How to Create a Fictional Character Using the Tarot

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By chameleon
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Tarot Key 13 - Powers Tarot

Creating a fictional character can be a challenge for a writer. Deciding on motivations, creating a character background and fitting the character into the flow of the story all take skill and imagination. Whether you need a character for a short story, play or novel - or as a character for a role-playing game - the Tarot is an excellent tool to help you create fictional characters. A simple spread can spark your imagination and get you started thinking in unusual directions.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Deck of Tarot Cards
Books on Tarot (optional)

Step 1

Pull the 16 court cards out of the Tarot deck and shuffle them thoroughly. Pull one card from the deck and turn it over. This card will serve as a base for your character, giving you a broad portrait of character traits and possible motivations.
Step 2

Read a few general interpretations of the Tarot card you've chosen if you're not familiar with the Tarot or if you want more insight into the type of character represented by that card. As you read, allow your mind to wander to people you know who may fit that description, and events that may have created a person with those traits.
Step 3

Return the court cards to the Tarot deck and shuffle again. Lay out three rows of five cards each face up and set the rest of the deck aside. Take note if your original card shows up somewhere in the spread because its position and the cards around it can spark more ideas for your character and the story line.
Step 4

Try to create a running storyline in your mind using the cards in the reading as "markers". The easiest way is to see the three rows as a time line with the bottom row representing childhood, the middle row representing young adulthood and the top row representing the current situation.
Step 5

Combine the personality traits of the card you chose with the free-ranging story you draw from the cards to come up with a believable background story for your character. Ask yourself how the incidents and influences shown in the reading would have played out over the course of a person's life. For instance, a 10 of Coins in the bottom row with a Five of Coins in the middle row might suggest that your character had a happy, secure childhood that ended when some unexpected tragedy wiped out the family fortunes.
Step 6

Take notes as you work, jotting down any impressions or ideas that the cards spark in your mind. Use these notes to help you flesh out a background for the character you are creating.
Step 7

Write a one or two page character background using your notes and the reading to keep the inspiration percolating. By the time you're finished, you'll have a believable, interesting character around whom you can build a story.