Story structure is a writer’s best friend (quite possibly up there with coffee).
But there are also many different approaches to structure your story.
Enter the Snowflake Method, a step-by-step technique to write your story from the ground up.
While the Snowflake Method is often used for writing novels, you can also use this approach to write a non-fiction book with a few simple modifications. So what is the Snowflake Method? Before I tell you, I must give full credit for this unique approach to Randy Ingermanson. Okay, on to the good stuff.
How The Snowflake Method Works
With each step of the Snowflake Method, you’ll build a story from the ground up. Just like if you were to put up a building, you want to have a strong foundation, right? Well, with the Snowflake Method, you’ll start out with a solid story idea and then watch it unfold in an organic way.
Step 1: Write a one-sentence summary of your novel.
This one sentence summary will also serve as your “pitch” for the book. Something that will hook the reader and also hint at the genre (whenever possible). The novel I’m currently working on is this: a Chicago cop starts a personal war with the most dangerous cartel in the world. For The Fugitive, you could have an innocent doctor is framed for the murder of his wife and searches for the real murderer.
If you’re writing non-fiction, just a one-sentence summary of your book is fine. Everything starts with this one-sentence summary. You could even think of it as a seed that grows into a story.
Step 2: Expand that sentence to a full paragraph.
Describing the story setup, major disasters, and the ending of the novel. You’ll want three major disasters which will often carry you from one act to another using the 3-act structure.
For the non-fiction writer, the three major problems can be more general depending on your topic. In general, stating the problem, the solution to the problem and implementing the solution could be good breaks in your book.
Step 3: Next, for each of your major characters, write a one-page summary sheet.
Take about an hour and focus on each major character. Here are a few things to include:
- The character’s name
- The character’s motivation (what does he/she want abstractly?)
- The character’s goal (what does he/she want concretely?)
- The character’s conflict (what prevents him/her from reaching this goal?)
Hint: I find that using actors you know can help with all of this. Just drag and drop pictures or take screenshots. And if you find yourself really stressing over character names, remember you can always change them later. Don’t let the little things trip you up.
For non-fiction, you could break down examples you want to include in your book that support your solution.
Step 4: Expand each sentence of your summary paragraph into a full page.
In theory, all but the last paragraph should end with conflict or a problem. The final paragraph should share how the book ends.
Step 5: Write a one-page description of each major character.
After you write those, then write a half-page description of the other important characters. I have to be honest: this step can be challenging. I find that using characters I know well from other stories can help me create other characters.
I’m not saying it’s cut and paste: the creative process doesn’t work that way. For me, it’s more like making a peanut butter, honey and banana sandwich. Add together ingredients you like to make a new creation. (By the way, that sandwich is amazing if you sprinkle some cinnamon on top. You’re welcome.)
Step 6: Take your one-page plot synopsis and turn it into a four-page synopsis.
Dive into your one-page plot synopsis and break it down. In theory, each paragraph is set up to guide you through each act. Paragraph one is act one. Paragraph two is act two. Paragraph three is act three. The last paragraph is the ending. Just aim for one page per act.
Step 7: Expand your character descriptions into full-fledged character charts.
Again, don’t be afraid to use pictures for this. Especially if you are a visual person that finds inspiration from movies. If you don’t like something, you can always change it or add to it.
Step 8: Use your four-page synopsis and make a list of all the scenes.
Randy recommends you make a spreadsheet with one line per scene. I think having note cards or post-it notes makes more sense because I like to work in analog. The key is to just have all of the scenes there in front of you. Do whatever works for you!
Step 9: Take each scene from step 8 and expand it to a multi-paragraph description of the scene.
Next, you can cut and paste the line from a spreadsheet into your word processor and put it right at the top of the page — then start writing more about what you want to have in that scene and what happens. I’d recommend a big font for the “scene details” to set it apart from the rest of the text.
So let’s say you have 35 scenes. You could do this in a 35-page Word document. Or in 35 separate documents in a Scrivener file, or even on separate pages of a notebook if you prefer the analog approach. (I’d be tempted to use the post-it notes in the notebook if you prefer analog. That would be really easy to do.)
Step 10: Start writing the official first draft.
About time, right? The cool thing is that you will likely be able to write faster since you know most of the story now. You know each scene. You know the major points of conflict. And don’t forget, you know the ending too.
Randy calls the work you create “design documents.” Just like any other outlining approach, some of the outlines will not be right. That’s okay. You can fix it, then go from there.
There are more details of the Snowflake Method found in the post here, and you can also purchase Randy’s book that explains his approach in even more detail here (affiliate link).
Need some more help with your book? I’d be glad to help. Just click here.
Have you tried the Snowflake Method? How did it work out for you? Just reply in the comments and tell me about it.
