How does an idea for a story become a novel? In his book on the Snowflake Method, Randy Ingermanson offers a gradual approach: begin with the simplest expression of the story, develop plot and characters in turn, work out the scenes, and then write a draft.
I made notes on the method while reading. Rather than memorizing ten separate steps, I find it easier to understand how they fit together.
Ten steps, organized around three strands
The Snowflake Method is primarily a tool for fiction. Developing a story in layers means more than adding detail to a sentence. It means working out what happens, who makes the choices, and how those choices become scenes.
| Strand | Steps | What develops |
|---|---|---|
| Story summary | 1, 2, 4, 6 | A sentence becomes a short synopsis, then major turning points and a fuller plot |
| Characters | 3, 5, 7 | Motives and goals develop into individual perspectives, personalities, and histories |
| Scenes | 8, 9 | The plot becomes a scene list, followed by the conflicts and changes within each scene |
| First draft | 10 | The outline becomes a continuous story and is revised through the writing itself |
The key relationship is this: plot and characters develop in turn, then come together in scenes.
If I expand only the plot, characters may become devices for moving events along. If I collect only character details, I may still have no idea how the story unfolds. Working across all three strands helps expose inconsistencies earlier.
What each step adds
This is my brief map of the sequence. The method itself belongs to the original book.
- Identify the story’s core. Express the central problem facing the protagonist in a few words.
- Establish its direction. Outline the starting point, major setbacks, and ending.
- Meet the main characters. Understand what they want, why they want it, and what stands in their way.
- Develop the plot. Connect its major turning points.
- Revisit the story through different characters. Consider what the same event means to each person.
- Expand the synopsis. Check that the story holds together from beginning to end.
- Deepen the characters. Connect their actions with their histories, personalities, and motives.
- List the scenes. Turn abstract plot points into passages that can actually be written.
- Examine change within each scene. Clarify the conflict and the characters’ responses.
- Write the first draft. Revise ideas that no longer work as the writing develops.
What I marked in my notes
The first point is the reader. Genre, expectations, and narrative emphasis belong in the planning process together.
The second is character depth. An antagonist needs more than the job of causing trouble. Their motives help determine whether the conflict feels credible.
Then come scenes. Both action and response can move a story forward. A character pursues a goal and encounters resistance; or they absorb a shock, face a dilemma, and make a decision. Either can change what happens next. A scene should do more than move the exposition to another location.
Finally, there is the timeline. Understanding the order in which events happen provides a basis for deciding whether to present them in a different order.
The draft still has to test the outline
I keep this method as a way to understand how a large writing task can be broken down. I do not treat it as a formula that guarantees a good novel, and these notes do not mean I have completed a novel using it.
Whether a character feels convincing or a scene has momentum often becomes clearer only in the prose. If the writing makes an earlier plan feel forced, the plan should change.
For me, the useful part is that an overwhelming task gradually becomes concrete material I can examine and revise.
Adapted from my 2024 reading notes. Book excerpts, sample sentences, and fill-in templates have been removed. Method source: Randy Ingermanson’s book on the Snowflake Method.