This spread was created with the help of the books “Save the Cat” by Blake Snyder and “Write Your Novel from the Middle” by James Scott Bell.1
Each position is for two cards, so this is actually a 14-card spread.
Each set of cards is reflected and answered by the cards on the other side of the mound.
Position #1
The beginning of the story.
Card 1a is the central theme of the book, otherwise known as what your central characters have to learn by the end of the story.
Card 1b is about their current life, or your character’s daily world view, or things about their home life. This is where your character is starting from.
Position #2
The start of the B-story.
Card 2a is how your character will approach the journey.
Card 2b is the discovery of their mentor or friend. These are their mentors’ characteristics.
Position #3
Describes the fun and games. This is an intertwining of the two story lines.
Card 3a: The fun. What kind of mischief are the characters being thrown into?
Card 3b: The games. What their responses are and how they plan to fix things are revealed in the fun.
Position #4
The midpoint of the story.
Card 4a Describes the defining event that changes everything. This is the external factor that causes the character to reevaluate all their decisions.
Card 4b The character’s mirror moment. When they reflect on who they really are, as opposed to who they thought they were.
Position #5
Bad things start to happen.
Card 5a: How things go wrong for your character and their friends
Card 5b The All is lost moment. When your character is at their lowest point
Position #6
Where things turn around.
Card 6a talks about the hurt. This is their reaction to their previous defeat.
Card 6b talks about their healing. This is where the character realizes the lessons that were presented in the story’s theme.
Position #7
The End.
Card 7a is the Finale. This is how the opening of the story was resolved.
Card 7b is about their new life. This is the character’s new outlook, or it shows the new lens they will use to see their life and their world.
In this spread, it will be important to also examine how all of the cards relate to the midpoint cards and to their reflections on the other side of the hill.
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