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What Would a Pro Writer Do? Part 1: Mindset

Posted on by Jennifer Gregson

A few months back I joined an online writer’s mastermind called “The Bestselling Author Mastermind Group”.  We communicate mostly through a private Facebook group, but the leader – Jennifer Blanchard also has a very full BAM website for us with so much useful information: video courses, audio courses, and worksheets galore on everything from mindset, writing (both Fiction and Non-Fiction), publishing, selling, and everything in between.  It’s been an amazing group and I can say, without a doubt, that joining has turned my entire writing career around.

Mindset?


If you read that last paragraph and stopped at mindset – you are not alone.  When I was looking into a mastermind or similar type of group earlier this year it was because of a writing book I was reading that talked about leveling up and getting very clear about your goals and your mindset.  And I stopped reading and thought – what? What does mindset have to do with a writing career?  It turns out…everything.  What you think you create.  If you think you can, or you think you can’t, you are correct.  These are phrases and quotes we’ve heard over and over and they sound totally woo-woo and weird, but I’m going to tell you – they are very true.

Back around April I spoke at my son’s elementary school on Career Day and talking to those kids gave me a much needed kick in my butt to resume the revisions on my novel and get it out into the world.  I’ve since finished those personal revisions and sent the manuscript to a professional editor and I am now working on her editorial revisions and notes in preparation for self-publishing in early 2018.  But I really could not have gotten this far without my daily mindset practice and I’m going to give you a little insight into how I do this.  

Step 1: Morning Pages


Most books about mindset or morning practices, in general, will tell you to do them first thing in the morning.  That’s good advice, but when you have a 6 year old that needs to be up, fed, dressed, and out the door to the school bus fairly early (7:15 AM) well – first thing in the morning won’t work (at least for me – I don’t really want to get up at 5:30 AM to do these things) so I do them as soon as we get upstairs from saying Good Bye to cutie as he gets on his bus.  This works for me so don’t feel like you have to “follow the rules or else” – make things work for you and your schedule.

Okay…so that’s out of the way.   My little rebel disclaimer I guess.  Once I’m back upstairs I go straight to our bedroom and work-out – either bodyweight circuits or yoga – then I grab my cheap wide ruled notebook (usually one I’ve bought during Back To School sales) and do morning pages.  If you’ve read any book by Julia Cameron (The Artist’s Way being the most famous) you know about morning pages.  If not, it’s basically 3 pages of long-hand free-form stream-of-consciousness writing.  You put the pen to the paper and don’t stop until you get there.  Here’s my other rebel disclaimer – I usually only do 2, so front and back of one notebook page.  Now that’s not a hard and fast rule for me.  Some mornings I’m short on time and do less and some mornings I need to write more and I do…but usually, it’s 1-page front and back. 

Morning pages are where I vent about the fact my kid isn’t eating or some douche’s car alarm went off at 4am or how I desperately need coffee – literally, anything and everything goes onto the page.  This morning I was working through some limiting beliefs (things that are holding me back, those negative tapes we all say to ourselves about various things) surrounding my daily schedule and my need to Get All The Things Done! I worked through some old feelings of perfection that are not serving me or my writing anymore and I even created a new affirmation (we will talk about those in a minute): I will listen to my mind, body, and soul in relationship to my passion work and make mindful, conscious decisions about breaks, pauses, and much needed rest periods without guilt.

Step 2: Mindset Practice – Daily Intentions and Affirmations


Next, I grab my prettier journal (I bought mine from Staples – it’s this one HERE) and write Daily Intentions.  These are things I intend to do that day, written in present tense. For example: I will write the first draft of my weekly blog post or I will make time to read and journal today.  I usually write 3-5 of these and they can relate to my writing, health, or work goals.  Then I skip a line and start writing my Affirmations.  You’ve heard of Affirmations, most likely you think of Stuart Smalley’s character from Saturday Night Live – I’m smart, I’m pretty, and doggone it – people like me!  They seemed so cheesy to me when I first heard about them and secretly – I thought I would hate them.  And honestly, I did for awhile. For a long while – about a month, but then I started realizing that the things I was writing down were making it into my daily mental tape.  I was actually replacing negative thoughts with positive ones – without much effort.

