In this episode, we’re diving into how the Snowflake Method can dramatically improve your storytelling, your entire writing process, and even your marketing.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Randy Ingermanson, the creator of the Snowflake Method. Randy is one of the most brilliant people I know. He holds a PhD in physics (yes, really), and while that alone is impressive, he’s also an accomplished novelist, non-fiction author, teacher, and all-around exceptional human being.
Years ago, Randy developed a structured approach to writing fiction called the Snowflake Method, and since then, it’s been downloaded more than 6 million times worldwide. In our conversation, you’ll hear the story behind its creation and discover how you can apply it to craft better novels and sharpen your messaging and marketing efforts.
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the process of writing a book or if you’re looking for a clearer, smarter way to approach your next project, you won’t want to miss this.
How did you develop the Snowflake Method?
Randy: It really goes back to my seventh-grade English teacher. She was doing her best to get us all to settle down long enough to write just a paragraph. After about three tries, I finally figured out the basic structure: start with one sentence that states the paragraph’s main idea, then add three sentences that support that idea, and finish with a sentence that explains or wraps it up. That approach worked for me for a long time when writing paragraphs.
As I got into high school and college, I realized you could apply that same structure to entire papers. You’d begin with a paragraph explaining what you were going to say, follow with several paragraphs expanding on that in different ways, and then end with a concluding paragraph to sum it all up.
So, in 1986, when I sat down to write my PhD thesis, I had actually put off getting started. I didn’t have a lot of time. I grabbed a piece of paper and jotted down the main idea I wanted to communicate in the thesis. Then, I listed a few supporting points and a summary idea for the end. Of course, each of those supporting points needed to be developed further. So, I wrote down the main idea for each one and then broke it into sub-points that needed to be addressed.
In just a couple of hours, as I recall, I had outlined the entire structure of my thesis. I hadn’t written anything yet, but I had a clear roadmap to follow. I wrote the first draft of my PhD thesis in about a month. After that, I spent time revising and editing it into final form.
Later, when I began writing novels, it felt natural to approach them the same way. I’d start by figuring out what the story was about, then identify the major turning points. From there, I’d break each turning point down into smaller pieces, again and again, until I had a solid sense of how the story would unfold.
Now, I don’t like outlining in the traditional sense. Robert Ludlum, for example, was known for writing outlines that were over a hundred pages long for a 400-page novel. That’s incredibly detailed, and while it worked for him, that level of planning doesn’t feel right for me. I want to know the big picture, but like many “seat-of-the-pants” writers, I enjoy discovering how each scene actually plays out as I write it.
That’s where the Snowflake Method comes in. It lets me map out the novel down to the scene level very simply, with one sentence per scene to say what happens. That’s it. Then, when I sit down to write the scene, I can enjoy the creative process and bring it to life.
So that’s how I developed the core ideas behind the Snowflake Method. How I became known for it is a whole other story, but that’s how I came to understand and use it for myself.
What are the ten steps of the Snowflake Method?
Jim: The Snowflake Method is a ten-step process, and Randy walks you through each step on his website, AdvancedFictionWriting.com.
Step 1: One-Sentence Summary
Randy: I like to spend a lot of time on Step One of the Snowflake Method because if you start a novel in the right direction, it’s hard to go too far off track. Step One is what I call the one-sentence summary of your novel. Some people refer to it as a logline.
When I have an idea that’s been bouncing around in my head for a while, I give myself one hour to write about it. I set a timer and say, “Okay, I’ve got one hour to write a single sentence.” This sentence is an important, high-level summary of what the story is really about. Think of it as the selling tool for your novel.
Once I have that sentence locked in, I use it as a compass. Even if I veer off track while writing, I can always return to that one line to course-correct. For example, in my first published novel, which was a time travel story released in 2000, my one-sentence summary was:
“A rogue physicist travels back in time to kill the apostle Paul.”
That’s it. That’s what the story is about. If I ever drifted off into side characters or unrelated subplots, like writing about James, the brother of Jesus, I’d look at that sentence and realize, “Wait, I’m heading in the wrong direction.” Then, I’d pull back and realign the story.
That one sentence was only 12 words long. It’s short enough to keep at the top of your manuscript or taped to your monitor. Even better, it’s easy to memorize. If you can get your story down to 25 words or fewer, you can hand it to someone, and it’ll be short enough for them to remember.
And that’s crucial when you’re trying to pitch or sell your story. A strong one-sentence summary lets someone make a quick decision. They might say, “I’m not into physicists or time travel or the apostle Paul,” and that’s fine. I’ve saved both of us time. I’m not wasting hours explaining my story to someone who was never interested in the first place.
That’s the power of a clear, concise one-sentence summary.
Jim: One of the things I really love about the Snowflake Method is that it’s more than just a writing tool; it’s also incredibly useful for marketing. Right from the start, it guides you in creating a logline or elevator pitch. That one sentence becomes something you can use for the life of your book. That’s such a powerful and often overlooked aspect of the method.
