Snowflake Pro Software Review Average ratng: 3,6/5 8928 reviews
Dec 20, 2014. Contour differs from Ingermanson's Snowflake Pro software in that Snowflake is designed to get you to begin with a simple view of your story, then gradually flesh that out into a full-blown plot. Snowflake doesn't impose a particular story structure on you, doesn't suggest any plot points or scenes you might. Snowflake and Databricks aim for dynamic duo. There was enough overlap in customers for Snowflake and Databricks to formalize the relationship that their installed bases were already establishing.
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Preview — How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method by Randy Ingermanson
A Magical Key to Unlock Your Creative Wizard
Are you writing a novel, but having trouble getting your first draft written? You’ve heard of “outlining,” but that sounds too rigid for you. You’ve heard of “organic writing,” but that seems a bit squishy to you.
Take a look at the wildly popular Snowflake Method—a battle-tested series of ten steps that jump-start your creativit...more
Published July 17th 2014 by DitDat, Inc. (first published July 16th 2014)
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Juli HoffmanThis book only has 10 steps broken down into manageable pieces. I really think the author explained his method in the simplest way possible. Step 1:…moreThis book only has 10 steps broken down into manageable pieces. I really think the author explained his method in the simplest way possible. Step 1: What's your story going to be about in one sentence? Now, only 9 more steps to go! Good luck and happy writing!!!(less)
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Rating details
Dec 05, 2016
Katie Grace rated it
it was amazing Shelves: 5-star, non-fiction, writing-craft-books
This is my new favorite book, and I'm totally going to use this for every novel for the REST OF MY LIFE.
So everyone needs to go read it next time they're plotting a novel. :P
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ OUTSTANDING
Randy Ingermanson used storytelling to teach his readers about how to write a novel. Genius!
Quick review for a quick refresher read. I picked this up as my first read of the year because of some of the goals I'd set for myself in the new year. Granted, I have my own method of writing that I follow with composing a novel, but I always like to look at other methods and processes, and see how they may work for me.
I've known about the Snowflake Method for a while now, but this was my first time perusing this little book with its creative explanation of it. I liked it, even if sometimes the...more
Jan 07, 2019Sebastien Castell rated it it was ok
In the spirit of the 'business parable' style of the book itself . . .
'Good news! I've got a novel-writing system that might interest you!'
'Really? That's great! Let's get . . . wait a second . . . you said 'Good news'.'
'Well, yes. A novel-writing syst—'
'When people start with 'Good News', there's usually 'Bad News' that follows. Come on, out with it.'
'Oh, well, it's just that . . .'
'Yes?'
'I've decided to teach it to you by making you read a parable about Goldilocks going to a writing conference...more
Dec 01, 2017Olivia Jarmusch rated it really liked it
I'll begin this review by saying that I am a discovery writer. I LOVE beginning with several vivid ideas, then allowing the story to ebb, flow, and take shape as the story grows into a life all it's own. BUT I know this isn't everyone's style. When people ask for writing advice from a panster like myself, it can be hard to know what to say. I don't have a 'method' or 'system' for my creativity, and I can't offer much more than, 'Just write from your heart!' But that doesn't cut it for most peopl...more
Mar 17, 2015Dylan Perry rated it really liked it
5/5
This book.
My God.
I haven't even started writing a novel using the Snowflake Method (though that will change very soon) and yet I feel this has already helped my craft. (I'm somewhere between a 'pantser' and a 'plotter') From beginning to end I loved every sentence of this and how the steps of the Snowflake was told through a story, rather than presented as dry text.
As I said, I haven't used the Snowflake yet. Some of these 10 steps might not work out for me. But one thing is sure: This book...more
Book Review – How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method
Author – Randy Ingermanson
Genre – Non-fiction, Novel Writing Reference Book
First Line: Goldilocks had always wanted to write a novel.
Review: Mr. Ingermanson not only gives the step-by-step of the Snowflake Method of plotting, but he also gives an example through “story” – the one he’s written along with his explicit detailed steps.
I’ve tried a number of ways to write my story and I’m always looking for the one that will tip the scale...more
Dec 28, 2014Patricia rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
Of Kindles, Fairytales, and Snowflakes: Why Randy Ingermanson Might Be the Best Storyteller Ever!Winter is a great time for me to work on my writing skills. The weather prevents outdoor activity (temps barely above freezing today) and the toasty wood fireplace is conducive to creativity. With that in mind, I loaded my Christmas present, a Kindle Fire 6, with several writing craft books - my focus as always on plotting.
