The Snowflake Method

The Snowflake Method is a novel-planning method developed by the American author Randy Ingermanson. You start with a single sentence that sums up the whole story and expand it in ten steps: into a paragraph, a page, character summaries, a longer synopsis and finally a scene list. Plot and characters grow in alternation, so each stage tests the one before it.

The method is especially useful if you like to plan from the big picture down to the details and want a clear sequence to follow. On this page you’ll find all ten steps, an example of the first steps, common mistakes and suggestions for adapting the method to the way you work.

Where the name comes from

Ingermanson, who writes writing guides as well as novels, first described the method in a freely available article on his website and later expanded it into a book, How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method (2014). The name comes from a mathematical fractal, the Koch snowflake: you start with a simple triangle and in each round add smaller triangles to every side, until a finely branched shape emerges.

Applied to a novel, that means the large shape comes first, then the details are added, but always in relation to the whole. The underlying idea is that a big-picture mistake is far cheaper to fix while it sits in a single paragraph than after three hundred pages of manuscript.

The ten steps

For the early steps, Ingermanson gives rough time estimates, such as an hour for the first sentence. They are meant to keep you from getting stuck on any one stage.

1. One sentence. Sum up the novel in a single sentence. Ingermanson recommends staying under fifteen words and using no character names; instead, say who the character is and what is at stake for them.
2. One paragraph. Expand the sentence into a paragraph of about five sentences: the setup, three major disasters and the ending. Ingermanson thinks of a story as “three disasters plus an ending,” each taking up roughly a quarter of the book.
3. Character summaries. Write one page for each major character: name, their storyline in one sentence, their motivation (what they want in the abstract), their goal (what they want concretely), their conflict, their epiphany at the end, and their storyline in one paragraph.
4. A one-page plot summary. Expand each sentence of the paragraph from step 2 into a paragraph of its own. The result is a one-page summary.
5. The story from the characters’ point of view. For each major character, tell the plot from their perspective in about a page, and in half a page for important supporting characters.
6. A four-page synopsis. Expand the one-page summary to about four pages.
7. Detailed character charts. For each major character, record everything you need to know about them: background, appearance, habits, desires, how they change.
8. The scene list. Turn the four-page synopsis into a list of all the scenes, for example as a spreadsheet with the point-of-view character, what happens and the planned length.
9. Describe the scenes. For each scene, write a few paragraphs about what happens in it. Ingermanson himself describes this step as optional.
10. The first draft. Now you write the novel, scene by scene, following the list.

Two things stand out. First, plot (steps 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8) and characters (steps 3, 5 and 7) alternate. What you discover about the characters may change the plot, and vice versa. Second, some of the results stay useful later on: the one-page summary from step 4 is a good basis for a synopsis when you submit to agents.

An example: the first three steps

An invented suspense novel about a ferrywoman shows how the first stages build on one another.

Step 1, one sentence (thirteen words):

A ferrywoman becomes entangled in smuggling to keep her island supplied through winter.

The sentence establishes the character, her purpose and the conflict. How she becomes involved in smuggling and what it costs her remain open. The next stage develops those questions.

Step 2, a paragraph with three disasters and an ending:

When her island’s daily ferry is withdrawn for winter, Rika organizes additional supply runs with her own small boat. After an engine failure, she accepts an advance from her childhood friend Hauke and carries his supposedly harmless cargo in return. When she discovers the drugs and refuses further crossings, he becomes aggressive and threatens her. Afraid he may hurt her or destroy her service, Rika seeks a way out that does not require openly confronting him. She fakes another engine failure so Hauke transports the cargo himself and sends an anonymous tip that leads to him being checked and arrested with the load.

The three disasters worsen Rika’s position: the engine failure threatens her service, discovery destroys her trust in Hauke, and his aggressive response makes quitting a personal danger. Discovery and threat are close together in this short paragraph; the longer version must give both developments space. The ending follows from Rika’s deception and anonymous tip, not an agreed police operation. The consequences for her fear, debts and service remain for further development.

Step 3, character summaries (excerpt):

	Rika	Hauke
Storyline in one sentence	A ferrywoman is unknowingly used for drug shipments and sets a trap for her threatening blackmailer.	A boat mechanic exploits a childhood friend’s trust for smuggling and threatens her after discovery.
Motivation	Being needed by her island and remaining independent	Financial security and influence
Goal	Escape Hauke’s blackmail without warning him of the trap	Force Rika to keep carrying the cargo
Conflict	She fears Hauke but must speak to him to fake the failure	Rika refuses further crossings and knows his route
Epiphany or final stance	She can act against him despite her fear	He loses control of the transport he forced on her

The character summaries return questions to step 4: why does Rika initially trust Hauke’s cargo jobs? How does his shift from friend to aggressive blackmailer appear? Why does he believe the second engine failure? The answers must work as scenes. The longer version must also prepare a plausible sequence from tip to check.

Common mistakes

• Perfecting every stage. The first sentence doesn’t have to be brilliant; it only has to point the way. If you spend a week polishing step 1, you lose the method’s advantage.
• Ignoring the knock-on effects. If it turns out in step 5 that a supporting character has different goals, the paragraph and the summary need adjusting. The method thrives on going back and forth.
• Disasters that are too small. “Three disasters” means events that fundamentally worsen the situation, not minor obstacles.
• Pushing through even when it slows you down. Some writers realize after step 4 that they know enough to start writing. That isn’t giving up; it’s the result.
• Treating the scene list as final. Step 8 is a plan. As you write, some scenes will drop out and new ones will appear.

Practical tips

• Stick to the time estimates at first. An hour for one sentence sounds like a lot, but it keeps you from getting lost.
• Keep every stage instead of overwriting it. The sentence from step 1 and the paragraph from step 2 come in handy later, for back-cover copy, a query letter or conversations about the book.
• Combine the method with a structure model. The three disasters map neatly onto the turning points of the three-act structure.
• If you prefer to write by discovery, use only steps 1 to 3 and then start writing. An overview of other methods is in the guide How to plan a novel.

Using Faustica

Faustica has no dedicated Snowflake template, but every stage has a natural home. You can keep the sentence, the paragraph and the summaries as Notes on a board of their own, called “Snowflake,” for example, and link them within the project. The character stages (steps 3, 5 and 7) go into the Compendium, with your own sections such as goal, motivation or epiphany.

The scene list from step 8 takes shape in the Plot Planner as scene cards with a summary, point of view, characters, location as well as goal, conflict and outcome. There you can also assign the three disasters to the turning points of the three-act structure.

Frequently asked questions

How long does the Snowflake Method take?

That depends on the novel and on how far you take it. With the suggested time estimates, the first steps can be done in a few hours. The later stages, especially the scene list and the detailed character charts, take considerably longer.

Do I have to do all ten steps?

No. Many writers use only the first steps and then start writing; others skip individual stages. Ingermanson presents the method as a tool you can adapt, not as a mandatory program.

Does the Snowflake Method work for writers who prefer discovery writing?

Only to a limited extent. The full method settles a great deal before you write. Discovery writers can, however, use the first three steps to clarify direction and characters, or apply the method after the first draft to check whether the story holds up.

What’s the difference from the three-act structure?

The three-act structure describes how a finished story is built. The Snowflake Method describes a working process for getting to that story. The two combine well: the method supplies the working steps, the structure model the yardstick for the turning points.