#outlining — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #outlining, aggregated by home.social.
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Have you seen me share my circular outlines and wondered how I did it?
This week's blog is a bit longer than usual, but I'm using the space to explain my process! -
I have never really considered how it ”feels” (that’s the best word I can think of here) when letters and numbers appears on my computer screen when writing.
But @jessegrosjean’s outliner Bike is really something else!
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Discovery Writing
#WriterCommunity #WritingCommunity #Writer #Discovery #Writing #DiscoveryWriting #Pantsing #Pantser #Outlining #Outline #FindingThe Story -
Discovery Writing
#WriterCommunity #WritingCommunity #Writer #Discovery #Writing #DiscoveryWriting #Pantsing #Pantser #Outlining #Outline #FindingThe Story -
The Snowflake Method
Hi everyone! I hope you’re all well. Today, I am exploring another way to outline a story or a novel: The Snowflake Method.
The Snowflake Method
Writing a novel can feel like an overwhelming task, akin to scaling a towering mountain of creativity and commitment. Aspiring authors frequently find themselves lost in the labyrinth of narrative structure, character development, and plot progression. Well, enter Randy Ingermanson’s Snowflake Method — a systematic approach that promises to transform the chaos and seemingly impossible task of novel writing into an organised process.
What is The Snowflake Method?
At its centre, the Snowflake Method is a ten-step process that encourages writers to expand their initial ideas gradually. The methodology emphasises the importance of structure, which can be especially beneficial for aspiring authors who may feel overwhelmed and daunted by the enormity of the task of writing novels. The process begins with a one-sentence summary of the story and builds complexity layer by layer, akin to how snowflakes form.
The Ten Steps of the Snowflake Method
- One-Sentence Summary: Start by condensing your novel into a single compelling sentence, ideally no more than 15 words. Doing this forces you to define your story’s central conflict and theme.
- One-Paragraph Summary: Expand your single-sentence summary into one paragraph that encapsulates the main plot points. This paragraph should include the setup, the conflict, and the resolution, providing a concise overview of the whole story arc.
- Character Summaries: Write a summary for all your major characters, concentrating on their goals, motivations, conflicts, and epiphanies. This step ensures that you understand your characters deeply and that their arcs are integral to the story.
- Expand the One-Paragraph Summary: Take the initial one-paragraph summary and expand it into an entire page. This expansion should delve into any subplots, all character arcs, and any key turning points you have decided upon.
- Character Descriptions: Create detailed profiles for your characters, including their backgrounds, personality traits, and defining characteristics. As it guides your writing, this information will help create multi-dimensional characters that resonate with readers.
- Scene List: Break your story down into individual scenes. Create a list of all the scenes you envision, including the point of view, the purpose of each scene, and how it contributes to the overall story arc.
- Scene Expansion: For each scene, write a detailed description that includes what happens, the characters involved, and the emotional beats. This step transforms the broader vision of your novel into actionable components.
- First Draft: With a solid framework, begin writing your first draft. The Snowflake Method prepares you well for this stage, as you have a clear blueprint to follow, reducing the chance of getting lost in the writing process.
- Revise: After finishing the first draft, set your manuscript aside and ‘rest’ it for a spell before you revisit it with fresh eyes. Be critical. Analyse your work, ensuring you focus on the development of the characters, the story’s pacing, and overall plot cohesion. It’s in this part of the process that your story comes alive.
- Polish and Finalise: The final step involves proofreading, formatting, and preparing your manuscript for publication or submission. This stage is essential for ensuring your writing is engaging and error-free.
Benefits of the Snowflake Method
One great advantage of the Snowflake Method is its adaptability. Writers of all styles and genres can modify the steps to suit their preferences and work habits. The method enables iterative expansion, letting you continually refine, change and explore your ideas. Furthermore, it caters to both plot-driven and character-driven narratives, making it an inclusive approach to diverse storytelling techniques.
Overall, Randy Ingermanson’s Snowflake Method offers a well-defined framework for writers seeking to transform their ideas into captivating narratives. By following this structured approach, authors can develop intricate stories that resonate with readers while still being able to enjoy the creative process. Whether you’re a new or experienced writer, the Snowflake Method can enhance your storytelling abilities, providing the tools you need to craft a compelling novel. As you embark on your writing journey, consider employing the Snowflake Method to help you navigate the sometimes tumultuous waters of fiction writing with confidence and creativity.
Thank you, as ever, for reading today’s post. It means a lot!