I’m going to give you a real-life example of some of the things I personally write down.  I usually fill up a page or two with these and sometimes I divide them into sections (writing, health, work, life, etc.) but usually, I just write a long list and everything melds together.  I tend to divide them once a month for clarity and goal setting purposes.

  • I am a full-time writer.
  • I am a multi-book self-published author.
  • I am a trusted member of the writing community.
  • I am surrounded by smart, creative, professional women that are helping me become the person and writer I am meant to be.
  • I know the Universe has my back!
  • I am an idea magnet.
  • Words flow easily and first drafts simply fall onto the page.
  • I have an abundance of energy.
  • I have thousands of loyal fans and readers.
  • I create entertaining and informative content that my readers love to receive and share with others. 

Step 3: Visualization


Lastly, I spend 2-5 minutes visualizing everything I write down.  This is new for me, maybe the last two months – and it has really helped me carry over all the good feelings I feel when writing the affirmations into the rest of my day.  I’ve been carrying myself more confidently, talking with more people while out and about, smiling more, engaging more in life and my surroundings, writing more, taking the necessary action steps to complete my goals, and live the dream life I want and deserve to live.  It’s been eye-opening and a game changer.  I just start feeling what it would feel like if each of the affirmations were true, right now in this moment.  I hold on to those feelings while playing a mental movie that moves from writing to my health and fitness goals to my apartment projects and to life in general with my family and friends and I come out of the movie with just so much energy I almost literally jump up and get started!  

Once I’m done with my exercising and my journaling/mindset practice I usually have breakfast, drink my coffee, go over my daily schedule for both personal and work, check emails, and then schedule in my fiction writing time, work time, blogging time, and downtime to read and rest.  


So…what do you think?  Could you incorporate something like this into your life?  Do you think it would help you (I say YES) – would you like to learn more about the writing group I’m apart of?  Would you like to know more about the other items on the What Would a Pro Writer Do index card in my title image? Let me know in the comments!

Behind the Scenes: Where I Write

Posted on by Jennifer Gregson


Today I’d like to talk about my desk.  It’s big and bold and messy.  We moved almost a year ago and we are still not set up (I know, I know…but life happens man) but my desk is sort of settled in to.  I have a new cork board and white board to go with my cool WRITER picture (thanks, Delia!) – they are just not on the actual wall yet but leaning against the wall.  I can still plan, dream, think, smile at, and gets ideas from everything so it’s fine….for now.  

My desk is in our bedroom.  Living in New York comes with many advantages (theatre, museums, restaurants, the public transportation) but space is not one of them when it comes to apartments.  Our place is pretty big, actually, but we only have two bedrooms so unless I want to force my cute 5-year-old to sleep on the floor of the living room (although he might secretly love this) for now my desk is in the bedroom.  This doesn’t actually cause problems since my son is at school and my husband is at work all day and I don’t usually work at night during family times.  The problem comes from my desk being a flat, relatively clean surface, things get dumped here – school paperwork, iPhones, my son’s art, junk mail – the list goes on, so I constantly have to clean it. 

 

What would solve this problem?  Having a dedicated space in the living room for the stuff mentioned above.  I’m actually working on this problem, and I think I’m almost done with the drop zone by the door.  Also, I need to reorganize the two book shelves that are in the bedroom to better utilize that space so less stuff has to live on my desk.  This is my next big apartment project.  We really do take forever to move into a place fully – but we adore our apartment overall, it has huge windows and lots of light and it’s in a great neighborhood close to my son’s elementary school.  And it’s quiet.  Like…eerily quiet.  If I have the windows open I can sometimes hear the Long Island Rail Road go by a few blocks away or trucks rumbling down Queens Boulevard, but otherwise – I don’t hear much during the day.  It’s really nice.

My desk is almost settled in, but once I get the book shelves reorganized then I can concentrate on the peripheral areas of my desk, like my cute little plastic bins that hold my washi tape, journal cards, extra index cards, extra pens, etc.  Right now they are a major hot mess and I can’t find anything without searching through at least three drawers.  Ugh!  This is a total time waster and the 2nd item on my apartment list to fix and work through.  I also want to put more cute stuff on my cork board and once I get everything hung up, I’ll see if I have room for other decorations around my desk.  I have accumulated quite a few inspirational pictures and sayings so I want a space dedicated to those, like a mini vision board or a motivator corner. 