The first book I opened was Randy Ingermanson’s How to Write a Novel Using th
...more
Oct 24, 2016Shaun rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
I just finished typing up a review for this book and it appears to have been lost. I'll try again although I don't think I have the patience to recreate the whole thing.
There are two types of writers, as I understand it, 'pantsers' and 'planners.'
Pantsers write by the seats of their respective pants. They just sit down and they write. They do no planning ahead of time... no outlining. Planners, of course, plan. They are the opposite of pantsers. They carefully plan out every detail of their nov...more
Note about the rating: if you find this concept interesting, snatch the book by all means. It's only a depiction of the value that I personally got with it as I've known and applied it before reading the book. I sincerely hope Mr. Ingermanson won't take it as a slight.
If you're remotely interested in being a writer but don't know how to construct your writing process, or you're looking to find some ways to tweak an already existing one, this could be a great resource. It brings a new approach th...more
Mar 26, 2017Clare Farrelly rated it it was amazing
Snowflake Pro Software Review
This book is amazing. I have never read such a fun writing book before. Sure I have read other good ones but this one was so engaging. The first more than a half is written as a novel in which the main character is being taught how to outline using the Snowflake Method. It is kind of like you as the reader are also sitting in the class and you can go off to do your homework on your story as the main character does.
To give you a bit of an idea the teacher is called Baby Bear and the main charact...more
Oct 16, 2016Damaskcat rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
I have scribbled on and off for years and have an assortment of uncompleted novels which I have lost interest in. The idea of this book appealed to me and when I started reading it I was totally engrossed in it. The author uses fairy tale characters in a writing workshop scenario to demonstrate the ten steps of the snowflake method for planning and drafting a novel.
The idea might seem a bit twee but like the famous management book about change 'Who Moved my Cheese?' stories and story book charac...more
Feb 28, 2017Gareth rated it really liked it · review of another edition
Very clever!
I read this more out of interest than actually looking for something to help me write a book, its something I'd like to have a go at one day but not now. However seeing how logical and simple the snowflake method is actually made me want to have a go at it!
Yes the bears etc could annoy you I suppose, I'm a big fan of horror and space operas and didn't find the names off putting at all. Its nice to read a book with easy names rather than an author trying to come up with made up Frenc...more
Jun 04, 2018Kristen Stieffel rated it it was amazing
This book is a parable—a teaching mode that works brilliantly in short form but often strains credulity at book length. But Ingermanson makes this work because the story he uses to frame the lessons also demonstrates the lessons. So by the time you reach the end, you not only have the principles of the Snowflake Method, you’ve seen them applied.
I appreciate that Ingermanson emphasizes that this is just one method, and a writer may find some parts useful and others not. That was the case for me;...more
Things I loved about this book:
It is a book about writing, so non fiction. But it's also a fairy tale retelling and a murder mystery. And, somehow, that all works. Even if you aren't a plotter, every writer should read this book just to appreciate how hilarious and interesting a book on writing can be.
But...
I'm afraid I'm not a snowflake method writer. Sorry. Actually, I'm pretty sure my process is the snowflake method done backwards. While I have a ton of writer friends who found this book ve...more
Feb 27, 2017Paula Berinstein rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
Unbelievably useful! After years of writing fiction I thought I had it all figured out but this book is making the process faster and helping me create better stories and characters. I recommend it highly!
Aug 25, 2014J.F. Penn rated it it was amazing
Excellent book with writing tips in an easy to read parable format. The snowflake method might be for you if you sit between plotting and pantsing.
Feb 12, 2019Matt rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
A fine book on how to plan out and write a fictional novel. If you're not a plotter and not a pantser there is a third alternative... the snowflake method. In a rather whimsical way the author lays out his ten step snowflake method to take your idea and turn it into a document from which can proceed to sit down and write your story. It provides an easy to follow framework to get you from start to finish. It takes a little work but by the end of the process you will have taken the guesswork and m...more
Jun 09, 2017
Serethiel ☽ ✨ marked it as dnf-did-not-finish
· review of another edition
Shelves: kindle, 2017-reads, canada-the-us-the-americas, period-1930s-to-contemporary, non-fiction, to-be-finished
DNF'd for now, at 56%. I wasn't a huge fan, though this book did teach me that I'm more of a pantser than I'd thought.
