What's Your Story?
Part of my preparation using the Snowflake method has been to develop Character Synopses. This is a little like creating a synopsis for my novel but instead of being plot based, it is character based. And I must say, it's much more exciting. Why is that I wonder? I think it's must because it becomes personal to that character and as you ask 'so what's your story?' then the characters start to tell you, and they start to make the story come alive. For me, plot based always seems a little too constrained, it can't suddenly veer off in a different direction because someone (i.e. a character) has to lead the plot. So for me character based synopsis planning has been a revelation. I've done three main characters this afternoon, around 450 words each, and I've been surprised with their responses and the development of the story as a whole, all in about 45 minutes. I feel as though I've made much bigger steps than if I'd stared at the blank screen trying to write a scene without anything to hang it on. Now I've got a number of scenes, and ones I hadn't envisaged before I started the process. So that has to be good. Doesn't it?
More Later...
A Method of Writing
I know many of you are bored with the notion of snowflakes but honest, read on this isn't about the cold wet stuff.
In my efforts to get back into my NaNoWriMo challenge following a long break from writing, I decided to revisit my preparation. One of my fellow members on Writers Abroad shared how she approached it using the Snowflake Method. Now, I put my hands up and admit it - I skimmed through the whole thing pre November. But this method is worth some investment of time. It works on the principle of starting small and building and building upon the small bits until you have the whole. It's relationship to the construction of a snowflake is a little above my intellect, but all I can say is that it works. Over the last few days I have revisited the story lines of four main characters and written around 1000 words . Also, I've revisited my first outline of the complete storyline and extended it to write another 1000 words. Is that good? Well, if you compare that pre snowflake I was writing in excess of 2500 words per day, perhaps not, but it's not a direct comparison.
The work I've put in the last few days have not only allowed me to get back into my story, it has allowed me to travel to the heart of my novel. I have detailed (in great detail!) the main story lines for the novel as a whole and the main characters which will help towards the production of a healthy word count. It's well worth the effort because it helps to map out my story and none of it is committed in stone and blood. It can all change, and may very well will do as my characters have already shown their independence in their own individual storylines. So a bit more digging to the core will go on, before I write a single word in terms of the draft, but this is all part of it and preparation now will help me achieve my target.
So onwards...
