How To Write A Novel Using The Snowflake Method In 90 Days

So, you want to write a novel. That’s great! I know what it’s like to be full of ideas but not know where to start.

The Snowflake Method is one of the best tools I used when writing my first novel. It helped me take all those ideas and turn them into one cohesive story that made sense and was fun for readers to read. And now, I want to share it with you!

In this blog post, I’m going to explain exactly what The Snowflake Method is, how it works (without getting too technical), and how it can help you just 90 days write your book using this simple system. Let’s get started!

How To Write A Novel With The Snowflake Method

Key Takeaways
Utilize the Snowflake Method to structure your novel effectively.
Break down the novel-writing process into manageable steps.
Start with a one-sentence summary and expand it into a full synopsis.
Develop your characters and their motivations before delving into the plot.
Create a spreadsheet to outline scenes and track story progression.
Dedicate time each day to writing, aiming to complete your novel in 90 days.
Embrace the iterative nature of writing, revising, and improving your manuscript.
Stay motivated by setting goals, seeking support, and celebrating milestones.
Remember that writing a novel is a journey, and perseverance is key.

Table of Contents

Outline The Plot

The first step in the snowflake method is to take your basic idea and create a plot outline. This will be the foundation for your story, so you must spend some time on it.

The best way to do this is by writing down whatever comes into your head about how things will unfold. It doesn’t matter if it sounds stupid or like crap just get it out of your head and onto paper so that you can begin shaping what needs shaping later on in the process.

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Your Plot Should Include:

Characters: Who are they? What do they look like? How old are they? Who are they related to? Where do they live? What are their jobs/hobbies/passions? What makes them unique from other characters?

Setting: Where does this story take place (setting)? When does this story take place (period)? Why did I choose this setting over another one (why)? Does my main character live in this setting full-time or just visit occasionally (how long does he stay there)? How long has he lived there before going back home again (does he ever go back)?

Come Up With A Great Title

Now that you’ve come up with your story, it’s time to think about the title. In most cases, titles are more than just a fancy way of introducing your book they can also be used to set the tone and create expectations in readers’ minds.

We’re not talking about a title like “The Catcher in the Rye” or “Pride & Prejudice”, which have become so iconic that they have become synonymous with their genres or themes. But we are talking about something like “The Girl on The Train” (a psychological thriller), or “A Wrinkle In Time” (a sci-fi adventure).

Those titles tell you exactly what kind of story you’re getting into. That’s why it’s important to spend some time thinking about what type of impression you want your book’s title to give off before settling on one!

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Pick Your Ideal Writing Environment

Your writing environment is important. You need to find a place that you can spend time in for long periods, where you’re comfortable and able to concentrate.

If possible, try to find a space with natural light so that it doesn’t get too hot or cold (unless you like sitting in front of an open fire). It’s also good if this place has some kind of view preferably one that is inspiring and calming.

Try not to choose an office cubicle unless it has good soundproofing! Some people might prefer the peace of their own home, but I’ve found over the years that working from home often leads to distractions in the form of chores or errands; plus there may be fewer places nearby where you can get away from noise pollution when needed.

You don’t have much space available at home? No problem! There are plenty of other options out there: coffee shops with comfy couches; libraries with desk chairs instead (and lower lighting); libraries without desks would also work well since they’re quieter than most offices (just watch out for those loud kids).

Figure Out Your Characters

One of the first steps in writing a novel is to create your characters. If you don’t know who your character is, then it’s hard to write their story.

Here are some things to think about when creating characters:

Personality traits – What kind of person are they? Do they have any quirks? What makes them unique? Are they outgoing or shy? Are they athletic or bookish? How do they act around other people (or animals)?

Goals – What do these people want out of life? What would make them happy, and how far will they go to get what they want?

Backstory – How did this character get where he/she is today? Why did he/she make certain decisions in his/her past that led him/her here today, at this point with these particular personality traits and goals as well as this specific backstory that we can see from his/her actions within our story so far?

And why does it matter for us readers when we read about how long ago something happened or what happened before that moment which was mentioned earlier on page XYZ

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Come Up With A “Hook”

A hook is a first line, paragraph, or chapter of your novel that sets up the themes and questions you want to explore in your story. The hook should be as intriguing as possible—and it’s important to remember that not everyone who reads your book will read it from beginning to end!

So what makes a good novel “hook”? It can be anything that makes you want to keep reading: an interesting idea; an unexpected question; a unique character; an unexpected setting; something funny or sad or scary happening right away…the list goes on!

Take Your Day Job Into Account

>Your day job is a great place to start. Think about what you’re doing now, and how you can use that in your book. Do you have an office job? Are there any characters or scenes that would be interesting if they occurred in an office setting? How about a factory worker? A construction worker?

A great way to make sure your writing time doesn’t get lost is by planning so that when it comes time for your writing session, everything is ready.

That way when 5 pm rolls around and everyone else starts getting up from their desks (or wherever they’re working), you won’t be scrambling around trying to figure out how to fit in another hour before heading home or leaving for the day.

Create A Main Character Arc Outline

A character arc is a journey your main character takes during the story. It can be big or small, but it should always be significant to that person’s development as a human being. Your main character should change in some way because of what happens in your story and its actions.

Here’s an example: Let’s say you have a book about an inventor who creates something that can fly through outer space and time.

The inventor has been trying for years to get this invention off the ground, but no one believes him until he does so literally and accidentally.

In this case, his goal is getting others to believe in his invention and he has been working tirelessly toward that end for quite some time until finally achieving success (or failure).