For plotters searching for a new outlining method, you might enjoy this one. :)
Apr 17, 2019Yana rated it really liked it
Pretty helpful book. I like how is structured like fictional story and shows directly all the stuff which include the Snowflackes method.
I've tryed to make outline for my novel and it was real succsess. :D
I first encountered the Snowflake Method in the early 2000s, shortly after Randy Ingermanson posted it on his website. I never managed to get through more than the first three steps, but now, many years of writing later, I can see how some of the later steps would be useful. I'm definitely never going to go through them all exactly as written -- you need to customize the process a little bit to make it work, I think.
The fairytale/parable framing was charming. I enjoyed the Big Bad Wolf and Robi...more
Aug 30, 2015Johnny rated it liked it
Recommended for: Aspiring writers who have no problem dreaming up good scenes for their story, but have trouble seeing the big picture, a.k.a. Dramaticus meanderus.
There's nothing wrong with the method. It is as it comes advertised- a compromise between detailed outlining and writing by the seat of your pants, between architects and gardeners. Like most systems or strategies for story-writing, one can only try it and see if it works.
I give it the 3 stars not because I like the method, but becaus...more
Aug 13, 2014Norma Huss rated it really liked it
Although I've been writing for several years, I like to read up on all kinds of writing books. I think this is quite a good book for someone beginning, partially to decide what kind of a writer one is. We've all heard there's the outliner and the pantser. This is a third way, and shows it clearly. I think I'm sort of a fourth way. There are probably as many ways to write as there are writers for each must find his or her way to satisfaction. (I guess, just like life itself.) So, while I find thi...more
Aug 22, 2017Natalie Walters rated it it was amazing
I thoroughly enjoyed Randy Ingermanson's twist on a 'how-to'. The creative way in which he explains the process of planning out a story gave me a different perspective on the process and excites me to start implementing it in my own story. He doesn't make any promises that this method will work for all writers but merely offers this as another approach that may work for some. I think most writers will find value in a least one of the steps of the method.
Oct 02, 2018Sydney Young rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
I resisted buying this for awhile, but Finally took the plunge and am glad I did. I was annoyed at first that the method was demonstrated through a story, but it turned out to be an amazing vehicle, giving me a number of Ah-ha! Moments. And FYI, the last chapter explains the method and gives info for where to get the pdf so you can see it with your own eyes. Highly recommend.
The parable format is a little goofy at times, but pretty fun for a writing craft book. A short quick read with a good into to a hybrid (plotter-meets-pantser) writing approach.
Best For: Beginners
Dec 27, 2016Deanna rated it really liked it · review of another edition
I can totally see myself using this method for finally writing my novel!
Read this in one sitting. I think it deserves 5 stars. Inspirational and makes total sense.
Mar 17, 2019A. R. Vagnetti rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
The book gave me an in depth look into my plot and character. I really enjoyed it.
Jan 26, 2019Joshua Whitty rated it it was amazing
The guide is supported by a cute fiction about a writer learning the craft, which helps make some of the abstract concepts in this type of planning technique clearer.
The technique itself is actually quite simple, allowing me as a writer to define my fiction broadly before tackling specifics of character and scene.
Working on the steps of the Snowflake technique has helped flesh out my fiction. Therefore, a result I am happy with and recommend for other writers.
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I'm a novelist, physicist, and fiction teacher. People around the world call me 'the Snowflake Guy' because of my wildly popular 'Snowflake method' for writing a novel.
I've published 6 novels and won about a dozen awards for my writing. I'm a theoretical physicist with a Ph.D. from UC Berkeley. I publish the world's largest electronic newsletter on how to write fiction. I run the software divisio...more
“For a novelist, being ‘too emotional’ is often a good thing. The only thing you have to sell is your emotional experiences.” — 2 likes
“Actually, the author’s job is more complicated than that,” said the Big Bad Wolf. “When an author gets a revision letter, she’s required by law to call her agent and complain bitterly about her mean, nasty, cruel editor who has bacon for brains. She whines and moans and complains for three hours. If she’s the emotional sort, she cries big buckets of tears. If she’s the unemotional sort, she makes secret plans to send her editor a letter bomb. Then her wise and brilliant agent talks her off the ledge, reminds her that she signed a binding legal contract, and suggests that maybe her editor might have said one or two non-moronic things in the revision letter.” “And eventually, when the author’s sanity returns, she rewrites her manuscript,” said Baby Bear.” — 1 likes
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