Presenting the “Auto-Type” Technique

The formula for writing prolific works, without ever experiencing writer’s block.

Photo by Johnny Briggs on Unsplash

In 2021, I discovered a technique that allowed me to write 10 pages a day, continuously, through a pandemic, while earthquakes were happening in a cockroach and ant-infested apartment building situated in the heart of Mexico City.

All the distractions in the world would not keep me from meeting my daily goal: 10 pages, double spaced, on a typewriter. No excuses.

If a fool like me can do this, sure as hell, so can you.

I present nothing special as a human being. I’m a pretty average guy. Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. Took two classes on Fiction Writing in college, and that was it.

When I look back after a writing session is done, I say to myself every single time — this is not me.

It’s not. Nor is this me right now. I’m in flow state. I can enter it quickly now, because of continuous practice. It allows me to blast through any work, regardless of the distractions I am facing.

I’ve put this to the test. I went and wrote love poetry on a typewriter, in the dark, while music was playing, people standing around me, asking me questions, and at times, talking to me. I would look them in the eyes, and my fingers did the rest.

There’s a word for this — it’s called faith.

The amount of faith you have in yourself is revealed in the quality of your writing.

Faith is love. Make no mistake about it. Love permeates all things. It is the glue that binds humanity. And it is the muse that we all tap into during our most creative moments.

I’ll show you in a few simple steps, how to access it. And the good news is, the more you access this source of creation, the stronger you will bond with it. You will write faster as a result, and the quality of your content will astound you.

It will become more enjoyable. You will be wishing for the morning to come so you can start your writing session again. Sometimes you’ll have to wake up at 3am because the ideas are flowing, and you simply cannot wait. This is the joy of writing.

1. Everyone has moments of conflict during their day.
2. Instead of this serving as a prompter to worry, and complain — write.
3. Get on the computer, open up your favorite writing app, and recount the situation that’s on your mind.
4. If you wish to disguise it, so be it. I encourage you to write in the first person, as this will encourage you to write honestly, and from there, characters will wish to come forth and share stories with you.
5. If you say to yourself — “I don’t know what to write” do not beat yourself up. Many start and stop at this point. Because it’s easier to remain in a comfort zone. Being in a comfort zone does not mean you are being productive. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Being comfortable is another way to describe procrastination.
6. Get up and take a walk. Walking is the best way to bring worries into your mind. As soon as you recognize a worry, it’s your new prompter to write. It’s quite easy to write about problems. They are backed by a feeling. The feeling can be translated in any number of ways.
7. You may see something that catches your eye. Something in your environment. It could be the time of day. It could be a text message that came in unexpectedly. These are all prompters. Use them to write.
8. When you have absolutely nothing to write, or do, it is time to consult the Tarot.
9. A Tarot deck can be easily purchased on Amazon.com and delivered to you same day, in many instances. Get yourself a deck of cards, or just go online to YouTube and watch a reading. See what cards come up.
10. As soon as you see a card, it will evoke a feeling. You will invariably think of someone, or a situation, and this is intentional. Pixie Smith, the creator of the Tarot illustrations, used specific imagery that’s designed to evoke an emotion to propel you to create. This is what the Tarot should be used for. Not to be stuck on feelings about someone, or to feel helpless.
11. Avoid readings that talk about inverse cards, negativity, or gossip. It’s often easy to fall into a state of procrastination if you entertain these thoughts for too long. The idea is to recognize the prompter that you are feeling something, and to start writing, right away.
12. Write until the ideas are fleshed out entirely. Do not stop if you are tired. This is the same as working out. You don’t want to do the final reps, but those reps are the ones that bring you the most benefit.
13. You’ll find after you break through a certain threshold that you have lots more energy to expend. So use it. Do not deny yourself, or the characters, the opportunity to speak.
14. Take breaks. Be patient with the process. Walk. All the while, being cognizant that there are prompters constantly coming forth, causing an emotional feeling. You are human, so you have this feeling center dialed in. It’s tailored according to your entertained thoughts and feelings.
15. Translate your feelings into words on the page. However you need to do it. It may be chaotic. It may be clean. It may be nonsensical, and that’s fine. You want to try and trip your mind up. It likes that. As it builds new neural pathways. Soon they will start connecting. This is the polymath’s way of learning, and it will improve your public speaking and confidence in incredible ways.
16. I can tell you I was a fool for many years, before exercising my mind like this. I was a lost man. Completely oblivious, and often unable to formulate thoughts, or speak coherent sentences. When I spoke, my words were buffered with verbal pauses that included ummm or uhhh most of the time, and I would be speaking for the sake of filling the space. I didn’t even want to listen to myself. I imagine early-onset dementia feeling like this.
17. When you write daily, by processing your feelings on the page, you become very confident in yourself. You can formulate ideas, and break them down, and change who you are — literally reforming yourself on a daily basis. You will have no issues admitting when you are wrong, and also have no problem defending others when you see something happening that doesn’t feel right. It changes who you are for the better, in all instances.
18. You start seeking out resolution in all the areas of your life. And this comes forth on the page. All of my chapters have some form of resolution. I usually start by bringing up things that evoke an emotion. Remember: this is coming from my own emotional prompters, and so, you’ll see some form of this on the page.
19. Every character is a part of you in some way. Explore them. Let them breathe and let them feel welcome. Encourage them to speak through you. There is no better way to relate to others than to diversify your speech through different characters. Never feel like you must restrict yourself because of how you identify personally. Let this be fuel to take a confident new leap of faith with your prose.
20. If others object to your work, write about it. Figure out why these prompters are coming up. Investigate your past, and find resolution through the simple process of exhausting yourself through the writing process.
21. Discover a world within yourself that is wishing to be expressed.
22. Do it all over again, every single day, and find yourself capable of doing anything you desire. Tap into the joy of writing.

The following was written without any editing. It was a continuous flow. Though I may go back in time and make tweaks and slight changes, this is how your writing will become over time. Confident. Clear. Prolific.

What you can expect in the coming weeks, is a detailed step-by-step process on how to utilize Auto-Type with each of the 22 Major Arcana in the Tarot.