This would be his main character arc: from a struggling inventor with no support from anyone else around him to a successful inventor who has finally convinced others of his invention’s legitimacy thanks enough times that they now believe him wholeheartedly!

Don’t Worry About Errors And Typos

Now, you may be thinking that those are pretty big mistakes. And they are! But don’t worry about them just yet. You can fix all of these things later, so don’t let them stop you from finishing the first draft of your novel.

The reason why I say this is because it will keep you from getting bogged down in details and distract you from telling the story itself.

The first draft is meant for drafting out ideas and getting them onto paper not for making sure every single word choice is perfect or every punctuation mark is properly placed (though both of those things are important). Don’t worry about typos either; later on, we’ll talk about how to fix them once we have our story written down!

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Think About The Physical Setting, Too

You should also think about the physical setting, which includes the period and weather. Do you have a vampire story set in the Victorian era? Or is it a dystopian future where it snows all year long?

Next, think about what mood you want to create with your novel’s setting. For example, if you’re writing a thriller or horror story, do you want an ominous tone that makes readers want to turn on all their lights? Or are they going to be constantly on edge while they read your book because they know something bad is lurking around every corner?

Finally, consider how this setup affects your characters how do they interact with each other in such an environment? Is there tension because everyone is afraid of getting hurt or dying at any moment? Or does everyone band together as a community because anything else would mean certain doom for them all?

Create Backstories For Your Characters

When working on your characters, it’s important to know their backstory. A back story is just the history of a character. It allows you to explain why they do what they do, making them more real, believable, and relatable.

Here are some tips for creating backstories:

Create a detailed family tree including birthdays, deaths, and other significant life events. This will help you understand where your characters came from and where they’re going in life.

Write down physical attributes such as height, weight, and hair color as well as personality traits such as strengths/weaknesses or character flaws (e.g., stubbornness). These details will help readers connect with the character’s individuality within their own lives so they can see themselves in them!

Make Sure Your Secret Is Big Enough

Make sure your secret is big enough.

As you’re building your secret, it’s important to make sure that it’s a driving force of the plot. This is not just a secret that’s revealed at the end of the book; this should be something that impacts everything from beginning to end.

If you can’t think of anything, check out some other books for inspiration and figure out what those secrets were about (or Google them). You can also ask yourself: what would have changed if this person had known [secret]? How would they have approached their life differently? How would their relationships change?

The secret needs to be something they’re not aware of.

Your character needs some kind of inner knowledge or belief that conflicts with reality which means they’ll spend most of their time trying desperately to uncover what’s going on rather than just accepting things as they are at face value (because then there wouldn’t be much conflict).

For example, someone might believe that she is destined for greatness when she has no special talents at all; or perhaps she believes her mother loves her unconditionally when her mother has been lying about being sick for years so she doesn’t have to deal with caring for her daughter anymore; and so on.

Map Out The Beginning, Middle, And End

As you write your first draft, you’ll be able to make adjustments as you go along. However, it’s best to have an outline ready before writing your first draft so that when the time comes for revisions, all of your notes are in one place and easily accessible!

To create a solid outline of your novel (or series), start with the end in mind. Once you’ve written out what happens at the end of each chapter and scene, fill in any holes using either links or additional scenes until they become paragraphs or even pages.

This will help organize your story down into its smallest parts so that if something needs changing later on down the road it’s easy enough to do without losing sight of where everything came from originally.

Plan On Writing 1000 Words Per Day

The most important thing you can do is write. You are writing a novel, after all, and that means you have to make time for it. If this isn’t something that fits into your daily schedule, consider planning on writing 1000 words per day as a starting point.

There are other ways of increasing/decreasing your word count:

You can increase your word count by doing more writing (e.g., adding an extra scene or chapter).
You can decrease your word count by doing less writing (e.g., removing an extra scene or chapter).
You can increase your research so that the story makes sense and feels authentic (more research = more time spent researching = less time spent writing).
Conversely, you may find yourself spending too much time researching at the expense of actually creating new content in which case it might be worth scaling back on some of what you learn to keep up with the planned schedule for completing a specific project

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Conclusion

Writing a novel is a difficult feat, and it can be even more challenging when you have to do it in 90 days. The Snowflake Method provides an easy way to structure your writing project so that it’s less overwhelming and more manageable.

It breaks down the entire process into smaller steps that are easier to manage, while still providing enough flexibility so that writers don’t feel like they have no control over their process.

I hope this guide has helped you understand how the Snowflake Method works as well as its benefits for both fiction and nonfiction authors who want to write faster but still produce high-quality work in short periods!

FAQs

Got questions about novel writing? Here are some common queries and their answers:

How do I effectively plot my novel?

Creating a compelling plot involves establishing clear story arcs, character motivations, and conflicts that drive the narrative forward.

Can I finish writing a novel in 90 days?

Yes, it’s possible to complete a novel within a 90-day timeframe by setting realistic goals, managing your time efficiently, and maintaining consistent writing habits.

What are some proven methods for novel writing?

Several methods, such as the Snowflake Method, the Three-Act Structure, and the Hero’s Journey, offer effective frameworks to guide your novel writing process.

How do I stay motivated while writing a novel?

Maintain motivation by setting small milestones, rewarding yourself for achievements, and finding a writing routine that works best for you.

How do I handle writer’s block during novel writing?

Overcome writer’s block by taking breaks, trying different writing exercises, seeking inspiration from other sources, and reminding yourself that first drafts don’t need to be perfect.

Costantine Edward

Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.