Writing Suggestion (1)

I have had some ideas for novels that I’ve worked on for years.  I have written this scene and developed that character for no other reason than I liked exploring the situation, but I never could figure out how all the situations could be fit together into a whole novel. In other words, I have plotting problems.

I have found a method that seems to help these divergent ideas converge into one story for a novel. I’ve known about the idea of a central story question for a long time now, but sometimes a story question has many answers, sometimes no answers.

I have since discovered from the Snowflake Method. From a story question comes designs or snowflakes. For you who have a mathematical background, this method is based on fractals.  Essentially using a 10-step method, an intricate matrix of plot points evolves from a 15-word (or less) summary of the novel.

I am just at Step 4 of the process, and I have already discovered a couple of important elements for my story that had never occurred to me before during all those years of tryimg to write this novel and going nowhere.

The Snowflake Method was developed by Randy Ingermanson, Ph.D. and is on his website at this link www.advancedfictionwriting.com.  The method is spelled out at no cost after a rather long introduction.

Snowflakes Piled High
Jeter Skeet