Randy: The Snowflake Method is also a powerful marketing tool, especially when you consider how many times a novel has to be “sold.” If you’re going through a traditional publisher, the process starts with convincing the acquisitions editor that your book is worth publishing. Then, that editor has to sell the idea to the publishing committee. From there, the marketing team has to get on board, and they, in turn, need to sell it to bookstore buyers. Finally, the booksellers have to sell it to readers.
Ideally, when a customer picks up your book, they’ve heard that one clear, compelling sentence that captures what the story is about. And if they enjoy it, that same sentence is what they’ll use to tell their friends. That’s how word of mouth spreads, and that’s ultimately what sells books.
Step 2: Write a One-Paragraph Summary of Your Story
Certainly! Here’s a clearer and more organized version that keeps most of the original wording while improving clarity and flow:
Step Two of the Snowflake Method expands your one-sentence summary. Remember how I mentioned that when writing a paragraph, you start with one sentence, then add three supporting sentences, and finish with a closing sentence? That’s exactly the model we use here.
In Step Two, you write a one-paragraph summary of your story. The first sentence introduces the story: who the main character is, a bit of background, and what type of story you’re telling. The next three sentences each describe one major stage of the story—these typically follow the classic three-act structure. Then, the final sentence explains how the story ends.
In just five sentences, you have a complete summary of your novel. It’s an expanded version of your one-sentence summary, usually about 50 to 200 words in total. This paragraph is especially useful when you’re pitching your novel to an editor or agent at a writing conference.
Here’s how it works in practice: you sit down with an agent, and they ask, “What have you got?” You start with your one-sentence summary. If they’re intrigued and say, “Tell me more,” that’s when you share your one-paragraph summary. In doing so, you naturally walk them through the three-act structure of your novel.
Editors and agents are professionals—they’ll immediately recognize the solid structure behind your pitch. That tells them your story works at a foundational level. A lot of new writers struggle with this, lacking a strong, large-scale structure, which often means their stories fall flat. Step Two of the Snowflake Method helps prevent that. It ensures your story has a sound structure—one that’s built to deliver a powerful emotional experience for your reader.
Jim: That will tell an editor or agent you understand how this process works. That first impression with an editor or an agent is so critical.
Step 3: Define Your Characters
Step Three of the Snowflake Method shifts gears from plot to character. That’s because a novel is ultimately about characters in conflict. The conflict drives the plot, but the characters are what make readers care. In this step, you begin defining your characters at a high level.
Start with your protagonist. Who is the hero? What’s their name? What are they doing in the story? What’s their goal? What’s the central conflict they face? What are their core values? Do they experience an epiphany or transformation by the end?
Then, try to write a one-sentence summary of this character’s role in the story. After that, expand it into a one-paragraph summary. This helps you clarify who the characters are and how they change and drive the story forward.
Step Three starts to feel like real work, but it’s essential. You’ll repeat this process for all your major characters: the hero, the villain, the love interest, the sidekick, the comic relief, and any character who plays a significant role in your story. This step ensures your characters are fully formed and deeply connected to the plot.
Step 4: Write a One-Page Synopsis of Your Story
Randy: In Step Four, you write a one-page synopsis of your story, building directly off the one-paragraph summary you created in Step Two. This step doesn’t take much time because the structure is already in place.
Remember, your one-paragraph summary is just five sentences. In Step Four, you take each of those sentences and expand it into its own paragraph. The result is a five-paragraph, one-page summary of your novel.
Step 5: Develop Your Characters’ Backstory
Randy: In Step Five, you return to your characters and go deeper. Earlier, you outlined some basic information about each one. Now you begin developing their backstory. Where did they come from? What has their life been like? What are they trying to achieve in this story?
I like to write anywhere from half a page to a full page for each of my main characters. It usually takes about an hour per character, which isn’t a huge time investment. By the end of Step Five, you have several pages that really define who your characters are. You’re starting to understand them more deeply and how they interact in your novel.
Jim: I imagine that as people are writing these one-page summaries for their characters, they start to see how the characters will interact. Ideas come to them about how the characters might clash or connect. Do you find that happens often?
Randy: That happens to me all the time. I get emails from people saying, “I was just going through the motions, and suddenly my story came alive. My characters started to come alive.” They say, “This thing feels like magic.” That always makes me happy because it feels like magic to me, too. And if it feels like magic to other people, then maybe it really is.
Step 6: Expand Your One-Page Synopsis
Randy: Expand each paragraph from your one-page synopsis into a full page. Now, you have a five to six-page synopsis to include with your proposal.
Step 7: Fill Out a Character Bible for Each Character
Randy: In step seven, we return to the characters, and for each of the important characters, we fill out a character Bible. We want to know everything about them. What’s their birth date? What’s their description? Do they have any scars? Why are they this way? What awful thing happened back when they were in seventh grade? What does their house look like? What’s in their wallet? You can ask many questions. Different genres of fiction will need different sets of questions. Develop your own set of questions. I have a sample set on my website, but my questions are not cut in stone. You should develop your own that are relevant to your story.
Step 8: Break Your Synopsis into a List of Scenes
Randy: Step Eight is a really crucial part of the process. In fact, even writers who skip the earlier steps often find Step Eight incredibly helpful. This is where you take your synopsis—whatever you’ve developed so far—and break it down into a list of scenes.