Until next time,
George
© 2025 GLT
#Fiction #Outlines #outlining #snowflake #snowflakeMethod #writing
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#Dynalist gets some #outlining basics right and is available cross-platform (webapp). https://dynalist.io/ However, it does not feel anywhere as intuitive and structured as #OmniOutliner.
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The one #MacOS-only software that I still miss after over a decade on #Linux is #OmniOutliner. It’s such a simple little #outlining tool that works great with my brain. I have yet to find anything that even comes close to it.
https://www.omnigroup.com/omnioutliner -
Discovery Writing
#WriterCommunity #WritingCommunity #Writer #Discovery #Writing #DiscoveryWriting #Pantsing #Pantser #Outlining #Outline #FindingThe Story -
Discovery Writing
#WriterCommunity #WritingCommunity #Writer #Discovery #Writing #DiscoveryWriting #Pantsing #Pantser #Outlining #Outline #FindingThe Story -
Just realized that a throw away detail in My First Faerie Novel is actually a vital element in My Second Faerie Novel, and feel like my subconscious must be rather clever.
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Hey, @herhandsmyhands
Guess what! What I need isn't exactly a Family Tree (though I've found images of a couple cool ones)...
It's *organizational charts*.
WOO!!!!!
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#writing #outlining
I'm working on a ten-book set of novels (not a series, as they're not sequential. They're linked by location and characters.) and I'm a Heavy Outliner.The various characters are inter-related in a wide range of ways (friends, boss/employee, babysitter, etc) and I really need a way to show these connections.
The traditional method is the pushpin-and-red-string, but I prefer digital.
How would you track this info? 1/2
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Today, I managed to get the music playlist for book 3 in my series done.
I actually meant to get it done a couple of days ago, but I had migraines for two days. The trouble with migraines is that, as well as the headache, the noise-sensitivity means that listening to music is out, and light-sensitivity means that looking at a computer screen for too long is bad. I have meds that work, but I end up sleepy all day.
But I got the playlist done today. Now I have something to listen to as I put together a more detailed outline over the next few days, and later on when I actually write the book.
#WritingCommunity #AmWriting #WritersofMastodon #AmOutlining #Writing #Outlining
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Hey #Writers
How long do you wait between finishing your first draft and then editing it?
I only finished my first draft of Book 2 in my series a week ago, and after today’s outlining session on Book 3, I’m kinda itching to get on with the editing of Book 2, so I can get into writing Book 3 as soon as possible.
Just wondering if I need more time between my first draft and edits.
#WritingCommunity #AmWriting #WritersofMastodon #AmOutlining #AmEditing #Writing #Outlining #Editing
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My #outlining for Book 3 in my series is going well today.
I’ve been #writing down my ideas with pen and paper, and I've written so much today that my hand hurts.
That’s a good thing, right?
#WritingCommunity #AmWriting #WritersofMastodon #AmOutlining
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Yesterday I published a more #writing related article on inspiration.garden.
I look at different #outlining techniques and how they can help you, depending on your own process.
What does your outlining process look like?
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I deleted the broken scene after a backup and finished the chapter using the next scene, which worked well. Today I’m going to combine the character-building conflict half of yesterday’s scene with the originally outlined one.
I see this as an #outlining success story. Rather than staring at the broken scene and wondering how to fix it or what happens next, I found the best way to get back on track with the original plan.
🧵 2/2
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@TfTHacker This is a good overview of Obsidian's #outlining capabilities, and it's well-illustrated with video examples.
The one outlining superpower I'm missing in Obsidian is inheritance: the ability to tag a parent node once, and have that tag also applied to all its children. This can be done manually in #Obsidian, but having it done automatically saves a lot of time in apps like #Logseq and #Tana.
Not sure if a plug-in can achieve this, but I'm hopeful!
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Trying to get in some outlining on my project for April Camp Nanowrimo; snuck a candle into our home office for bonus cozy vibes.
#writersofmastodon #outlining #amwriting -
I have a new outline for Act I of The Polyamorous Faerie Thing (not the real title) and am debating starting to write it vs continuing to outline Act II. I'm thinking it might make sense to wait to outline Act II until sure I'm happy with Act I considering how many times I've outlined or even written the whole thing before starting over.
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Happy New Year Everyone!
To start off the new writing year, I’m spending the first week or so #outlining Book 2 in my series while I take a short break from #editing Book 1. I can’t wait to write Book 2, but Book 1 needs to be finished first.
I took a week off from #writing over Xmas and New Years and I’m so excited to get back to my writing again.
Wishing all you #writers out there a wonderfully productive and inspiring year.
#WritingCommunity #AmWriting #AmEditing #AmOutlining #WritersofMastodon
