Snowflake Method Novel Outline Template
The Snowflake Method, developed by author Randy Ingermanson, is a systematic 10-step approach to novel planning. You start with a single sentence and progressively expand your story — like growing a snowflake from a single crystal. It is ideal for analytical writers who prefer to design before they draft, and it produces a near-complete story document before a single chapter is written.
What's Inside This Template
1Steps 1–4: The Foundation
- Step 1 — One-Sentence Summary: Write a single sentence of ~15 words describing your entire novel
- Step 2 — One-Paragraph Summary: Expand to a paragraph with setup, 3 disasters, and the ending
- Step 3 — Character Summaries: One page for each major character (motivation, goal, conflict, epiphany)
- Step 4 — Expanded Synopsis: Expand your paragraph into a full page (5–6 paragraphs)
2Steps 5–7: Character & Story Depth
- Step 5 — Character Bible: Write a full character summary for each major character (1–2 pages each)
- Step 6 — Full 4-Page Synopsis: Expand the 1-page synopsis to 4 pages covering all major scenes
- Step 7 — Full Character Charts: Complete details — backstory, personality, physical description, arc
3Steps 8–10: Scene-Level Planning
- Step 8 — Scene List: Build a spreadsheet of every scene with POV, conflict, and word count target
- Step 9 — Narrative Descriptions: Write multi-paragraph descriptions of each scene from the POV character
- Step 10 — First Draft: Write the actual manuscript using your detailed scene descriptions as a guide
How to Use This Template
Distill Your Story (Steps 1–4)
Write a one-sentence summary of your entire novel. Expand it to a paragraph with three disasters and an ending. Create one-page summaries for each major character, then expand the paragraph to a full-page synopsis.
Build Character Depth (Steps 5–7)
Write complete character bibles for all major characters. Expand your synopsis to four pages, then complete full character charts including backstory, personality, and arc.
Plan Every Scene (Steps 8–10)
Build a scene spreadsheet listing every scene with POV and conflict. Write narrative descriptions for each scene, then use them as your guide when drafting the actual manuscript.