Author Stash Reviews: How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method Book

May 23 Reviews,The Stash Blog

Randy Ingermanson’s treasured approach to fiction writing, known as the Snowflake Method, just might give you the keys to unlocking your golden creative powers.

If you have a wonderful story idea, but cannot seem to get that first draft going, this method might help you. Maybe you tried outlining, but came up empty? Or perhaps you tried the concept of organic writing, but found you couldn’t stay organized?

The Translation Process

Probably the hardest step for any writer with a fantastic fiction idea is getting that idea translated out of your mind and onto paper.

So if you’re feeling you’ve hit a wall already at this stage in the process, don’t give up, and know you are not alone. Randy Ingermanson’s book How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method just might be the answer to solving the problems of not only organizing and developing your ideas but getting them out of your head and onto a manuscript in a progressive sense.

How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method is a very popular method that J.K. Rowling, among other famous authors, utilized when composing her Harry Potter series. If it could provide that kind of success for her, perhaps it can inspire something magical for your writing capabilities.

The Steps

Ingermanson’s book provides a list of ten helpful steps to get those writing powers materializing into something useful on paper. It helps by providing a useful structure to translating the idea you have in your mind for your story to a progressively developed concept that will kick start your novel. Ingermanson’s book and method are both extremely popular right now in the fiction writing the world, and it’s because of the success it provided to many well-known and renowned authors. So if you need a little help and guidance, it’s worth it to check out Ingermanson’s popular book.

The Story

So, what is this book about?

Ingermanson provides us with a little story to spice up the interest in this approach, as his example novelist (fictitious) absorbs, right along with you, the creative capabilities of his Snowflake Method for writing a fiction novel.

You’ll get immersed not only in learning how to utilize the method but the story of the writer who grows alongside her growing story idea. As she becomes more in tuned with her creative abilities, she blossoms into a stronger, better individual.

Show, Don’t Tell

But there is far more for you to digest from Ingermanson’s book than just the entertaining story example he creates for those picking up his book—he is also presenting writers with a very effective tool for creating great fiction.

Remember the general rule of thumb when writing a good story—to show, not tell? That is exactly what Ingermanson does in his wonderful representation of how writers can use the Snowflake Method, and why his story approach to instruction is so fascinating.

Following Ingermanson’s lead in his book, writers learn by following the effective example the author created for them.

He doesn’t instruct you with a how to tell all—but rather gives you a fun story to enrapture yourself in, and we all know that when people make learning fun, the students they reach get more out of the lesson. This fact is one of the reasons Ingermanson’s method in his book is so successful—it’s fun.

What Will You Learn?

What will you learn if you try to attack your story idea utilizing the Snowflake Method?

Quite a few things.

First, you will get the gist of considering your target audience, so that you can become familiar with those you envision enjoying your story. Writing is not for a general audience or demographics, but more about making a connection with the people you know will want to read your story.

Next, you’ll learn about making an effective selling tool with the concept of your story.

That selling concept will focus on whether or not people love or hate your story—because after all, the main goal of any really good story is whether or not the writer wants people to love or hate it (while still enjoying it either way), and meeting that mark.You’ll also get a taste of how to master character development, from heroes to antagonists.

And really, what makes a good story is a fantastically characterized villain. For instance, think of Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights and what an awful, but compelling character he was, and how you felt sorry for him no matter how horrible he got.

Another thing you’ll get out of the method is developing a deep, emotionally connecting theme that others will find applicable to their lives. And you’ll also learn when it is most effective and powerful to reveal your theme in your story.

The best fiction writers also know how to backtrack successfully.

Backtracking is a talent and skill that you need to master to compose a great fiction novel.

And besides backtracking, you’ll also learn about plot and make all of your scenes effective, before you ever compose them.

Embrace It!

So now that you’ve been given an overview of Ingermanson’s approach and book, what are you waiting for? Embrace the method and give it a try—you might be surprised at how effectively it works for you.