Are you an aspiring writer with creative ideas but no concept of how to put them on paper?
Do you already have a first draft, but find yourself repeatedly coming back to fix certain plot points and it's driving you insane? Then this article is for you.
There are myriads of methods to write a novel, but the best one is the one that works for you.
The Snowflake Method has worked for me, so maybe it will for you, too. But before we get into the mechanics of the thing, we need to answer one question: What is The Snowflake Method?
The Snowflake Method is a step-by-step guide, developed by Randy Ingermanson, on creating a literary work by proceeding from a simple concept to a full-fledged, complex narrative. It provides ten practical steps that help you get started on that long-awaited first draft and guides you to create a plan for your novel, allowing you to picture the story as a whole without getting caught up in the finer details of your plot.
Step #1: Describe the idea
Write a one-sentence summary containing the core theme of your novel. Keep it short and to the point and don’t include any names. You will use this to hook your future readers and let them know what your story is about. It will be the base of your narrative, so make sure it stands out. Write
something catchy and with a desire for follow-up.
Step #2: Expand that idea into a paragraph
Describe the setup, conflict, and conclusion of your novel in five to six sentences: One sentencefor the setup, one for each conflict, and one for the conclusion.
Step #3: Describe your characters
Now that you have the outline of your novel, you will need to address your characters. Write a
one-page overview of each of them. Create their defining traits, give them a name, and think about their appearance (age, gender, skin color, body type, fashion taste, etc.…).
After you have everything down, write a one-paragraph summary of your character's storyline.
Step #4: Write a synopsis
By this step, you should have the big picture of what your novel will be about. Now what you need to do is expand on what you already have. Take the summary you created in step 2 and elaborate on each sentence. In the end, you should have a rough one-page draft. Don’t worry if you don’t
manage to stretch the outline to a whole page. What matters is that you’re enriching the ideas that go into the making of your story.
Step #5: Develop the personalities of your characters
Write a one-page description of each main character and a half-page description of secondary characters. Give them a believable personality, pet peeves, and bad habits. Mention their motivation (what they want to achieve ideally), goals (what they wish to accomplish throughout the story),hindrances (what prevents them from achieving said goals), and comment on how they change asa result of everything that takes place throughout the story.If you feel like going back and changing things, that’s a sign you’re improving! Make as many adjustments as you need for the story to feel authentic to you.
Step #6: Expand the outline
At this step, you should have a consistent story with several narrative threads. Great job!
Now, go back to step 4 and expand each paragraph into a full page. This is where you make the strategic decisions. As you write, keep track of the logic of events!By the end, you should have a six-paragraph model of your novel.
Step #7: Fill in the biography of your characters
This is an expansion of your work in steps 3 and 5. Transform your character descriptions into
lengthy character sheets, detailing everything there is to know about them. Include details such as birthdate, hometown, profession, description, history, motivation, goals, and reveal how they will be changed by the end of the novel. This will turn your characters into real people.
Step #8: Create a list of scenes
Go back to that six-page synopsis and make a list of all the scenes that you need to expand on to turn the story into a novel. Write the name of the scenes, in what order you should write them, and how many pages long you believe they should be. Explain what happens in them, who takes part in the action, and from whose perspective it should be written.
Step #9: Draw up every scene
Turn the list of scenes you made in the previous step into an outline of a script. Write down any ideas that pop into your mind (such as mannerisms or jokes), draw up the dialogue, describe the setting in detail, sketch out the conflict, and create the circumstances of events.
Step #10: Create your draft
By this step, you already know the story in minute detail. You have a detailed list of scenes and a description of all your characters. Now, all that's left to do is just sit down and start writing the real first draft of the novel!
And there you have it, the workings of The Snowflake Method. I hope this article has helped you out of that awful reading slump. Have fun expanding the limits of your imagination, and best of luck on this creative journey!
Bălţat Adnana, XII-D
Yorumlar