Classical rhetorical devices—the techniques behind Shakespeare, Cormac McCarthy, and Tarantino's best lines—now in your hands. A premium card deck for writers who take prose seriously.
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You've devoured On Writing. You know "show, don't tell." You've done the exercises, taken the courses, highlighted the good parts.
And yet—
When you sit down to write, something's missing. Your sentences are fine. Competent. But they don't sing. They don't land the way McCarthy's do, or Austen's, or even the dialogue in your favorite film.
Meanwhile, AI can now generate "fine" prose in seconds. Competent. Forgettable. Indistinguishable from a thousand other paragraphs.
The gap between fine and unforgettable isn't talent. It's technique. Specific, nameable techniques that the greatest writers have used for centuries—and that most writing advice never teaches you.
The Writing Codex is a premium deck of 38 cards—each one a classical rhetorical device drawn from 2,000+ years of Western literature and oratory.
These aren't generic prompts. They're precision instruments:
Each card gives you the Greek/Latin name, a memorable description, and examples from both literature and film—so you can see the technique in action and apply it immediately.
Shuffle. Draw. Apply. Transform a flat sentence into something that echoes.
Some writers light a candle before they begin. Some put on the same album. Some open the same notebook to the same page.
The Codex is built for that moment—the ritual before the work.
When a sentence won't land, when your prose feels flat, when you're three drafts deep and still not satisfied: shuffle the deck. Draw a card. Let a technique you've never tried crack open a line you thought was finished.
It sits beside The Emotion Thesaurus. It lives on your desk, not in a drawer. It's analog in a world that wants you staring at another screen.
This is how you build a practice. This is how you level up.
Learn moreThis isn't for writers who need motivation to start.
It's for writers who are in the work and want sharper tools.
Shuffle the deck and pull a card. Let randomness break your habits and surprise you.
Read the device, the description, the examples. Understand why it works—in Shakespeare, in Star Wars, in sentences you've loved without knowing why.
Rewrite your sentence—or draft a new one—using the technique. If it doesn't land, draw again. Sometimes the fourth card is the one.
38 device cards + 2 instruction cards. Tarot-sized for easy handling and reading. Designed to sit on your desk, ready when you need them.
Free shipping · 30-day money-back guarantee
Ships in 2–4 weeks
For the writer who wants the altar piece.
Free shipping · 30-day money-back guarantee
Ships in 2–4 weeks
Books teach you about technique. The Codex puts technique in your hands at the moment of writing. It's a reference tool, not a course—designed to sit on your desk and break you out of habits when you're stuck or polishing prose.
The techniques apply to any prose—fiction, memoir, essays, screenplays, even speeches. If you care about how your sentences land, the Codex will help.
Same cards, different packaging. The Deluxe edition features a magnetic closure box with a soft-touch finish and gold foil stamping—built to be a permanent fixture on your writing desk. If you want the altar piece, go Deluxe.
AI can generate competent prose. What it can't do—yet—is deploy rhetorical devices with intention, rhythm, and human judgment. These techniques are what make prose feel written, not generated. We think that matters. (And if you're wondering: "Clankers" is our affectionate term for the machines.)
Yes. We offer the full deck in digital format, free. Use all 38 techniques, see if they transform your prose. When you're ready for the ritual—the shuffle, the draw, the physical card on your desk—the Codex will be here.
Orders ship in 2–4 weeks. We're a small operation committed to quality over speed—we appreciate your patience.
Return it within 30 days for a full refund. No hoops, no questions. We're confident you'll want to keep it.
We'll send you all 38 techniques in digital format—the complete Codex, on your screen. Use them, try them, see if they transform your prose.
When you're ready for the ritual—the shuffle, the draw, the card on your desk—the physical Codex will be here.
The techniques are free. The ritual is $39.
No spam. Just craft.
Free shipping · 30-day money back guarantee · Ships in 2–4 weeks