A typical novel might have around 100 scenes, so the goal is to write one sentence for each scene describing what happens. I like to do this in a spreadsheet or in my Snowflake Pro software, which makes it easy to enter one line per scene and rearrange them as needed.
By the end of this step, you’ll have a detailed guide to your story at the scene level, giving you a clear roadmap for writing your novel.
Jim: I used the Snowflake Method before the software existed. When I was writing my second novel, Book of Days, I built it out in an Excel spreadsheet, plugging in all the scenes that way. Then I printed it out, taped the pages together, and laid it out as one big visual map. Seeing the entire story laid out in front of me made everything feel clear and connected.
Step 9: Determine the Parts of the Scene
Randy: Step Nine is where you take each scene and analyze it a little more deeply. If it’s a proactive scene, ask yourself: What’s the goal of the scene? What’s the conflict? What’s the setback? If it’s a reactive scene, look at the emotional reaction, the character’s intellectual dilemma, and the decision that drives the story into the next scene.
This step usually involves just a few lines of additional analysis per scene. Some writers find this incredibly helpful, while others prefer to skip it. If it works for you, great. If not, feel free to move on.
Step 10: Write Your Novel!
Randy: Step Ten is to write your novel. Take everything you’ve developed—your scene list, your character summaries, your synopsis—and start writing. Begin with scene one, then move on to scene two, then scene three, and so on.
Typically, when I’m about a quarter of the way into the novel, I’ll notice that things have shifted slightly. At that point, I go back and update my Snowflake documents. I’ll usually do this again around the halfway point and once more at about three-quarters of the way through the draft.
Then comes the revision letter from my editor, pointing out everything that’s wrong with the story. My first reaction is always to cry in rage and frustration at the clear stupidity of my editor. But after I cool down, I go back to my Snowflake outline and start planning how to revise the story to satisfy my editor’s feedback.
And usually, after a bit of complaining, I come to the humbling realization that my editor is actually pretty smart, and the real moron is me. I rediscover that every time.
Does the Snowflake Method work for everyone?
Randy: The Snowflake Method does not work for everyone. I once gave a talk to a group of writers, and one of them was an award-winning novelist. She really took the Snowflake Method to heart and gave it an honest try. But after a few months, she found she was getting nowhere with it. She eventually came back to me and said, “Look, this just isn’t working for me. I had to ask for an extension on my contract.”
At first, I was surprised. But over time, I realized that it makes perfect sense. I’m not a strict outliner, and I’m not a seat-of-the-pants writer either. My brain is wired a certain way, and so is everyone else’s.
Some writers thrive by writing without any pre-planning. Stephen King does that, and clearly, it works for him. On the other hand, Robert Ludlum wrote only with detailed outlines and was wildly successful, too.
Use what works for you, and don’t use what doesn’t.
Jim: I’m a discovery writer who figures things out as I go, but I’ve been familiar with the Snowflake Method for a long time. Even though I don’t typically outline, immersing myself in the Snowflake Method influenced how I approached my last novel.
It shaped my thinking in ways I didn’t expect. I honestly believe the novel turned out better because of that. Without having studied the method, I don’t think it would have come together as well as it did.
So, if you’re thinking, “I’m not sure this approach is for me,” I get it. I’ve been there. But I promise you, as a discovery writer, this method can inform your process in ways you may not anticipate.
Randy: I think seat-of-the-pants writers can really benefit from using the Snowflake Method during the revision process. Once the story is written, it might feel unstructured, and that’s where the Snowflake steps can help. They can guide you in reshaping and tightening the story.
In fact, it might make sense to work through the Snowflake Method in reverse. Start at Step Nine, then move backward through Step Eight, Step Seven, and so on, all the way back to Step One. By the time you reach that final step, you may suddenly realize, “Now I understand my story—it’s about a rogue physicist who travels back in time to kill the apostle Paul.”
And that’s not the wrong way to do it. If that’s how your process works, then embrace it. You can’t change how your brain is wired, so work with it, not against it.
How has the Snowflake Method become a marketing tool for your other products?
Jim: Tell us about the success you’ve seen from having 6 million people view your Snowflake page and discover your writing. You wrote How to Write Fiction for Dummies and have sold about 80,000 copies. You’ve helped develop the Snowflake Pro software. How was the Snowflake a marketing tool for those things?
Randy: Marketing is about attracting people, engaging them, and then converting them. The Snowflake Method has attracted—like I said—millions and millions of people to my website. Just by existing, and because Google knows about the page, it shows up when people search for how to write a novel. That’s what brings them in.
Then, my website engages them, and eventually, it converts them to customers. But at the top of that pipeline, there has to be something that draws people in. For me, that’s the Snowflake article. It has really brought in a lot of traffic.
We could get into marketing more another time, but the key is that everyone needs something that attracts people to their site.
Any final encouragement or tips for writers?
Randy: Start small and keep expanding until you have a novel. That’s the snowflake method.
Connect with Randy Ingermanson
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