 

The other place I like to write is in the living room sitting on our bright red couch!  This is the joy of owning a laptop – I can take it anywhere, but I usually don’t.  The living room is where I chill when I’m thinking or planning or daydreaming while writing but also have the TV on watching old reruns of Friends. I have tried writing out of the house, but for some odd reason, I felt very uncomfortable.  I think that’s just me because most writers I’ve met go to Starbucks or St. Louis Bread Company (Panera’s) and work sometimes….if I do this, I usually like to read or hand write in a journal because I feel odd whipping out my laptop and typing away.  Not sure why.  I think it’s because at home I can control my music, my beverage situation, my food situation, etc.  I think it’s because I’m a control freak.  There, I said, it. HA

So…where do you write or paint or sing?  Show me your work space and tell me a little about it…is it perfect, does it need some work?  Are you planning on fixing it up or adding things? I’d love to see pictures, so tag me over on Instagram.

Bad Poetry 2: Electric Boogaloo

Posted on by Jennifer Gregson

It’s round two of Bad Poetry! The last time I did this (read that here) I got a few family and friends asking me, “These were great…they weren’t bad, why did you call it that?” Here’s the reason: I don’t know what I’m doing, really. I studied some poetry in High School and College – how to read it, how to act it out, how to think about it as a reader and performer, but never how to write it. I wasn’t an English major in college and then when I did start writing, it was always novels or articles – never poetry. But it’s fun to play around with words and types of poetry (like Haiku!) and imagery in a different way. This is why I label it Bad Poetry…not because they suck (although they might) but because I have no idea if they can even all be called poetry. I’m just having fun, so enjoy!

The System is Down, Yo

Internet is out
No Netflix, Hulu, YouTube
What to do for fun?

An Ode to Staples

Notebooks and pens and highlighters galore.
Colored pencils, markers, crayons and more.
Aisles and aisles of envelopes, binders, paper, and ink.
Music above, rain outside, lights that glow an odd shade of pink.
I make my choices, carefully picking supplies.
And ring them all up and head out with my prize. 


Depression

My mind never stops, the words are swirling and the voices are drowning out my own thoughts. Happiness is always just a bit out of reach. I stretch, I strain, but I can’t seem to grab it for very long. I brush it with my fingertips, linger in the warm sunny delight of it, but then just as quick it’s gone again. Slammed into darkness, surrounded by ugly horrible images. Pictures that I don’t want to see. Things I don’t want to think about. Facts that I don’t even believe anymore. I am better than this. I try again. Stretch further, strain more, try to grab it one last time. Maybe this time it will stay.

I fall on my face. Splat! Straight down in murky water, dirt, and debris. I sit up and look around. I start feeling sorry for myself. I decide to just sit here and live, in this ditch or hole that I’ve somehow created for myself. It feels comfy…until it doesn’t. Until I start to get antsy and angry. Mad at myself, mad at the world. Mad at everyone that looks happy.

I try smiling. I try singing. But nothing works for long. I finally try talking. I talk and talk and talk and cry and scream and somehow the clouds part and the sun appears, and I see it. Happiness floating toward me. I hold out my hands and it lands softly. I throw it around me like a blanket. I feel warm and light. It won’t always be this easy, but for now…right now. It is.


Growing Up



Going to school and riding the bus, you seem so big.
Helping me pack your snack and getting dressed, you seem so big.
Homework and reading, you seem so big.

But then, at night, before bed when you crawl into my lap and put your head in the space between my soft body and warm arms, you look up at me and all I see is my baby. My little 8 lb 3 oz newborn who would look up me while feeding and I smile. 

You might be growing up, but you’re still little to me. 

Coffee Break

Posted on by Jennifer Gregson

Hello, my loyal readers…grab a cup of coffee (iced if it’s as hot and muggy as it is here in NY) and let’s catch up.

