symbolism of the tarot, offering tips and exercises for incorporating the cards into writing.
Review
I have a passing interest in tarot cards (and a more-than-passing interest in writing), so this looked like an interesting title. Kenner starts by explaining the tarot's history and symbolism, as well as some basic divination and layouts for use in fortune-telling and writing. She then offers suggestions on specific writing goals, from character creation to generating a story based entirely on random draws. The final section looks at each card individually, discussing its meanings and possible prompts. Overall, it's not a bad book, but I found it grew repetitious. I also questioned some of her card interpretations, which ran counter to other books I've read (and my own gut response, which is as much a part of tarot reading as it is writing.) It still prompted plenty of ideas, though, which was the point of reading it.