Has anyone used the Snowflake Method to plan and plot your novel? I’ve started working with it to prepare for NaNoWriMo, and I’m stuck on step 2. Can folks share experiences of using this method?
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Is there any public text we can look at for the steps?
What’s got you stuck?
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I suggest searching for advice on Youtube. Plenty of videos on this topic.
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I’ve looked at Snowflaking, but my personal take is once you’ve outlined, you could’ve written two Percy Jackson mini-books. I found using a high school book report template as an awesome way to get started. I. Intro & Expo: Who, When, and Where :: II. Rising Action (5- 7 plot points):: III. Arc: How is the M/C changing? :: IV. Turning Point & What’s at Stake? :: V. Climax (it takes a little effort, but this needs be to shorter(briefer than you first think):: VI. Denouement :: VII. Resolution :: >>> and, I add one more step, The Epilogue :: this is mostly explanatory for tilt and direction.
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I’m looking for personal experiences from members of this group using the method.
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Step 2 is writing the a five sentence summary of the story covering what he calls setup, 3 disasters, and resolution. I was able to complete the task, but it took me several hours rather than the 1 hour suggested. Overall, I think it was a helpful exercise, but wanted to find out what others who have tried the method think.
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Thank you. I’m getting the sense that this will take me too long, but I’ve finished step 2 finally, and I’m going to soldier on.
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Oh . . . I’ve been through a 55 min podcast, studied at my own pace, with a writing partner . . . twice, and honestly I find Freitag’s Pyramid with at least six “steps”(plot points) on the rising action side and three(at least) on the falling side to work just fine. What I find irksome in the “Method” is articulating a single sentence you’re just going to expand anyway. I see the value there, I just find the effort a little redundant. But if it works. . .
If I recall, that first sentence is also supposed to serve as your logline. So most people would be coming up with it anyway at some point in the process. I’m not suggesting the entire method is for everyone; it’s not for me. I’m just responding to that first step possibly not being as redundant as it might seem.
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The more you chip away, the better you get at summarizing. “We stopped at a quaint little inn tucked high up in the snow-capped mountains for a nosh and so Eben could rest his strained lateral meniscus in his left knee which had been bothering him since Marfhallen.” goes to “We stopped somewhere in the mountains for a quick bite and for Eben to rest.” Then, it’s: “Somewhere in the mountains Eben had to #%@! rest.” Finally, “Food.”
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I’ve used it before a few times. You can circle back if you come up with new ideas and refine earlier steps. I do a lot of brainstorming/coming up with lots of alternatives for plots when I work through each step
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That’s what I’m finding. Lots of circling back. I’m not sure if I’m going to finish all the steps, but I am finding them helpful for plot developmen. It’s time consuming though, and I miss writing scenes. So, I’ve started some scene writing, and I’ll keep circling back.
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