Comments on: Cindy’s Puzzle Method, Day 5 http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2008/03/12/cindys-puzzle-method-day-5/ America's Mad Professor of Fiction Writing Thu, 16 Oct 2008 03:25:13 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1.3 By: Camille http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2008/03/12/cindys-puzzle-method-day-5/#comment-4494 Camille Thu, 13 Mar 2008 07:54:59 +0000 http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2008/03/12/cindys-puzzle-method-day-5/#comment-4494 Hey! The BEST way to make cinnamon rolls is to slap in any DIE HARD dvd, let's make it #4, then pull out all the ingredients, heat & measure carefully (because correct temperature and proportions are critical to create the chemical reaction necessary for a darn good roll), then once you have a good, smooth, elastic dough to work with, you can get your bare hands all sticky and really have some fun in all that dough, butter and sugar. It's pretty easy; not like brain surgery or writing a novel. I'm slapping icing on those warm babies before McClane blows the villain away with a bullet through his own shoulder. (You can find this cinnamon roll recipe in the back of <i>Plot & Structure</i> by James Scott Bell.) Hey! The BEST way to make cinnamon rolls is to slap in any DIE HARD dvd, let’s make it #4, then pull out all the ingredients, heat & measure carefully (because correct temperature and proportions are critical to create the chemical reaction necessary for a darn good roll), then once you have a good, smooth, elastic dough to work with, you can get your bare hands all sticky and really have some fun in all that dough, butter and sugar.

It’s pretty easy; not like brain surgery or writing a novel. I’m slapping icing on those warm babies before McClane blows the villain away with a bullet through his own shoulder.

(You can find this cinnamon roll recipe in the back of Plot & Structure by James Scott Bell.)

]]> By: Karla http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2008/03/12/cindys-puzzle-method-day-5/#comment-4500 Karla Thu, 13 Mar 2008 16:58:34 +0000 http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2008/03/12/cindys-puzzle-method-day-5/#comment-4500 Don't forget to pack me in your suitcase! Don’t forget to pack me in your suitcase!

]]> By: Gerhard J van Vuuren http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2008/03/12/cindys-puzzle-method-day-5/#comment-4502 Gerhard J van Vuuren Thu, 13 Mar 2008 18:44:18 +0000 http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2008/03/12/cindys-puzzle-method-day-5/#comment-4502 I must admit that I am working on three messy documents at the moment. But it is for three different story ideas so that is ok then? One is the novel I'm supposed to be working on but I'm trained as a painter and I've always had a second canvas around to clean my brushes on when I do a painting. The second canvas brush cleanings then become the basis for the next painting I guess I'm doing the same in writing. Writing one story but cleaning my mind from extra thoughts in a couple of other documents. For me it is one way to keep the story focussed. I must admit that I am working on three messy documents at the moment. But it is for three different story ideas so that is ok then?

One is the novel I’m supposed to be working on but I’m trained as a painter and I’ve always had a second canvas around to clean my brushes on when I do a painting. The second canvas brush cleanings then become the basis for the next painting

I guess I’m doing the same in writing. Writing one story but cleaning my mind from extra thoughts in a couple of other documents. For me it is one way to keep the story focussed.

]]> By: M.L. Eqatin http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2008/03/12/cindys-puzzle-method-day-5/#comment-4504 M.L. Eqatin Thu, 13 Mar 2008 23:33:22 +0000 http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2008/03/12/cindys-puzzle-method-day-5/#comment-4504 Wow, I guess I don't write like anybody else. But it works fine for me. I write like I used to design houses for people: first you sit down and find out what they want. You add your knowledge of what the available techniques and materials are and their capabilities. You discuss their budget. Then you do a bunch of rough drafts, selecting two or three designs which are the best to present to the owners. After they pick one, you polish that. Each reader is like the person who moves into a house. They bring their own furniture, repaint the walls, maybe add landscaping. The idea is to create a dwelling place that enough people are willing to rent. If you try to suit everybody, the result will be ba building so bland that nobody will stay long or remember the place. Wow, I guess I don’t write like anybody else. But it works fine for me.
I write like I used to design houses for people: first you sit down and find out what they want. You add your knowledge of what the available techniques and materials are and their capabilities. You discuss their budget. Then you do a bunch of rough drafts, selecting two or three designs which are the best to present to the owners. After they pick one, you polish that.
Each reader is like the person who moves into a house. They bring their own furniture, repaint the walls, maybe add landscaping. The idea is to create a dwelling place that enough people are willing to rent.
If you try to suit everybody, the result will be ba building so bland that nobody will stay long or remember the place.

