There are only three rules for writing …
Unfortunately no-one knows what they are.
W Somerset Maugham
Like most authors, I’m constantly looking to improve my process. I don’t claim to have any big insights into how to write a book.
But I like the sound of this …
The Snowflake Method.
This was devised by Randy Ingermanson. On his website he calls himself
“The Snowflake Guy”
America’s Mad Professor of Fiction Writing
No really.
Professor Randy suggests that you can write a novel by starting with the barest of outlines, encompassing the whole novel, and building it up gradually.
He starts with Step 1.
Take an hour and write a one-sentence summary of your novel.
And you build it up from there.
The Prof’s images might give you the idea.
Worth a Try?
The kind of book I write take a lot of planning. They involve two stories: the story of a murder, which is hidden and revealed in pieces, and the story of an investigation, which is told in a more or less linear fashion, beginning to end. The first story has to be meaningful, believable, and somehow coherent with the themes of the whole novel. The second story needs a structure that will enthral and satisfy a reader.
Want to Know if it Works?
With my new novel I’m going to attempt Snowflake method. Don’t know how it’s going to work out.
Stick around. I’ll keep you posted.
JOANNA BAKER 