So, about 2 months ago I finished the second round of revisions on my debut novel, The Art of Lying, and sent it to a professional editor. I took a little time off – about a week – and then jumped into working on a novella that I’m hoping to give away for free when I start up my newsletter. But my amazing editor (shout out to Sarah Fox over at The Bookish Fox!) sent me her notes already. Amazing! So far, her notes seem fair and balanced – she tells me when she loves a line or section of dialogue and then she also tells me when I should show and not tell, when I should blend some of the info dumps into the scenes more naturally, and that my love interest seems a bit cartoonish (she’s right actually, I just couldn’t see that). If you are writing a novel, seriously – get a professional to look at it, I’m so incredibly happy with the results and I know that by working with Sarah, making the needed changes, and sending it back to her for copyediting my book will be simply the best it can be and me a better writer in the process. Who could ask for more?

Now, of course, that leaves me with a tiny dilemma – do I start working on my baby (the big novel) or finish outlining and drafting the novella? I mean, I could possibly work on both these next two months, but it is summer and my son’s summer Extended School Year program is a tiny bit shorter than the normal school day, and there’s still the day job. I don’t want to burn out, confuse stories in my head, or just start hating both projects. I’m going to take a few days, work on a reverse outline for my Editorial Skype call with Sarah, and see what my next few weeks actually look like in terms of work, shopping, and other activities.

The plan was still to have my novel ready to self-publish this Fall/Winter but I have a feeling to make it the best book possible, give me time to write and edit the novella, set up the newsletter, and have family time (and a Disneyland vacation!!!!) I might need to push the timeline back to January/February 2018, and you know what? That’s okay. I know I’m going to learn and grow so much with this book and this whole self-publishing process that I will be better equipped to write, edit, revise, and publish the next few books.  And, once the novella is ready and in my eNewsletter system that will pretty much be “set it and forget it”.

What fun stuff are you doing this summer? Vacation plans? Netflix and chill? Summer school or camp? I want to know what you’re up to and if you’re creative and writing, singing, dancing, etc then let me know that too! Keep cool, read something funny, and catch up on your favorite series. 

Let’s Get a Little Real

Posted on by Jennifer Gregson

So, today I’d like to slow things down and get a little real.  The past few years have been hard for me, personally.  I lost my older sister three years ago to pancreatic cancer.  I miscarried a very wanted baby girl two years ago. And my sweet five-year-old started kindergarten.  And if you think that last one isn’t quite the same as the first two, you’re right in some ways, but my son is autistic and he went from a very small loving preschool program to the New York school system in a bigger class, with all new teachers and kids.  To say I was worried and feeling lost was an understatement.  
I wasn’t dealing with things well after last September.  We had just moved and although I loved our new apartment and neighborhood, I was feeling sad all the time.  I managed my day job okay (I work from home) but I just wasn’t feeling it.  I did the work but wasn’t happy.  I cried a lot, watched too much Netflix, and ate nothing but crap.  I was depressed.  This has happened to me before.  Also, I have a history of binge eating – and I started to see myself creeping back toward those old habits and I didn’t want to go down that road again, so I recalled what I had done about 6-7 years ago and took action this time.  I started seeing a Nutritionist and a Therapist.


Yes…both, at the same time.  Why?  Because having support and help from multiple people is exactly what works for me.  This time, I delved into the serious loss I had felt over the last few years (I also lost extended family members in the past five years that I loved dearly), the loss of having my baby start Kindergarten, the general malaise and hurt feelings I’ve been holding on to for too many years about my career and lack thereof.  It took many months, but I can say I’m finally feeling like myself.  Happier, on the road to healthier, and I’m actually kicking butt on my goals.

