The Snowflake Method for Writing a Novel?
Part One
I’m making this a part one because it’s still in progress. I have begun. I bought the book of Randy Ingermanson’s Snowflake Method, I bought the software … err, and remembered I think I bought this ten years ago also!! Heck, I even bought it on Audible so I can listen when I run. Yesterday I went for a run in the woods and listened to it as I huffed and puffed past families and dog walkers. The day before I listened on a sunset walk on the beach. I love it and don’t want it to finish. Because that will mean I will have to get on with it and not use the excuse that I am still reading the book.
The Snowflake in Summary
So, let’s stay on topic here… what is the snowflake method? Well, as Ingermanson points out in the story so far, as I am still reading, baby bear’s porridge was just right. Papa Bear’s porridge and his method was too hard. Mama Bear’s too soft and squishy ‘feel your way around your story,’ type thing. Baby Bear recommends creating a one-sentence summary of your novel, then a paragraph, then a page, then character summaries that also get grown later on as the method progresses. It makes it easier. He argues that seat-of-the-pants writers who make it all up as they go along with the plot having no plan can run into problems, whereas ‘snowflakers’ have answered so many of their questions beforehand.
Left Brain, Right Brain
I quite fancy myself as a creative right-brain dominant person. Apologies to any doctors or brain-educated people reading this, it’s a little simplistic for you guys. Truth is though, as flaky as I might like to think I am, I am also a planner, a left brain, logical and nerdy listie type too. I love to write to-do lists. I like check boxes, and especially checking things off. The Snowflake Method looks like a left-brain tool, and it is. But you need your creative right brain to create those characters, the plot and all the story details. So, it’s both. A win-win for me.
So Far, I Have Managed To…
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Write a one sentence summary for the novel of seventeen words
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Write a one paragraph summary for the novel
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Write about the five main characters
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Write the short synopsis
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Expand some of my character synopsis’
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Make a start on my long synopsis
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Plus a pre-snowflake wordcount of 32,820
I have a goal of completing the first draft by the end of the first half of this year. That’s June the 30th, 2018. I’ll keep you posted, that’s the plan anyway.
Are you writing a novel? Tweet me how it’s going and what you find helpful.
Kindest writer vibes,
Susan.
