Description
Review
Praise for the Advanced Fiction Writing series
"Writing gurus come and go, but there will always be Randy Ingermanson at the center of that small universe of those who enter this arena. With his Snowflake approach having become an enduring and universally-valued window into the way stories are built, Randy has the unique claim to having changed the game for writers while raising the bar for aspiring teachers, as well." -- Larry Brooks, bestselling author of Story Engineering
"Randy's snowflake method has helped tens of thousands of writers formulate their ideas and get their thoughts on paper. With an engineer's precision, he pinpoints specific principles that identify weaknesses in stories and guides you through a process to solve them." -- Steven James, bestselling author of Troubleshooting Your Novel
"Randy Ingermanson knows the terrain of structure, and is a sure-footed guide to the mountain regions of solid, salable fiction." -- James Scott Bell, bestselling author of Write Your Novel From the Middle
Product Description
Want to Write a Dynamite Novel?
The secret to writing a dynamite novel is to first write a dynamite scene.
Because if you can write one terrific scene, you can write a hundred. And that's a novel.
This is a short book, with just one goal—to teach you the simple principles you can use right now to design a powerful scene before you write it.
If you've already written your novel, you can use these same principles to make each scene better.About the Book
How to Write a Dynamite Scene Using the Snowflake Method will give you the power tools you need to write scenes that move your reader's emotions.
You'll learn: The one thing your reader most desperately wants. And why. How to decide which character should have the point of view. The 2 kinds of scenes designed to give your reader a powerful emotional experience—and how to know which to use. 5 ways to test that your lead character's goal in each scene is perfect. How to end every scene so it leaves your reader wanting more. Why dilemmas are good, and how to know when they're ruining your story. 4 ways to know that your character's decision will drive your story forward. How to know when a scene is broken—and how to fix it.
From the Author
When I started writing back in 1988, I had a dream to write a great novel. One that would excite readers. One that would move them emotionally. One I could be proud of.
I wrote and wrote and wrote, but after a couple of years, I admitted that something was missing. I could write action and dialogue and all that.
But my scenes weren't working. And I couldn't figure out why. Then I discovered Dwight Swain's classic book, Techniques of the Selling Writer.
Dwight's book changed my life, practically overnight. I now understood what made scenes work and how to fix them when they were broken. I went on to get published, to win many awards, and to build a fan base of excited readers.
And I also became a fiction-writing teacher known all around the world. One of the things I'm famous for is my teaching on how to write emotively-powerful scenes. Scenes that move a reader. Scenes that sell books.
I learned most of what I know of scene structure from Dwight Swain. Of course I've added a number of my own ideas--but I'm standing on the shoulders of a giant. I wish you great success in your writing, and I expect you'll add your own insights to the grand tradition I inherited from Professor Swain, which I now pass on to you.
From the Inside Flap
Excerpt from Chapter 1:
Your reader desperately wants one thing.
You have it in your power to give your reader that one thing.
And what is that one thing?
I could tell you what that one thing is, and you would nod and agree that yes, that one thing is clearly something all readers want.
But telling you that one thing wouldn't make it stick in your mind forever.
I want it to stick.
I'd rather show you that one thing. Once you've seen it, once you've lived it, you'll never f