The thing that both my nutritionist and my therapist have been instilling in me is Health at Every Size (for more info, click HERE and HERE) and Self-Care/Self-Love/Self-Acceptance.  Learning to love who I am, right now, right here today and not When I Get to Be a Perfect Size….because that’s BS and that attitude was holding me back.  I’ve been adding in self-care to my daily plans – reading time, planner time, showers (yes…when I get depressed or I start hating on myself showers go right out the window), facial masks, tea and cookies, and music, going to bed and getting sleep, etc.  I’ve also been working on Intuitive Eating and listening to my hunger and fullness cues.  That has been so hard, but I’m now starting to tell when I get hungry and I listen and ask questions – am I really hungry or thirsty?  When was the last time I ate?  What did I eat?  Was it filling?  What can I eat now to satisfy myself? How can I make things easier for myself?    If I start feeling hungry and I know I really shouldn’t be hungry, I think – what’s going on emotionally? Can I do something else instead of eating to help me feel better?  Sometimes the answer is NO and I go ahead and eat, giving myself permission to fully enjoy whatever I decided to partake in.  This keeps me from binging and feeling guilty for giving myself what my body is craving.

Along with the help of my nutritionist and therapist (and my family – shout out to Mom and Hubby and my cute son, for keeping me going when times were tough), I’ve started getting involved in the writing community online and I joined a Mastermind group that has been amazing.  The leader is big into Mindset and I’ve been doing a daily mindset practice for a few months now and I was ready to start up-leveling my life in a few areas – one being my fitness.  Yes, I love myself today just as I am, but I also knew that I needed to be able to walk up my stairs without feeling like I’m going to die, run around after my cute kid, and walk around Queens and get stuff done.  I sit all day for both my day job and my passion work so I needed something to help me get some exercise in and start feeling stronger.  Enter Nerd Fitness and Rising Heroes …it’s an extremely geeky online role-playing type game that helps you complete missions and earn points all centered around health, fitness, hobbies, your environment, and more. 

I created a code name – Caffeina (the Roman goddess of Coffee!), took the first self-assessment and was placed into a faction (like a Harry Potter house), joined a Squad and a Division and started walking, doing bodyweight exercise circuits, and drinking more water.  It’s only been two weeks but I’m really enjoying it.  It does cost money (I think I paid about $100 for the year) but their Facebook group is active, helpful, and funny.  The geeky online game and backstory is a bit over my head, but maybe I’ll get into it more once I complete all the beginning missions.
So…what do you do each day for self-care? Do you have a plan?  I try to jot down 5-6 things at the beginning of the week and then check them off as I do them.  Do you work out?  Do you enjoy it?  I’m still also doing my yoga, but I knew I needed some variety, some help, and I find I really enjoy the bodyweight circuits – I feel strong and all amazon goddess warrior type afterwards. 

Behind the Scenes: Music and My Writing Process

Posted on by Jennifer Gregson

In one of my writing groups over on Facebook, there was a discussion not too long ago about music and writing. I was seriously surprised that so many of the writers (many self-published professionals) don’t listen to music while they work…I have a hard time not listening to music during certain parts of my process. And that got me thinking – what is my actual writing process and how does music play a part in that?

Ideas and Brainstorming

When I’m first thinking up an idea, brainstorming all the What If’s for a character or plot idea, or just general daydreaming I sometimes need music and sometimes not. This morning I was working on a character arc for my current project and I could hear my husband’s radio in the other room (quietly) but I had no music on in the bedroom where I was, but the other day when I was just sitting and staring and thinking, I had music on. This stage of my process can really go either way and depends on my mood that day.

First Draft

I need music. Non-negotiable, no two ways about it – can’t write the first draft in quiet. For first drafts, I need music – all kinds of music, totally different kinds of music. Pop, 1990s Alternative, Broadway soundtracks, 80s new wave, 70s disco, you name it, I have probably listened to it. I don’t have certain playlists for different novels or projects, I choose a style based on how I’m feeling that day, or maybe how the scene needs to play out. Louder metal-type music for the big scenes, love songs for the romantic scenes, etc. I definitely need music though when I’m putting words to paper.

Revision

I need quiet – like seriously, could hear a pin drop, quiet. I need to concentrate, hear my own thoughts, and really narrow in on the problems in front of me. This is usually the stage I need to close the door to the bedroom too, so I don’t hear the TV or radio in another room or get distracted by others in the apartment. Quiet and my brain, that’s it.

Planning or Marketing

Probably music. For example, I’m currently doing some marketing and planning for the launch of my novel (hopefully this fall/winter) and I’m writing the stuff that goes in the front and back of the book (dedication, acknowledgements, copyright, etc) and working on my blurb – the cool story description that accompanies my book to entice people to read it (because it’s awesome!) and I definitely need music for these tasks. But if I’m researching something about marketing and reading articles, I might need quiet.

