Snowflake Pro 1.0.3 Reviewed
Hey,
My Malice in Wonderland project was always meant to bring my passions for sculpting, painting and writing together in a glorious mix of fun. I can’t paint my minis yet, obviously, because they haven’t been cast, but I can get on (rather overdue actually) with the task of writing the fluff that’s been sitting in my head and has been gradually coalescing into a cohesive whole. When I sat down on christmas day to write this, I also by coincidence has a piece of writing software that I wanted to trial it, and this seemed to be a good time to do so. Therefore, I thought I’d take a post to evaluate the software.
I installed it and set it up with no real issues, thanks to the lovely Kai, who also set this wonderful blog site up. You can find her blog on my blogroll, Kai o nine tales. Well worth a gander. It’s a programme for structuring those writers who use the Snowflake method for writing. I know a good few keen writers, and almost all of them have at least dabbled with this theory. You can read more about it here, but suffice to say you begin with a one line summary of your book like this:
An eleven-year-old wizard tries to stop an evil sorcerer from returning to life.
(this is an example that comes with the software, reproduced for purposes of review)
and then you expand that to a paragraph:
On his eleventh birthday, orphaned Harry Potter is invited to leave his miserable life with his aunt and uncle to attend a school for witches and wizards. Harry learns that an evil wizard, Lord Voldemort, tried to kill him as a baby and lost all his own powers instead. When Harry nearly dies in a jinxed game of Quidditch, he suspects that sinister Professor Snape is responsible. When Harry has to do a detention in the forbidden forest, he witnesses a shadowy figure drinking unicorn blood, a magical life preserver. Harry sets out to stop Snape from returning Voldemort to power, only to face Voldemort himself.
and then you expand each of the sentences in the paragraph to a paragraph of its own. Suffice to say that there are nine steps, at each you expand your thinking about your novel concept. In one of them you flesh out each of the characters, in one of them you produce a synopsis, and in one you produce a list of scenes. Now then, I write on my netbook, as in fact I’m doing now, and have always used open office to write with. I know, I know, many writers are going to be muttering at my folly as they read this, quieten down in the back row! However, that’s the way it has been, so I’m comparing my experience producing snowflakes on a word processor to this new shiny experience. First off, I’m not the most organised of people, so having somewhere with a tab for each part of the snowflake, a little box in which to input it, so you aren’t left with the ‘blank page’ problem, and your previous one replicated in a margin on the next if necessary so you don’t have to refer back to it. Wonderful! At the opposite end of the process, it helps you to package your novel into a pitch, and export your synopsis as an .RTF file, so word, or your preferred flavour of word processor will work just fine with it. Excellent. On the other side, it’s pretty limited in terms of personalisation, for instance you are required to type in a particular font, something that isn’t ideal for someone with Dyslexia such as myself. These are small things though, it seems to me that the main purpose of this software is to avoid the blank sheet of paper syndrome by presenting the user with a web form style page to fill in. In short, buy it if you think the snowflake method will work for you (it does partially for me), and enjoy getting your novel started before you know it. However, skip it if you are after some sort of full blown word processor to write your novel in, organise your scenes and plot visually the progress of your characters or if you like things to look good.
Just so this reads a little less like piracy- I don’t use Smowflake pro and James expressed an interest in it so I gave him my licence
it’s a great piece of software but I can’t get my head around plotting at the best of times so it slowed me right down 
Kai´s last blog ..Solstice – six months of more light
[New Post] Snowflake Pro 1.0.3 Reviewed – via @twitoaster http://griffinguides.com/snowflake-pro-1…
via Twitoaster
ach I certainly didn’t mean it to come across like either of us was ripping something off! oops :S sorry!
[...] really begin to write down the premise for the piece. I decided to do this on Snowflake Pro, and you can see my thoughts on that particular piece of software here. The snowflake method is something that is usually reserved for writing a novel, but I figure [...]
If you think in hierarchies, where everything branches from a main tree, you may enjoy Freemind (http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page). It’s free and very good. It lets you create your own icons, which you can apply one or more of which to various branches or leaf items.
I work for the 800 pound gorilla of online analytics software, managing about 30 clients. This tool works equally well for keeping track of client data as it does for writing novel and D&D module outlines. It’s very flexible. You can link to local files on your computer, create links to launch emails, and link to web pages. You can attach images and just about anything you can imagine.
If you think in terms of branches and leaves like I do, this tool may work well for you. If not, I’d be surprised if you can’t find some use for it, from task manager to contact lists. I don’t work for the company. I’m just a huge fan who has used Freemind for a couple of years now and love it for brainstorming and outlining. Maybe you’ll like it too.
Cheers!
Steve Myers (aka Cajur)
Well actually Steve, you’ve maybe just helpteed a whole bunch of my students who find it difficult to shell out for a mind mapping software package that isn’t absolutely essential to their course, but would merely be very helpful. I’ve just downloaded it, I’ll have a look, thanks!
James
Cybersquig,
I have collected, and in some cases, created many icons for use with Freemind. Many of them focus on characters, events, locations, and other story creation-related things. If you find that you like Freemind, let me know and I’ll be happy to zip up the icons I use and send them to you.
I tend to create stories and modules in much the way one would create a screenplay, scene by scene. There’s a really good series of books on the elements of writing (plot, dialog, characters, etc.) that I have really enjoyed. If you’re interested in them, send me an email (seomarketer@gmail.com) and I’ll be happy to get the names of these books to you. I have a novel I have been working on off and on for a while, and these books have been great source material.
BTW, what type of class do you teach?
Take care!
Steve Myers(aka Cajur)
Great stuff! When I’ve installed and had a good play with it I’ll let you know, thank you. I teach psychology and education across a variety of vocational college and university courses including Health and Social Care, Child Care, Learning and Development, and Teacher Training. I’m looking at alternatives right now for a number of reasons, however, I love to teach, and I have the pleasure of working with some wonderful students.
James
ps. I have a shelf full of books on writing, line editing, English language and grammar and more that I really should get through before I add to my collection, but thank you!