There are numerous ways of planning a novel. You can use a pen and paper, and write notes to your heart’s content. You can use a spreadsheet and make lists and chapter plans. You can use your word processor to develop character profiles, story outlines and themes. Or, you can use [...]

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This is step 4 - expand the previously written paragraph into a page. If done properly this could become your synopsis.
With each step I take, I discover a hole in the plot. Step 4 was excellent for bringing these holes to the surface. I found myself asking “why would that happen?”, “would [...]

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An easy way to discover sub-plots for your characters is to tell the story, in one or two paragraphs, from each of the main character’s point of view (don’t forget your antagonist). You’ll be amazed how bland their personalities were before you started this exercise.
Today, I did this for book 2 of [...]

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Being book 2 I already have a cast of characters. Yet the antagonists in book 1 were dealt with so a new antagonist has stepped up to the mark. He’s coming through as a powerful man. I think he’s going to be quite challenging to the main characters.
A person who was [...]

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The British Judo Association has a section on “the value of Judo”. I include this here because it shows how a person’s body changes/improves from practicing this art.
Now I just need to find out what the difference would be in doing this for sport and self defense.

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No, I’m not shifting my webspace again. I’ll be at this location for, at least, the rest of this year but I’ve got this web address for three years so…I’m going no where.
I’ve been complaining about the internet and how much of a distraction it can be. Well, yesterday afternoon I moved all [...]

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After the anger I felt at myself last night, I was determined not to make the same mistake tonight. I made myself ignore the internet and open the document I’ve been working on and… I’ve finished. The history, my notes, the magic…all done!
I want a spreadsheet that will calculate my daily word count [...]

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I recently had an offer from an editor to read through my completed manuscript and tell me if there were any trouble spots. Unfortunately, he found some. Yet, as a writer, I know that his comments are true and I’m willing to go back and do… yet another… rewrite.
The editor said that by [...]

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I decided to add the link to the Snowflake Process to the navigation bar to your right. It’s worth trying.
I have spent longer than I planned on Step 3 and I’m still not entirely happy with the profiles I have but I will go back and modify them later. I think I need [...]

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I’m taking my time working through the steps of the Snowflake Process.
Step 1 was easy enough. I had to write a sentence in up to 15 words showing the overall story. I wrote several versions and then tailored the one that best describes my proposed manuscript.
Step 2 was much harder. [...]

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