It’s possible to start creating the book but finish in the same place for a long time working on the same draft. There are various methods for writing a novel, and each author employs a different method. If you’re an experienced writer, you know that finding the strategy that works best for you can take time and trial and error. If you’re a newbie writer, you know how frustrating it would be to have many thoughts but no idea how to turn them into a book.
This ambiguity is why defining systems like The Snowflake Method is so compelling to aspiring writers. There are almost as many approaches to writing a novel even though there are writers, but many abide by the snowflake method. Randy Ingermanson, a writer, created the method.
What is the snowflake method?
The snowflake method is an innovative novel design technique based on a plotline concept that begins with a simple deep theme and progresses to a complex, fully completed novel—creating a book from the ground – up by beginning with a basic story synopsis and adding elements from that, invented by writer and instructor Randy Ingermanson. So, you might be wondering why and how this method is given the name after a snowflake. Well, this is because, when you’re using it, your story would then grow fractally, beginning from a single position and flourishing radially in a series of steps, just like a snowflake.
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The snowflake method has 3 phases as follows-
- The starting Snowflake phase: Whereas you might begin writing a novel with a single sentence, this first phase is really about a one-sentence overview of the story, just like a dog climbing on top of a cabinet and trying to figure out how to get down.
- The middle phase: Begin with a paragraph plot summary that gives a comprehensive break – down of the major characters. It also contains a four-page summary of the book and a proper book proposal. This stage is analogous to sharpening your weapon prior to actually growling a tree.
- The end phase: That’s the stage at which you apply what you learned in phases one and two to assist you through the process of writing. Allow the previous phases to serve as a blueprint for your story, keeping you on the right path.
Following is the stepwise guide for the writing with snowflake method:
Step 1: Create a one-sentence synopsis of your novel
This is your book’s central theme. The sentences would be defined as your article’s main concept or motif. How much you will be using to entice your readers and inform them about your book? Keep in mind that everything will begin with this one summary, so think of it like a seed that requires you to regrow and develop before you can move forward.
Character names will not be used; they will come later on. It is, however, acceptable to use descriptions. The reader will want to learn much more about the story. Use the following tips and tricks for that-
- Keep it brief and straight to the point.
- No characters should be named.
- Start writing something that piques your interest and makes you want to learn more.
- Know how to write something memorable and appealing to the ear.
This single sentence carries a lot of weight, so attempt to make it really stand out.
Step 2: Increase the length of the original sentence to a paragraph.
You can use a simple formula to expand your sentence to an entire paragraph. explaining the story’s plot, key events, and conclusion-
- It’s a setup- The first statement establishes the plot.
- The main character must overcome three major target segments (this is best seen in the three-act structure).- Every one of the three key events is covered in the second, third, and fourth sentences.
- Finally, a conclusion- The conclusion is in the summing up.
Step 3: A One-Page overview of Your Personalities
The most important aspect of fiction is the characters. Making them exactly how you want them to be in a manner that satisfies the novel should be most beneficial overall. taking into account the following factors:
- The one statement synopsis of the character’s plot.
- For example, the character’s inspiration, what does he/she want from the abstract?
- The character’s main objective – what does he or she would like in concrete terms?
- And what’s the character’s disagreement – what is preventing him/her from achieving this goal?
- How will the personality learn, and how will he/she vary as a function of his/her aha moment?
Step 4: Widen Every Overview Sentence to a Full Page
The snowflake method entails wanting to take a simple concept and expand it into a novel. You’re building the structural framework of your book piece by piece. It is acceptable to take a few rights with the length. The very next move is to increase every one of the sentence fragments from Step 2 into paragraphs.
‘Take hours and hours and broaden every sentence of your overview paragraph together into a full paragraph,’ Randy advises. Except for the last paragraph, everything should end badly. The penultimate sentence should explain how the book concludes.’
Step 5: Create Your Personalities
Your book is still in the early stages of development. It’s time to flesh out your character descriptions. At least one page should be written for each character, and you must be as specific as possible. The better you get to know these characters, the more enjoyable the final novel will be.
One suggestion would be to tell the story from each character’s point of view, and it will enable you to see the story from their point of view and iron out any possible motivational issues.
Step 6: Increase your one-page plot summary to four pages.
Make each paragraph into a separate act. Come back to the plot summary you developed in Step 4 and work to expand it into a more comprehensive synopsis. You will begin to see the stories come around each other logical manner at this point. You can begin to identify any issues that may arise. You can then go back and rearrange things until you get far enough into the story.
Step 7: Increase your three-character summaries into full ‘character graphs.’
It’s time to return to your characters. You must create a ‘character chart’ for each major character. This should be a synopsis of the character’s life. There can never be too much detail.
A few points to consider are:
- Date of birth.
- Physical characteristics.
- History.
- Inspiration.
- Objectives in life.
Step 8: Draw up a list of every scene
You can now start planning the sequences for your novel. You only need to give every scene a one-line summary. Typically, a scene will take place in a single location and will show the characters evolving or constantly learning.
A typical novel will have somewhere around 50 and 100 scenes.
Step 9: Write a multi-paragraph essay based on the scene list.
Your story will now have begun to take shape in an even more complete manner by this point. At this point, you will add more details to each scene. Once you’ve compiled a list of scenes, make a note for each one. Include a cast list and a synopsis of what takes place in the scene.
Step 10: Make the first draft.
You may have enough material to begin writing.
Choose a scene and get started.
Benefits of the snowflake method:
- It is a method of writing that is systematic. You can not go flawed with a step-by-step technique because it allows you to put your ideas together rather than leaving anything out.
- Because you will be shifting from one phase to the next and building on the previous step to progress, this writing method will help you effectively plan your writing life.
- The method allows you to test every scene you generate to ensure it profoundly affects your audience prior to actually writing more.
- It allows you to get to know your characters on a deeper level.
- Advantageous to writers who would like to strategize extensively before beginning to write a book
- The method is effective for sustaining motivation.
- A writer is forced to concentrate on the most critical aspects of the story, which can help keep the mind from wandering.
- The author becomes less plausible to be intimidated by their novel if they start small and move up.
- It provides an unstructured approach called freewriting.
- Its inherent conduciveness is at the beginning of the process of writing.
Conclusion:
There are numerous ways to get a story out of your head and into a well-written, finished first draught. Some authors have a preferred method that they will not abandon. If this is the case, you can use the snowflake method to your advantage when attempting to publish a good book. Will it be beneficial to you? It is possible.
It is not a miracle cure, but it will help you create a masterpiece faster.
Author Bio
My name is Korra Shailaja working as a content contributor at MindMajix. I’m a tech enthusiast and have a great understanding of today’s technology. I am an expert in writing content on demanding technologies such as Salesforce tutorial, Cybersecurity tutorial, Software Testing, QA, Data analytics, Project Management, ERP tools, etc.
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