Develop Your Storytelling Craft & Confidence!
Tina Capalbo empowers emerging writers with essential storytelling tools.
"As a storyteller, tarot guide, and writing coach, I develop practical exercises to help writers clarify ideas and hone their craft. Sometimes that means breaking through writer’s block, brainstorming plot twists, deepening your character development, revealing hidden conflicts, or raising the stakes. I'm into stories that weave rich narratives using compelling themes, rich character development with distinct dialogue, and strong story structure that drives the plot."
If you want to reignite your creativity, find clarity in your projects, or learn to use tarot prompts as a generative writing tool, you're in the right place.
Books | Using Tarot as a Tool | Writing Exercises
As a writer, teacher, and life-long creative, I have written everything from blogs, plays, short stories and books to volunteer manuals, educator packs, and architectural proposals.
During the school year, I make author visits to Nova Scotia schools! I love exploring a story and storytelling with young writers, and I offer workshops through the Writers in the Schools (WITS) program in Nova Scotia, including:
(1) ‘Ari and the Very Loud Bird!’ is a workshop for early elementary students (grades P-3).
(2) ‘Main Character Energy’ is a creative nonfiction writing workshop for secondary students (grades 10-12).
*Apply to the WITS program in Nova Scotia.
In the Autumn of 1997, I picked up my first tarot deck at a book store in downtown Toronto. I studied the deck and its guide to begin learning the cards. Over the years, I practiced tarot, noticed the details, symbols, and significance of synchronicities in the cards. The connections emerged as stories, and I learned to trust my intuition.
For writers, tarot can be used as a generative tool to suggest, reveal, and combine story elements, including character traits and archetypes, obstacles and complications in the rising action, symbolism and imagery connected to tropes or themes, and more.
Stuck at home during COVID, I drew a plot structure on large poster board. That was when I started to use tarot cards explicitly as a generative writing tool to explore elements of character and narrative.
I've been reading and writing since the beginning--destined to explore writing and storytelling. Walks to my local library were later replaced with Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education degrees in English and Drama at Western University. I dove deeper into English Literature a few years later, completing a Master of Arts degree in English at Dalhousie University.
I started teaching in Tokyo long ago. When I returned to Canada, I continued to teach English as a Additional Language (EAL) in Toronto and Halifax. I am still a substitute and term teacher for secondary English, Drama, and EAL. And I'm a virtual writing coach. I've mentored young writers in more than 5000 writing classes online since 2021.
I continue to develop skill-building exercises for emerging writers.