Comments on: More On Cindy’s Puzzle Method

By: Christophe Desmecht

Christophe Desmecht — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 11:19:56 +0000

Well, it looks promising so far

The tip of having something to write nearby is well understood. I never leave home without my notebook.

By: Hannah D.

Hannah D. — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 12:40:55 +0000

It’s funny, because I realize I’ve doing the puzzle method all my life - except I don’t write stuff down. I know I have tried writing things down, but once I do, the ideas don’t seem as good anymore. They lost their magic somehow. What can I do to not ‘kill my angels’ so to speak?

By: Ann Isik

Ann Isik — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 13:57:40 +0000

After a tidal wave hit my life late last year, I’ve spent most of 2008 so far rebuilding my ‘creative house’. It’s just this week I’ve managed to blow the dust off the higgledy-piggledy(or maybe Puzzle Method?)beginnings of my novel.

I decided to get it out again at this time as I received news of a writing contest with a deadline of 30 April for the first chapter of a novel and decided it would be a realistic deadline for me to meet. If I win, I get $100 and some ‘fame’; if I lose, (more likely), I’ve completely written the first chapter of my novel: either way, I can’t lose!

As the problem is that I don’t have any idea where the plot will go after a certain point, I have to do a proper plan of the novel before I can write the first chapter, so I am very pleased to have the Snowflake Method at hand so I can complete the plan and in developing the characters.

I’m particularly happy to have Randy/Carolyn’s Analysis of Gone with the Wind using the Snowflake Method. For instance, I thought I couldn’t do Step One (write a one sentence summary) because I didn’t know how the story would end. Seeing R/C’s ‘Gone With the Wind’ one sentence summary, I realised that of course I know how my story will end: in the resolution of the problem! Also, because my story has a theme, I was confused between theme and plot in writing the one sentence summary.

As I’ve started planning my novel with The Snowflake Method, I won’t be jumping horses mid-stream, though I’m looking forward to reading more of Cindy’s Puzzle Method.

I hope she’ll have a tip on how to manage to wake myself up sufficiently during the night, having had a dream that brilliantly progresses my novel so that I can write it in the notebook next to my bed instead of waking up in the morning having forgotten the crucial details of the dream!

If anybody else is interested in going for the First Chapter writing contest, I’ll post the url, but only with Randy’s okay on that.

By: Lynda

Lynda — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 14:25:23 +0000

Ann,

I’m interested.

By: Christophe Desmecht

Christophe Desmecht — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 14:26:38 +0000

Same here

By: Karla

Karla — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 14:49:31 +0000

This is how I write! I do the puzzle method! Whew. I’m not crazy! But, I think I’m a hybrid because Randy’s methods help me put the nuts and bolts together. Randy is a logical, sequential thinker (I mean, c’mon, the guy’s a physicist!). I’m an abstract thinker — math and logic aren’t my strong suits. I am a musician and studied theater in undergrad school. I don’t think in lists and graphs. I think in pictures not words. So I keep a file of tidbits just as Cindy suggested. Sometimes they apply to my current novel and sometimes they don’t. I love finding new names, new situations, etc. I keep a file of newspaper articles, pictures, etc. that spur creativity. I love this puzzle method. But I love the snowflake method, too, because it gets me, the abstract, hodge podge person that is me, organized.

I think the snowflake method is also good for beginning writers (high school) because it gives them a road map instead of just a blank piece of paper. A lot of kids, especially boys, need that to get started.

Randy, thanks SO MUCH for sharing this with us! I’m excited to be learning so much here.

By: PatriciaW

PatriciaW — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 16:21:13 +0000

I’d say I have to know more before I say I’m a Puzzler. But I’ve been doing something like this for the last few weeks (way more than 7 days), allowing myself the freedom to let the story and characters come to me, jotting notes down along the way, until I felt a true urge to write. I started writing yesterday.

By: Camille

Camille — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 17:20:28 +0000

I’ll be a poster child for a combo of both methods.

If Karla is a hybrid, so am I. (I’m still trying to figure out how to integrate the creative, musical/writing side with the logical, analyzing part of my brain. It’s a civil war in there. If you listen closely, you can hear screaming.)

I’m interested in hearing more, Cindy. Thank you.
Randy, you rock.

By: Morgan

Morgan — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 17:58:27 +0000

Hi, I’m new to reading this blog. As I read about the Puzzle method, I realized Cindy had put a term to the way I write. I definitely do not write in a linear fashion (I had chapter 10 written 2 years ago and finally wrote my first chapter a few months ago). I also have a few chapters written of book 2 and 3 before I’m even done with my first! What’s hard for me is now wrapping up my first book and having to write linear like (4 more chapters to go and its very slow going right now).
I guess what I love about this method is that when inspiration hits me, I quick write it down. I have found that I need to see the chapter or scene visually in my head (like playing a movie) before I can even write it. So when I’m doing dishes and suddenly I have a scene, dialog, whatever, I get out my laptop and quick write it as I see it.

By: Heather Wardell

Heather Wardell — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 18:05:39 +0000

Randy, thanks for the response. After I posted, I started writing a “and then this happens, and then this happens” couple of paragraphs and discovered… the main plot seemed too thin because it WAS too thin. It could have been resolved in a few chapters. No wonder “the Snowflake wasn’t working”… the story wasn’t there to support it.

I do like the spark part of the puzzle method, and I too look forward to seeing more about it in the next little while.

I’m a computer nerd as well as a musician, so I might well be a hybrid too… time will tell.

Thanks for all of this, Randy. Echoing earlier comments, it’s not everyone who can publicly say, “Here’s another method. Try ‘er out.” and I applaud you!

Heather

By: Marie

Marie — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 19:48:54 +0000

I can totally relate to receiving “sparks” at the most inopportune times. I look forward to reading more about this method.

By: Kristi Holl

Kristi Holl — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 20:09:26 +0000

I am beginning to wonder if I go through life with my eyes closed. Although it will take a lot to blast me out of the Snowflake method, I can see where I’d benefit a lot from getting out of my office and seeing more of the world so those interesting images can come to me. We are all certainly different!

By: Karen D'Amato

Karen D'Amato — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 20:36:55 +0000

I’ll go for the chapter contest too.