Writing a novel

[mountainman]

I'm using a method called the "snowflake" to organize and outline a first novel. Has anyone else here employed this system with any success? If not, how did any novelists perhaps in our midst go about laying out their idea(s)?

[Bettowin]

Interesting.

How does the snowflake method work? Start with a core idea and branch out or start with a whole bunch of ideas and hone in?

Remember no two snowflakes are ever alike:)

[Dave Schwartz]

Here, let me help with that.

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=How+To+Write+A+Novel+Using+The+Snowflake+Method

[mountainman]

Interesting.

How does the snowflake method work? Start with a core idea and branch out or start with a whole bunch of ideas and hone in?

Remember no two snowflakes are ever alike:)

You just about nailed it. The snowflake starts off by requiring that you write a once sentence synopsis of your planned novel. You must then expand that to a paragraph, and later on, i think, elaborate on each of those sentences with several other sentences. A similar process is laid out for the development of proposed characters. In addition to providing structure for the planning stage of a book, the snowflake forces you to brainstorm and be creative. The method's final step is a spreadsheet describing scenes in chronological order and grouping them into chapters.
My one sentence summary: "A young, terminally ill basketball phenom must decide whether to accept help from dark forces." I've progressed well past that stage and hope to complete my spreadsheet before mnr resumes racing in March.