Created by Randy Ingermansion, the snowflake method is used to plan and create a story from scratch, starting with a basic foundation of a story idea and then building the layers of the story from there.

This method would work well, if there are a number of plot points that need to be organised into a structured order, characters that need defining, or if there is an idea, ready to build upon.

Firstly, the method challenges the writer to put their story into one sentence e.g., eleven-year-old Alice believes her brilliant scientist father has been murdered and sets out to prove it, even if no one believes her.  In that sentence alone, there is so much to elaborate and work on. Who is Alice, how did her father die, why does she think he was murdered, why does no one believe her, how is she going to prove it?

Use the first sentence to assemble the story: build a paragraph from that sentence to create the characters, then build story lines for each character related to the story idea (that first snowflake). The story continues to build from there. Kind of like building a snowball with numerous snowflakes.

Here is an example of a paragraph, based on the previous example sentence:

When eleven-year-old Alice’s father dies, her mother ups and moves them to London to live with a grandmother she’s never met. Grandmother is not happy when Alice and her mum come to stay with her. Mum has to work hard and has no time for Alice anymore. Alice feels very lonely and isolated until she meets Keith. Keith becomes Alice’s best friend. He is an expert with computers and finding solutions to problems. Alice wants to be a scientist when she grows up, just like her father. He had just discovered a ground-breaking cure to type 2 diabetes before he mysteriously died. Alice thinks Uncle Robert, might have some answers. He is a botanist and conducts research in the Amazon, he has recently discovered a new tree and rodent species. Alice is determined to uncover the truth about her father’s death, no matter the cost.

The paragraph introduces the main character’s which then enables the author to create the story lines for each character.

Example story lines:

• Grandmother has a secret that she wants no one else to know. She does not like scientists.
• How Alice adapts to her new life and home in London, starting a new school and making friends.
• Alice’s investigation of her father’s death, using the details in her father’s journal as a starting point.
• Keith, Alice’s friend. He is a computer expert, who is willing to help Alice with her investigation. They research his death online and find information which leads them to conclude her father’s death was murder.
• Uncle Robert’s newest discoveries are pieces of the puzzle that lead to the murderer.

‘Remember that every event is building toward the end: the story’s climax.’

Masterclass: How to Use the Snowflake Method to Outline Your Novel.

For a more detailed approach to the Snowflake method, click here for the 5 steps.