So, today is #tiptaptuesday and I’m giving you guys one of my favorite writing tips, a tip that can completely revolutionize your writing: astrology. Astrology is something I’ve carried close to my heart for many years. It all started with a Christmas gift from my mother back in 2002; a book about what would lie ahead for all the zodiac signs the coming year.

The book entertained the 14-year-old me for a short while. However, being consumed by all the chaos of being a teenager, I put it aside and let it rest for some time. My first love came along and swept me off my feet when I was 15. Being dumped a year later broke both my heart and my spirit. Desperate to understand why it hurt so much, I turned back to astrology in search for answers. Hardly surprising, the reason for my suffering proved to be a vibrant and energetic Sagittarius, a close to perfect match to myself being an Aries. The two of us sharing the element of fire had doubled the heat in my life, and the sudden absence of my perceived second half was overwhelming. But the insights I got during my investigation were startling, and this was where I began to find astrology really interesting.

Over the years, I´ve turned to astrology in most my attempts of understanding and bettering any relationship
I´ve had; let it be with partners, friends, family or the relationship with myself. I´ve found it to be the most effective tool to understand underlying motivations, actions and ways to communicate with different types of people. Of course, we´re also shaped by our childhoods, traumas, environments etc., but understanding and applying the knowledge of astrology comes a long way to better our understanding of ourselves and others.

Therefore, when I got the idea to write Kilonova Blues, I pulled out my best astrology collection from the bookshelves. I began searching for the personalities of my main characters, Alexandra Johnson and Marcus Meyers. It didn´t take long before I knew I had a Virgo and a Scorpio at my hands. From there, it was only to start carving out their personalities. I use astrology frequently in my writing, as an encyclopedia to know how my characters react to what life throws their way. It helps me hold the personality of a character together, making sure I´m writing in the voice of my character, not letting my own Aries traits shine through.

I have so much to say when it comes to astrology, and I´ve still got so much left to learn. But my first and most important tip for you is to USE astrology as a tool in your writing! If you don’t already. It´s like opening the door to a new world, and I promise you´ll learn as much about yourself as you will about others. Plus – it will set fire to your character development. If you don´t feel like stacking up on some books, the resources online are endless. I´m sure I´ll return to this subject many times to come, but for today I´ll just say: GET STARTED!

That’s all for now,
hej så länge!