How to Use the Snowflake Method to Plan Your Novel

The Snowflake Method, designed by Randy Ingermanson, is one of the most popular ways to structure a novel. It prevents the dreaded "saggy middle" by ensuring you have a solid roadmap before you start writing prose.

What is the Snowflake Method?

It's a metaphor. A real snowflake starts as a simple triangle and adds detail to the edges until it becomes a complex fractal. Your novel should start as a simple idea and expand outward.

Step 1: The One-Sentence Summary

Take an hour to write a one-sentence summary of your novel. Does it have a hook? Does it mention the stakes?

In Hearth: Create a new Project. The project name or description is your sentence.

Step 2: The Paragraph

Expand that sentence into a paragraph describing the story setup, major disasters, and ending. This is your "elevator pitch" expanded.

In Hearth: Create a document called "Overview". Write your paragraph here.

Step 3: Character Sheets

For each major character, write a one-page summary. Motivation, Goal, Conflict, Epiphany.

In Hearth: Create a folder called "Characters". Add a document for each character. Pin this folder so it's always visible while you write.

Step 4: Expand the Summary

Take each sentence from Step 2 and expand it into a full paragraph. You now have a one-page synopsis.

Step 5: The Scene List

Eventually, you'll turn your synopsis into a spreadsheet of scenes. This is your roadmap.

In Hearth: Create a folder called "Manuscript". Inside, create subfolders for "Act 1", "Act 2", "Act 3". Add blank documents for each scene, titled with a quick summary like "Jack meets the Dragon".

Why Hearth Works Better for This

Traditional word processors force this all into one linear document. Hearth lets you keep your Character Sheets open in one tab (or quickly accessible via the sidebar) while you work on your Scene List in another.