Runes for Writers: Boost Your Creativity and Destroy Writer's Block by Marc Graham ~ a Review

by MK French

Many people know that Norse cultures used runes for writing, and they have recently been co-opted by various far-right and Nazi movements. While this book acknowledges that, it also seeks to reclaim the knowledge for others to use. The first section of the book outlines this purpose as well as the meaning of each rune of the Elder Futhark. This is the ancient alphabet that the Norse cultures used; the alphabet is named for the first letters of the writing system, much like "alphabet" is derived from the first two letters of the Phoenician and Roman writing system.
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September 2019; Erulian Press; 978-1732755116
print (148 pages); nonfiction

Once the name, meaning, and association of each letter is laid out, then they can be used to do runecasting. This is a system of using the symbols on tiles or cards to examine your characters, aspects of stories that you might be stuck on or how the plot can possibly move. This is posited as a means to destroy writer's block because now you don't have to fixate on "I'm not writing!!" and panic. Instead, using the different runes and layouts can help you think outside the box to plot out scenes or overall arcs.

The closing of this book includes part of a text on Odin, and how the runes would have interpreted sections of it. It's an interesting avenue to take, and one that can benefit many writers that are stuck.

Buy Runes for Writers at Amazon

Born and raised in New York City, M.K. French started writing stories when very young, dreaming of different worlds and places to visit. She always had an interest in folklore, fairy tales, and the macabre, which has definitely influenced her work. She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband and three young children.

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