Like your one-sentence summary, this paragraph should summarize the most essential parts of your novel, without throwing in too many details yet. If you’re familiar with the three-act structure, you’ll recognize the first “disaster” as the end of Act 1, the second as the mid-point, the third as the end of Act 2, and the ending as your resolution of Act 3. Turn your sentence into a paragraph.īuilding on your first sentence, fill in the picture by summarizing the story setup, major disasters, and ending of your novel. (Logline for the American Hustle screenplay.) 2. Two con artists are forced to help the FBI entrap a corrupt politician. This sentence should essentially be your logline, a one or two sentence description that condenses a script or novel down to its essential dramatic narrative. This should answer the question “What is your book about?” in the most concise manner, but without missing the central theme. Make it brief (aim for under 15 words) and general (don’t include specific character names). Focus on the big picture-this should serve as a hook for your potential publisher, editor, and eventual readers. Start by writing a one-sentence summary of your novel.
#Using snowflake pro to write a script how to#
How to Use the Snowflake Method in 10 Stepsįollow these 10 simple steps to use the snowflake method to outline your novel or story. With the snowflake method, you’ll start with a simple premise (usually a single sentence) and systemically expand it to include greater details regarding plot and characters.ĭeveloped by award-winning author and physicist Randy Ingermanson, this method is perhaps best-suited for more detailed planners, as you’ll outline basically the entirety of your novel. It requires more planning on the front end, but if done properly, you’ll actually save yourself quite a bit of time and frustration. While there are many ways to outline a story’s structure, the snowflake method is perhaps the most detailed and involved. If there are any areas that just aren’t going to work, it’s better to know before you’re waist-deep in crumpled up drafts and your own tears. It can take countless hours, endless cups of coffee, and more than a few drafts to get it right.īut there is one thing you can do to save yourself some headaches: outlining.Ĭreating an outline before starting your first draft will help you identify plot holes and determine the general direction your story needs to take. I will keep this in mind for future use thought.Writing a novel is no easy task. Probably why I've only written short stories and not the novel I want to write yet. I think I am from the old school though - I just begin writing, usually from an idea from intuition, and then the story just writes itself. It certainly gets the author organized and think through the characters, plot and conflict. I had not heard of the snowflake method, but it is interesting and I think a good way to begin writing a novel. Suzette Walker from Taos, NM on May 01, 2013: I really appreciated your hub on this important topic. William Leverne Smith from Hollister, MO on October 08, 2013: The reader finds out what happens when the writer does.lol. sometimes if the story is very complicated with equally fantastic characters, the snowflake method becomes the clear choice, other times, it's all an adventure. I dig the snowflake method, but I think certain types of writing dictate what what method to use.
Have fun and let the creativity flow, now that you've got all that logic and anlysis out of the way. You may be surprised at just how fast the story flies from your fingertips as you sit down and actually start writing a novel. Ingermanson suggests printing out the final product so that any inspiration or notes can be added to the margins and so that you can rearrage scenes and chapters whenever necessary.įinally, step ten is to really create that official first draft.
The Snowflake method for writing a novel isn't supposed to be really pretty, just organized. It isn't fancy, but it keeps everything in order and ensures that you are on the right track as you finally get to write and create your story.ĭon't be afraid to get messy and sloppy here, since it is your very first draft. This is basically a start at your first draft.
Take that spreadsheet from the previous step and make each line into a multi paragraph description of the scene.