Unlocking Creativity: How I Use The Story Engine Deck to Beat Writer’s Block
Writer’s block, every writer’s worst nightmare. Just the mention of it can make your chest tighten and send your confidence plummeting down your internal drain. If you’re a writer, you’ve probably have been here at some point, staring at a blinking cursor, willing your inspiration to strike so you can write the next big thing only just to be staring at a blank page coming up empty.
I’ve tried everything myself from free writing , journaling, to taking long walks drinking an unhealthy amount of caffeine to help get my mental road block cleared, but they all were never really consistent in helping me. I was stuck trying the same things over and over just hoping that this will be the time it clicks and my imagination will start flowing again only to still be blocked days later sometimes even months later.
That used to be my routine, until I discovered something that consistently sparked my creativity, The Story Engine Deck. This clever and carefully crafted set of cards has become my ultimate secret weapon. It’s not your run of the mill writing prompt tool, it’s an adventure park playground for the creative mind, a treasure trove of endless possibilities. It helps to stretch my storytelling muscles and think in directions I would never go on my own. Just when I feel writer’s block is about to snatch me within its crippling claws, I turn to The Story Engine Deck which has yet to fail in shaking me free.
Let me show you how I use it, why it works, and how it might just change the way you write too.
Make it stand out
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story can make all the difference.
What is The Story Engine Deck?
The Story Engine Deck modular, beautifully crafted and designed by creator Peter Chiykowski, that can be used to generate characters, motivations, conflicts, create factions, new worlds, and more! They have been structured in a way that gives it user just enough guidance to get them started, without boxing you in.
Here’s the magic run down of how they work: There are five different type of “core” cards, each with a specific role in building your story. You can mix and match these to generate hundreds of unique combinations. You don’t have to have an idea, plot, character, or even a genre in mind before using them. All you need is a willingness and to let your imagination lead the way.
The cards:
Agent Cards - These are your characters who make choices in your story. (Heros, villains, or Morally gray).
Engine Cards - These are motivations and relationships that drive the story — their 'Why’.
Anchor Cards - These are objects, locations, or events of importance within your story world.
Conflict Cards - These represent the obstacles, dilemmas, or consequences.
Aspect Cards - These are adjectives that describe or alter the other cards.
My Process: How I Use the Deck
Whenever I feel stuck, whether I’m in the beginning plotting a novel, brainstorming a blog post, or just trying to keep my creativity alive, I turn to The Story Engine deck pulling out the cards shuffling them and drawing a card from each pile.
Let me walk you through an example: Actual cards I drew myself
Agent: A Warlock / A Wizard / A Conqueror / A Ruler
Engine: Wants to upstage a rival with/in / Wants to commit a crime with/involving
Anchor: A Throne / An Empire / A Port / A Spear
Aspect: Toxic
Conflict: But they will have to act against a community they belong to/ But they will have to turn against a mentor
Instantly, I’m intrigued, my brain starts firing ideas. For this example I chose A Warlock who wants to upstage a rival with/in a toxic empire but they will have to act against a community they belong to. I start to ask, who is this Warlock? Why do they want to upstage this rival? What made them rivals? What made the empire toxic? What is this act or crime the warlock will have to do? All of this came from just five cards.
I write it all down or type whichever you prefer, my questions, ideas, character notes. Before I know it, I have the makings of a story and I am writing again. Not aimlessly, not out of pressure, but out of genuine curiosity and creative flow.
Breaking Down the Deck: What Each Card Does for My Writing
Each of these cards that I drew brings something essential to the table. Here’s a closer look at how I use each one and how they helped me to shape a story.
Agent Card — Who’s the Story About?
The Agent card is the heart of your story. It gives your protagonist or antagonist. It might be “a wizard,” “a conqueror,” “a ruler,” or “a warlock.” Sometimes they’re archetypal, and other times they’re weird or out of the normal in the best of ways.
These cards help me escape those typical default characters. Instead of writing the same kind of hero or villain over and over again, I am challenged to develop characters I wouldn’t have otherwise imagined while battling writer’s block. It keeps my cast fresh and my writing exciting.
Pro Tip: Don’t be afraid to draw two Agent cards and see how they relate, are they enemies, allies, lovers, or total opposites?
Engine Card — What Drives Them?
Every good story has a character who wants something. Engine cards give your agent a purpose, a need, a wound, or a mission.
Some of my favorites have been:
To steal back something sacred that was taken.