Most of these only work with longer projects. When I’m writing these posts, for example, I usually listen to music or have the TV on with no issues. When I need to concentrate on one part or brainstorm something I might mute the TV or dim the music, but overall I need background noise.

So, tell me…do you use music when you write or work on projects? What do you listen to? Do you have playlists or just use Amazon Music or another streaming service like I do? And if you’re a singer like me, does having music on help or hinder you? Sometimes I find myself singing along and getting caught up in the song instead of writing, but sometimes I hear the perfect lyric and it fuels my next scene and gives me that little extra push….it all depends.

Muddled Moments: As If

Posted on by Jennifer Gregson


Grab a Clearly Canadian, put on a velvet babydoll dress, throw on a lace choker and some Doc Martens, watch an episode of Friends or Buffy the Vampire Slayer and sit back because – the 90s are back, baby! Want to know how I know? Bath and Bodyworks just brought back their old original scents – Cucumber Melon, Sun Ripened Raspberry, Country Apple, and my favorite…..PEARBERRY! I grabbed a shower gel, lotion, and body spray last week and was immediately transported back to my old college days.


And once I started using the stuff, I swear the 90s were everywhere. That new Full House show is back on Netflix (although without baby Michelle, what’s the point?). All of our favorite little teen pop icons are still around – Leo DiCaprio, Will Smith, Ryan Gosling, Justin Timberlake. And that’s just the guys! I mean, a Clinton ran for president…how 90s can you get?!?! The Simpsons are still on the air….still, not reruns (although you can find those too) but original shows are STILL AIRING ON FOX.

Thank goodness some things have changed – I can get internet access now whenever I want without that weird whoooshhh noise that took 9000 hours to connect. We have less frosted tips on men now (right?). I can watch TV without commercials and Beyonce’s solo career has gone pretty well, from what I’ve heard. Kidding! But buying that old favorite did make me think about my younger, slightly less carefree days – the 90s were all about High School and College for me, making friends, dating, broken hearts, parties, dancing (to those sweet 90s tunes) and not having to worry too much about jobs or money or what school should I send my kid to and what’s up with homework for a kindergartner?!?! But, I digress.

So, go watch 10 Things I Hate About You on Netflix, no seriously – if you’ve never seen that movie, stop reading and go watch right now. Dig out those 311, Alanis Morrisette, or Radiohead CDs and thrash around like you’re in a club, I won’t judge – heck, I’ll come over! What’s your favorite oh so 90s thing? Which scent did you rock back in the day? And if you’re way too young to get these references, then hold tight – one day, you’ll write a blog post (or whatever replaces blogs and YouTube in the future) waxing nostalgic about the 2010s talking about Beyonce and Lemonade, the crazy presidential race of 2016, fidget spinners, and who knows what else. Because every 10 years or so has it’s own persona…and you get to be a part of that!

Creating a 3-Act Structure with Tarot Cards

Posted on by Jennifer Gregson

I’m back for part two of my writing exercises using the Tarot for Writers book and my tarot cards.  Last week I created a new character, named Leo, and this week I’m using an exercise on page 72 about creating a three-act structure with two plot points.  I did not pull a card for the climax (seen in the book example) because I’m not actually writing this whole book.  Have a look-see at what cards I pulled and what I came up with for my beginning, middle, and end.   At the end of this post, I’ll tell you my thoughts going forward and what I’m going to write based off this reading for you guys! 



Act I – King of Swords
Leo, under the thumb of his father – a former MLB player, has played baseball his entire life from little league on through High School.  It is just expected that he will either go pro or play during college.  His father left baseball because of an injury and then became a professional agent.  He is powerful, successful, and charming.  Women love him, men want to be him – he never married Leo’s mother, but they co-parent as a team fairly well.  Leo’s father has high expectations of him and demands perfection above all else.  Leo must be the best! 

Plot Point 1 – The Moon
Leo, unhappy with the choices his Dad has made for him, has a dream one night while camping with his buddies.  He wakes up and walks under the full moon to the nearby lake where a young woman sits on a rock.  They have an amazing conversation about life, love, and the journey one must take for themselves when starting college. 

