Pastor Rick
The Reeve
Registered: 07-2005
Location: Texas
Posts: 2474
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Snowflakes
I was actually looking for some generic guidelines on writing a first chapter when I came across this rather cool way of looking at how to write a novel using the snowflake model.
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7/20/2010, 5:29 am
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dragonlady
Intrepid Adventurer
Registered: 04-2003
Location: England
Posts: 313
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Re: Snowflakes
I've seen this model before.
I think it got posted on the Fantasy Writing board a while ago.
I've used the early stages a bit, but never got very far with it. I think it's a useful exercise, but not something I'd follow strictly. Although I'm sure others may disagree.
--- "Why sometimes I've believed as many as 6 impossible things before breakfast" -- Red Queen, Lewis Carrol
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7/20/2010, 11:32 am
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Pastor Rick
The Reeve
Registered: 07-2005
Location: Texas
Posts: 2474
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Re: Snowflakes
The first part on getting started was cool. I don't know if I would follow through on the whole plan though...
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7/20/2010, 2:18 pm
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QS2
Shepherd
Registered: 03-2006
Posts: 2138
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Re: Snowflakes
This reminds me of how some authors instead just only write the 'cool' and 'interesting' scenes of their story, then look it over and see if anything needs adding at all and sends it off. I guess it certainly is a way to atleast maintain enthusiasm over a writing project though.
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7/20/2010, 3:30 pm
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Flasheart2006
Grand Master
Registered: 04-2004
Posts: 301
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Re: Snowflakes
Yeah, the Snowflake did the rounds over at FW four or five years ago, when it was first published. It did make quite an impression and I remember quite a large part of the board's membership (myself included) tried their hands at it.
Personally, I never really got on with it: it reaches the stage where it gets that bit too detailed for an as yet unwritten project (in my opinion). It goes into so much detail that, come the time you've completed your snowflake, you're left with no wiggle room whatsoever when you actually begin writing the story. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge planner, but I do like to have enough unanswered questions to keep the story exciting while I'm writing it, and I think the Snowflake can stifle that spontaneity.
For all that, I'm a huge admirer of Ingermanson. I've listened to a few interviews with him and he's always a realy down to earth, helpful guy. Also, regardless of whether or not the snowflake works for you, you must check out the other parts of his website:
Writing the Perfect Scene
and
Randy Ingermanson's Advanced Fiction Writing E-zine
(back issues are all available)
The first is really interesting and mind-bogglingly simple: it will really change the way you think about your writing, even if you realise that you don't actually do what it says. The second is a real must for anybody interested in writing--it's got tonnes of little snippets of information, and he often applies some of his own rules to published material (including Dan Brown and Tom Clancy) to see how/why the books in question do or don't work.
Good stuff
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7/21/2010, 6:17 pm
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David Meadows
Squire
Registered: 09-2003
Posts: 693
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Re: Snowflakes
quote: If you're writing a romance, you must create in your reader the illusion that she is falling in love herself. If you're writing a thriller, you must create in your reader the illusion that he is in mortal danger and has only the tiniest chance of saving his life (and all of humanity).
A purely random choice of pronouns, I'm sure. Absolutely no gender stereotyping intended
--- "I wear a fez now. Fezes are cool."
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8/18/2010, 12:52 pm
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QS2
Shepherd
Registered: 03-2006
Posts: 2138
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Re: Snowflakes
Gender neutral pronouns can be hard to come by?
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8/18/2010, 3:00 pm
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Reythia
Knight of Honor
Registered: 11-2005
Posts: 1883
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Re: Snowflakes
I think we should call all unspecified genders simply "it".
--- -- YAR!
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8/19/2010, 2:14 pm
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hadaad
NaNo Winner
Registered: 08-2005
Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Posts: 334
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Re: Snowflakes
Hey, guys! It's been a long time, but I'm back.
Life has done its darnedest to keep me away, but I'm on top of things enough to be able to post here and there.
I've been working on a snowflake design for a couple of weeks now, and I'm documenting it on my blog.
This is my most recent post on it, and it has links to all the other posts.
Check it out, if you're interested.
It's good to be back.
--- Reading: Don Quixote - Miguel de Cervantes
Writing: Resurrection edits
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8/19/2010, 4:41 pm
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