To prove that they’re not a monster.
To complete a challenging task to win their freedom.
This card always brings emotional depth. It makes my characters more real, more human - even when they are dragons, demons, spirits, or secret royalty. The Engine cards transforms a random idea into a character arc.
Anchor Cards — What’s Important?
Anchor cards intoroduce something meaningful to your story. It could be an object, place, or moment that holds weight within your character’s world. This is where world building can be fun!
These might be things like:
A spear that takes the user’s life force each time it is used.
A cursed throne that infects it’s ruler with darkness.
An empire rewriting history to bury the truth.
A port that ships leave from but never return
This card grounds your story’s world, it adds symbolism, set tone, and even opens doors for plot development. Anchor cards help to make your word and your characters feel real to your readers, sometimes they can even become the central point of your entire narrative.
Bonus Points: You can use the anchor cards to create settings for scenes, or even journal entries from your character’s perspective!
Conflict Cards — What’s Standing in Their Way?
Conflict is what fuels any good story, fueling git with drama and suspense. These cards introduce the stakes and complications that will affect your protagonist or antagonist. Sometimes they can be external (a monster, an enemy), or they can be internal (guilt, fear of being abandoned), or situational (time limits, dilemmas).
Here are a few I’ve used before:
Must decide which mentor to betray
The cost of their fortune is their identity
Pursued by someone who loves them, but their family disapproves
I love to use this card to figure out what’s really at risk. When used right even a fun fantasy romance can become something deeper with the right conflict in place.
If you’re feeling blocked or stuck because your plot feels “too easy” or aimless, then grab those conflict cards and see what unfolds.
Aspect Cards — How Does It All Feel?
These little cards might seem like the simplest part of the whole shebang, but they’re probably one of the top most powerful ones. Aspect cards add tone, mood, and surprise to your story world. They can take an ordinary spear and turn it into a toxic spear, a burdened throne, or a half-elven empire.
Other great ones to use are:
Forgotten
Twisted
Grieving
Radiant
The aspects cards give you permission to lean into your emotions or weirdness. They can also help you write descriptions that feel richer and more layered.
Endless Combinations, Endless Possibilities
What makes this magical deck of cards so special is that it never feels repetitive. Each time I shuffle the deck every draw is a new possibility that gets my creative juices flowing. I have used it to:
Create spell casting characters
Brainstorm short story ideas
Develop a side quest for my fantasy world
Help cure writer’s block
It is so much more that a tool, it’s my very own collaborator at the tip of my fingers. The very best part of The Story Engine deck is that there is no “wrong way” of using it, you can take the cards at face value, you can only use two or three cards, or you could even use aspect cards to help describe each of the other cards. The choice are one hundred percent yours and for you to use the deck however you chose.
Writing Prompt Game: Try It Yourself!!
Want to see how it works? Here’s a mini prompt using randomly drawn cards:
Agent: A cursed healer
Engine: Must repay a life debt
Anchor: A tower that only appears under moonlight
Conflict: Risking their soul every time they use their magic
Aspect: Reckless
Now, ask yourself:
Who did they save that they're indebted to?
What happens when they use their powers?
What’s in that moonlit tower?
You’ve just begun a story!!
Growing Your Imagination with The Story Engine
Sometimes we think of creativity as something we should have all the time—as if being a writer means being endlessly inspired. But the truth is, creativity is like a garden. You have to water it, feed it, and sometimes clear out the weeds.
The Story Engine deck helps me tend that garden. It reminds me that ideas don’t need to be perfect to be powerful. It gives me the courage to explore weird ideas, emotional twists, and new characters without judgment.
Over time, I’ve noticed my writing has gotten bolder and more imaginative. I’m less afraid of the blank page. And I’m more willing to play—which is where the best stories always begin.
Final Thoughts: Why This Deck Lives on My Desk
The Story Engine deck isn’t just for “when I’m stuck.” It’s become part of my regular writing practice. I use it to warm up, brainstorm, and even to break out of ruts mid-story.
Whether you’re outlining your next novel, trying to find a short story idea, or just feel like your creativity’s gone quiet—this deck is a gentle but powerful push in the right direction.
So if writer’s block is staring you down, don’t stare back.
Shuffle the deck.
Draw five cards.
And start discovering the story that’s been waiting for you all along.
Want to get your very own deck? You can find The Story Ending Deck here along with various expansion packs and more!!