]]> By: Ann Isik http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2008/03/12/cindys-puzzle-method-day-5/#comment-4506 Ann Isik Fri, 14 Mar 2008 11:51:25 +0000 http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2008/03/12/cindys-puzzle-method-day-5/#comment-4506 Gerhard: thanks for the painting tip! I'll be using it! I trained as an artist too. On Cindy's puzzle method: As an artist, I collage a lot and it amused me to find myself making what I'd already written into tables and cutting and pasting 'scenes' and gluing them into the table in different places: playing with the interactions of the characters and their spaces and times. The puzzle method, yes, even if of rectangles rather than jigsaw shapes! Now I need more structure so the Snowflake Method is the way for me to go. Just a humble opinion from a freshman: for those who have mentioned running out of inspiration by working to an outline, need the initial outline be rigid? As the characters reveal themselves, including my character of 'place', the plot may well change, so can the outline not change likewise? I am fully expecting this from previous attempts at fiction. Also, as I'm just about to 'Snowtline'the scenes of my novel in progress, I re-read Randy's article on 'Writing the Perfect Scene' and recommend this. It was quite a revelation reading (properly)about 'Motivation Reaction Units' and hope Randy does a series of blogs on the subject of 'What a Scene' is as I think I've discovered that some of what I've already written as 'a scene' was only part of a scene, but that the whole scene (working to the MRU rule) takes place in different places and times (times as in memories rather than say, hyperspace)! Am I confused or is this workable? Thank you Cindy for your help and insights. Ann Isik Gerhard: thanks for the painting tip! I’ll be using it! I trained as an artist too.

On Cindy’s puzzle method: As an artist, I collage a lot and it amused me to find myself making what I’d already written into tables and cutting and pasting ’scenes’ and gluing them into the table in different places: playing with the interactions of the characters and their spaces and times. The puzzle method, yes, even if of rectangles rather than jigsaw shapes! Now I need more structure so the Snowflake Method is the way for me to go.

Just a humble opinion from a freshman: for those who have mentioned running out of inspiration by working to an outline, need the initial outline be rigid? As the characters reveal themselves, including my character of ‘place’, the plot may well change, so can the outline not change likewise? I am fully expecting this from previous attempts at fiction.
Also, as I’m just about to ‘Snowtline’the scenes of my novel in progress, I re-read Randy’s article on ‘Writing the Perfect Scene’ and recommend this.

It was quite a revelation reading (properly)about ‘Motivation Reaction Units’ and hope Randy does a series of blogs on the subject of ‘What a Scene’ is as I think I’ve discovered that some of what I’ve already written as ‘a scene’ was only part of a scene, but that the whole scene (working to the MRU rule) takes place in different places and times (times as in memories rather than say, hyperspace)! Am I confused or is this workable?

Thank you Cindy for your help and insights.

Ann Isik

]]> By: Darrell Proctor http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2008/03/12/cindys-puzzle-method-day-5/#comment-4509 Darrell Proctor Sun, 16 Mar 2008 02:49:55 +0000 http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2008/03/12/cindys-puzzle-method-day-5/#comment-4509 Randy, I just finished the first draft of my novel using the Snowflake Method. Without the structure of the Snowflake I would never have gotten anything on paper. My wife is a painter and her creative process is totally different than mine. She is by nature the structured one in our house. I am the one more likely to have that moment of inspiration that needs a disciplined approach. Several years ago she began a novel but abandoned it. I believe that using Cindy's Puzzle Method she could finish it. I'm sure there are countless people out there are like my wife and I - just waiting for someone to show us the way. Thank you for your Christ-like attitude in presenting an alternative to the Snowflake Method. Darrell Proctor Randy,
I just finished the first draft of my novel using the Snowflake Method. Without the structure of the Snowflake I would never have gotten anything on paper. My wife is a painter and her creative process is totally different than mine. She is by nature the structured one in our house. I am the one more likely to have that moment of inspiration that needs a disciplined approach. Several years ago she began a novel but abandoned it. I believe that using Cindy’s Puzzle Method she could finish it. I’m sure there are countless people out there are like my wife and I - just waiting for someone to show us the way. Thank you for your Christ-like attitude in presenting an alternative to the Snowflake Method.

Darrell Proctor

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