Act II – Nine of Cups
A college orientation party finds Leo in new surroundings.  Here no one cares about his Dad or sports at all really, but higher pursuits – science, literature, religion.  Leo must stand on his own two feet, as it were.  He wants to enjoy his time away from family and old friends, especially as he pursues this new life, but he’s finding it hard to figure out exactly where he stands and what he stands for.  He can’t seem to make up his mind about a major and starts having panic attacks that cause him to break down, sometimes going through a major depression for days/weeks at a time.

Plot Point 2 – The Sun
Leo is having trouble making new friends and starts to wonder if he somehow screwed up his entire life by walking away from his Dad’s plans.  He decides to take a long walk one beautiful Sunday to a public park that’s close to campus, to get away from his troubles.  He sees a group of guys playing ball for fun – no jerseys, no real official teams, no coaches.  Just a group, playing with a ball and a bat, having fun.  He asks if he can join them, which they immediately welcome and he plays for hours.  Sweating from the hot sun, he grabs a water and starts talking to one of the young men who goes to his school.  During their conversation, he realizes what he wants to study and finds a hobby that he’s good at and can enjoy for life.  He and his new friend walk back to campus together. 

Act III – The Hanged Man
After his day of fun, Leo chooses a major, settles into college life and meets the young woman from camp at a dance.  She’s the daughter of the Dean and just graduated from college the year before. She’s only a few years older, very taken with our Leo and they start dating.  Leo finally feels like himself.  He feels confident and has the courage to call his father, who he hasn’t spoken to in months and they start hashing things out on their way to redemption and a better, more grown-up relationship.   Leo feels like he’s on the right path – he has a handle on his shiny object syndrome, knowing that he can read and study anything without losing focus and he has matured into a bright young adult. 



Here’s what I’m thinking – I love the scene where he’s camping and meets the young lady by the lake so I think I will write that scene (2-3 thousand words) and post on the blog in a few weeks – I will get this one done quicker than my last tarot short story, I promise.  Does that sound like a good deal?  Or…if you guys like another scene more, comment and I’ll decide in a few days (maybe…Mon or Tues next week).  Thanks!

What do you think?  Would you read this book? Does it sound interesting?  What kinds of things do you see in these cards – seriously, give me your ideas, I might incorporate them.  I enjoy these exercises, but I’m not sure if I would use tarot cards to plot out a full book – but who knows.  I’m working on a novella right now that I plan on giving away for free when I get my newsletter ready so maybe I’ll pull a few cards if I have issues or run into plot problems.

Have you ever used the tarot cards for creative inspiration? Show me – I’m always trying to think of fun, new ways to use my cards.  

Character Creation 1-2-3: A Tarot Exploration

Posted on by Jennifer Gregson
I wanted to play around with another couple of exercises from Tarot for Writers by Corinne Kenner. I call this Character Creation 1-2-3 and it’s from the section of the book on simple tarot spreads. I’m using a one card spread to give me an overall view of the character, a two card spread to give me their best and worst qualities, and then a three card spread to give me the past, present, and future for my character. 

This is just part one though, next week I want to do another exercise using tarot cards to help me create a three-act structure using 5-6 cards. Then I’m going to use all of this info (and maybe a few more cards to create the other cast of characters I’ll need) to write another short story, with Leo – my character from below – as my main guy!  If the three act structure exercise gives me a huge story, I might just write part of the story – I’ll keep you posted on that as we go. 

If you have the book, Tarot for Writers, these exercises start on page 23. I love using my tarot cards to help come up with characters, plot ideas, location ideas, and overall story ideas because they are so rich in theme, character, elements, and symbolism that you can get all sorts of ideas from each card. 

One Card Spread 

8 of Cups 
A young man, turning his back on his present. Alone at night, the full moon watching over him as he walks away from everything. He seems to be certain of his past, as he does not look behind him to see what he’s leaving behind. He knows what lies ahead, both good and bad, and he’s certain he is on the right path for him. I see a senior in high school who has decided to leave the sports world behind to pursue an academic career. Going off to college without his old friends, and maybe without his parent’s support, as he leaves behind one life for the beginnings of another. The fact that the cups are arranged so neatly, but one is missing tells me this young man feels a void in his life that he’s hoping his new path will fill.

