Snowflake Method Excersise

[megan_d]

Having finished my first novel over a year ago now, I find I'm having trouble getting into my second. I've decided to try my hand at the snowflake method to see if that helps. (http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/art/snowflake.php).

Problem is, I have trouble writing with out an audience. That is, the whole point to the snowflake method is to "answer" each step with the same standard you would apply to a query letter or the like. But if no one but me is going to be reading it I tend to cut corners and get a little half arsed about it all.

So I thought we could have this thread where people, if they wanted, could complete and then share the first two steps of the snowflake method. Even if it's not a path you like to use when writing I think this initial steps would be helpful not just in the outlining stage, but also in querying. Plus, if I know that I'm going to post it here, I'll put much more effort into it.

Anyone wanna go first?

Here are the first two steps for those who don't like to click links to external sites:

Step 1) Take an hour and write a one-sentence summary of your novel. Something like this: "A rogue physicist travels back in time to kill the apostle Paul." (This is the summary for my first novel, Transgression.) The sentence will serve you forever as a ten-second selling tool. This is the big picture, the analog of that big starting triangle in the snowflake picture.
When you later write your book proposal, this sentence should appear very early in the proposal. It's the hook that will sell your book to your editor, to your committee, to the sales force, to bookstore owners, and ultimately to readers. So make the best one you can!
Some hints on what makes a good sentence:

Shorter is better. Try for fewer than 15 words.
No character names, please! Better to say "a handicapped trapeze artist" than "Jane Doe".
Tie together the big picture and the personal picture. Which character has the most to lose in this story? Now tell me what he or she wants to win.
Read the one-line blurbs on the New York Times Bestseller list to learn how to do this. Writing a one-sentence description is an art form. Step 2) Take another hour and expand that sentence to a full paragraph describing the story setup, major disasters, and ending of the novel. This is the analog of the second stage of the snowflake. I like to structure a story as "three disasters plus an ending". Each of the disasters takes a quarter of the book to develop and the ending takes the final quarter. I don't know if this is the ideal structure, it's just my personal taste.
If you believe in the Three-Act structure, then the first disaster corresponds to the end of Act 1. The second disaster is the mid-point of Act 2. The third disaster is the end of Act 2, and forces Act 3 which wraps things up. It is OK to have the first disaster be caused by external circumstances, but I think that the second and third disasters should be caused by the protagonist's attempts to "fix things". Things just get worse and worse.
You can also use this paragraph in your proposal. Ideally, your paragraph will have about five sentences. One sentence to give me the backdrop and story setup. Then one sentence each for your three disasters. Then one more sentence to tell the ending. If this sounds suspiciously like back-cover copy, it's because . . . that's what it is and that's where it's going to appear someday.

[Namatu]

Coming at the start of a new work, that - aside from step 1 - sounds far too much like an outline for me to go anywhere near it. -shudder-

Good luck to you!

[NeuroFizz]

An original painting could come from a Paint-by-Numbers canvas, but only if the artist lets paint flow beyond the lines.

If this method gets you writing, then it is worth it. But don't let the structured approach limit your story inside the lines.

And there is nothing wrong with using an outline (or any equivalent or variant), nor does it make you any less of a creative individual than those who use other methods. Some of us don't choose that much initial structure, some of us do. And as long as we all write damn good stories, who cares how they started out?

[TereLiz]

I read the article and realize that I do something like this, only less structured, more organic. I have never started with a one sentence summary before, but since I've been seriously querying, I've realized that it might be better for me to have a road map like that while I'm writing.

I'm a plotter, so I write massive amounts of back story and character building, with a pretty defined objective and a word count in mind. I might get to most of those exercises eventually, just maybe not in that order. :D

[icerose]

I've written several novels and several scripts all without outlines. I've decided to try the Snowflake Method. I'm on step 6 with step 7 already done. I went overboard on a previous character step. :D I'm having a lot of fun with it and I'm finding it's not restrictive but actually really brings to the forefront things I know and want for my characters without taking 300 pages to discover it. My characters are much more real already and my story is really developed. After the 4 page synopsis the story should be really solid and I should be able to do the chapter by chapter in step 8 no problem.

I haven't decided whether or not I'm going to do step 9 but I've found so far it's really streamlined the process for me and I should have far fewer "Okay, that's great, now what?" That stall me sometimes for weeks. With the bulk of the story already brainstormed I think I'll have a lot more freedom and be able to dedicate my time to bringing that storyline to life. It also helps me see way ahead of time where I need more action and more this or that, or less this or that because I'm seeing the whole story in an overview.

Furthermore I do the whole snowflake method just for me. I'll worry about the query later.

[loiterer]

I've tried the Snowflake in the past. I have a few troublesome stories that I've abandoned at various points in the past, and I ran a couple of them through the first few stages of the Snowflake to see what it would shake out. I've actually run a couple of those stories through virtually every 'method' out there, including "outline your novel in 30 minutes", but I digress...

I only went up to Part 4, because that was all I needed to do (I'm not really an outliner-type). Generally the Snowflake is, IMO, more suited to genre-fiction (I think it would be particularly useful for thrillers). I modified it from time to time for my projects. For example, I expanded Part 2 since my stories were more complicated than "three disasters plus an ending". You will probably find the Snowflake more useful if you use it with a little flexibility.

[sunandshadow]

I like the snowflake method and it's probably the most usable of the novel-starter methods I've come across because it's simple and loosely structured. The only thing I don't like about it is that word 'disasters' - when I use it I substitute 'major changes' or 'transformations'.

But, snowflake method or any other method, I still have trouble coming up with a good ending. Here's the (heavily simplified version of) the idea I'm currently working on:


Divorce story

Beginning - MC, unhappy in his marriage has a female friend who is also unhappy because she really wants a child but no men want her. MC get's spouse's permission to be a sperm donor and does so.

'Disaster' 1 - MC discovers spouse is prejudiced against the race of person female friend is, and the mixed-race child MC has gotten her pregnant with. MC is angry at spouse, but can't start an argument without revealing the female friend and child to spouse's anger. MC cannot however bring himself to make love to spouse, so a rift is beginning in their relationship.

'Disaster' 2 - MC realizes that being a single mother of a mixed-race child is going to be much harder on female friend than MC initially thought; worse, with spouse's prejudice MC cannot publicly help raise the child in the role of an uncle as he was planning to do. And he finds himself wanting to offer sexual comfort to female friend, which he already promised not to.

Disaster 3 - Spouse forces the argument demanding to know why MC suddenly won't sleep with her and has remained angry for several days over a seemingly irrelevant issue like people of another race. MC reveals that he sired a mixed-race child and also the pre-existing issues af why the MC was unhappy in his marriage are discussed. They decide to get divorced and MC moves out.

Ending - MC and pregnant female friend move to another town and as soon as the divorce is finalized MC marries her. They live more or less happily despite continuing to encounter racial prejudice.


I like this story except for the ending, which seems anti-climactic and boring. I want it to have a happy ending, but wish I could think of a more clever twist, and I'm not really satisfied with the fact that the couple's life can't be perfectly happy because there will always be prejudice to deal with. It would also be nice if the story could lead into something larger at the end, like, "after that the ex-spouse became a bitter superhero..."

Gah I don't know. :e2faint:

[Dale Emery]

That is, the whole point to the snowflake method is to "answer" each step with the same standard you would apply to a query letter or the like. But if no one but me is going to be reading it I tend to cut corners and get a little half arsed about it all.

Whether you're creating a novel or a query or a snowflake, a primary goal is to excite your audience. When you are planning, your audience is you.

So: At each step of the snowflake method, revise until what you've written excites you.

Dale