Two Card Spread 

Best Quality – King of Cups: Thoughtful, kind, intelligent. Interested in science and the arts. Good and honest young man.

Worst Quality – Ace of Pentacles: Lost in the clouds, sort of an absent-minded professor type. Can be easily distracted by shiny things, or the newest tech. Has so many interests, it’s hard to keep track of what the newest “thing” actually is for him at any given time.

Three Card Spread 

Past – 4 of Pentacles
Present – Ace of Wands
Future – The Chariot

Once upon a time, Leo had everything that makes a high school dude popular – good looks, money, material things, sports acumen, and the perfect girlfriend but he was missing something in his life. He wanted a change, something that spoke to his intelligence and multi-interests with science and art. He applied to a prestigious college, where he hoped to study philosophy and world religions, but this idea upset many people in his life. He leaves for school in a few weeks and although he has lost people along the way, he knows that the path he is on is the right one for him. He sees himself a winner, a hero, someone that will change the world for the better – for all people. He will be a champion of human rights and help those less fortunate than him. 


So, I have a basic idea of who this guy is, what he wants for his future and what might keep him from attaining his overall goal – the shiny object syndrome, he might have trouble sticking with something for very long, even college or a higher pursuit. I’m going to flip through the Tarot for Writers book and pick some more fun writing exercises to help me with my antagonist and other characters, and – of course – the main three act structure of my story. I’ll be back with part two in a few weeks. 

If you saw these cards, how would you interpret them?  What kind of character would you have created?  If you have a deck of Tarot cards, do you use them for creativity purposes?  Divination?  Guidance?  I’d love to know. 

Behind The Scenes: Modern Art and The Art of Lying

Posted on by Jennifer Gregson
Today I’d like to share with you another look Behind the Scenes of The Art of Lying and talk about my love for Modern Art and how it influenced my main character, Rachel.

  Rachel is a young artist on the verge of a big break and her own gallery show.  I love visiting museums and art galleries and our apartment will have plenty of art on its walls once we get fully moved in (it’s only been, like, a year – whatever).  My love for the art world, especially modern art, is one of the biggest reasons Rachel spoke to me.  When she appeared in my brain – because, for some odd reason, most of my stories start with the main character first – I knew she was an artist immediately.  It was the thing that identified her so clearly, her whole persona.  It’s what made me so excited to start this novel, and what has kept me working on her and it for years.  (YEARS, people!)

My three favorite modern artists are Piet Mondrian, Wassily Kandinsky, and Alexander Calder. Besides being dubbed Modern Art, they all have one thing in common – bright, bold colors. I’m not a beige person, my favorite color is red followed closely by blue, yellow, and green – bright, bold colors is seriously my thing. Rachel is also not a beige person.  She wears black a lot, sure, but her art is all about color.  She describes her art as being in the Pop Style, like Andy Warhol, but because of my passion for clean lines, bold colors, and movement in art, she definitely has touches of those in her paintings as well.

Rachel meets another artist, a smaller character named Cassandra, who also would consider herself a modern artist but her pieces are very different – she makes modern day quilts. Bright, bold colored fabric is used to make faces and landscapes of the New York City skyline.  She blends the traditional art of quilting with her love of modern day art techniques to pen a love story of the people and city that surround her.  I loved being able to create two very different characters and styles of art to explore in this novel.  

Exploring my passions, like painting and art in general, is one of my favorite things about writing.  I love modern art, I can write about it.  I love the circus and the world of performers, I can write about it (hint hint).  I love families and how they work together (or not), how they solve problems (or not), and how they communicate (or not) within crisis so that’s what I write about.  They say write about what you know, but I say write about what you love.   Just because I myself can’t paint or sculpt or quilt doesn’t mean I can’t read and write about it.  

Who is your favorite artist?  Do you like the old masters? Classics? Sculpture?  And if you are a writer, do you put your passions and hobbies into your stories? Do you write what you know or what you love?