The Writers Write Snowflake Method Of Plotting A Book

Plotting can be tricky. In this post, we look at how you can use the Writers Write Snowflake Method of Plotting to write your book.

I’ve been working on my maths skills lately. Something I’ve been horrendous at nearly all my life. Along the way, I’ve been intrigued by various maths designs. Probably because I trained as a graphic designer. And to be fair, I have been more interested in the finished design rather than the maths it took to get there or the maths it represents.

Having watched a number of video trying to figure out how the Koch snowflake is constructed, I was struck as to how it could be a great plotting tool. Randy Ingermanson, author and online coach, has another version of the Snowflake Plotting method you might want to take a look at. What follows is mine. They are not the same.

The Writers Write Snowflake Method Of Plotting A Book

Why Plotting Is Important

Plotting can be tricky. Sometimes it flows easily, leaping from one scene to another like an Olympic gymnast. Other times, it feels as if an army of beavers has been building dams in your brain! Plotting is like a fishing net. Ideas are swimming around in our heads and the world around us. We need something to catch and keep them in. Yes, the metaphors in this blog are all over the place. A bit like snow, so the snowflake method is apt.

The 3 Types of Writers

1. Pantser – Those who don’t plot before beginning to write. They begin with a concept and see what happens as they write.
2. Plotters – Those who plot every scene in every chapter before they type the time-honoured words, ‘Chapter 1’.
3. The Plotting Pantsers – Those who have a basic plot but also allow their imaginations to twist and turn while writing and adjusting the plot as necessary.

The Snowflake plotting method can help a writer no matter how they approach their novels. Pantsers who hit a brick wall, Plotters who have hit writer’s block, or for whom their plot seems dull or mushy, and Plotting Pantsers whose book seems to have gone astray and headed off into hitherto unforeseen boglands.

Read: The Pros & Cons Of Plotting & Pantsing

So, What’s With The Koch Snowflake?

It’s a maths thing. It’s also a design thing. And there are two ways of using it.

• Building out your characters

Start with a large piece of paper. Draw a large star of David. That’s 2 equilateral triangles. One is upside down behind the other one. Write the name of one major character on each arm of the star. Now, divide every side into 3. Using the arm of the star as the base, draw another equilateral triangle in the middle section of every arm, as in Fig 1. We’ve only done one as an example. Now, on each side of every new triangle do the same thing as in Fig 2. We’re zooming in on just one so you can see what we mean.

You now have a map on which you can plot the character.

Let’s say this star belongs to Johnny K, and this arm is his childhood and youth. The first green triangle is his birth to ten years old. Write an event that will impact the adult Johnny K that appears in your novel on that triangle.

One each purple triangle write an outcome of that green event which will further define Johnny K’s character. How does he respond to the green triangle event – feelings, reactions, actions he takes that will impact the second green triangle’s event.

Remember on this arm of the star you are only dealing with Johnny K’s ‘Growing up’ years, his childhood and youth.

Each arm will be a different aspect of Johnny K’s life. So, for example, in Fig 2, the last purple triangle could say, ‘Joins the Mob’. Another arm of the star will be labelled ‘Profession’. Create the same set of triangles as we did with the ‘Growing Up’ arm. The first purple triangle will be the event that causes Johnny K to join the mob.

Each arm of the star is a way to drill further down into the character. This helps you to:

• Build backstory
• Discover plot for moving forward

Other arms could be:

• School
• Family Life
• College
• Health
• Friends
• Hobbies
• Loves

Etc.
These are just suggestions. Feel free to create your own.

• Building Your Plot

You can use the Snowflake in exactly the same way to create plot. For example…

The first green triangle on the left could be – Our heroine owns a flower shop in Bath. She loves it. It’s a dream of hers since she was a flower girl at her Aunt Celia’s wedding when she was four. But lately, she hasn’t been feeling well, and she can’t stop sneezing.

Now write a plot idea for the first purple triangle based on that. Here are some questions you could ask yourself:

1. Is this the first day that she can’t stop sneezing?
2. Is she chasing customers away as a result?
3. Does she think she has the flu?
4. Does she go see a doctor? What does he say? Has she developed an allergy to one of the plants in the shop?
5. What happens next?

What Happens Next?

This is most important question every author has to be continually asking of their plot, their character, and maybe even themselves. There’s a saying in the literary world – if you don’t cry writing it, the reader won’t cry reading it. The same applies to plot. If you’re not asking, ‘What happens next’, your readers won’t be asking it either. And that’s fatal.

Work your way around the snowflake using each arm as another location, time period, etc. You can use the snowflake pattern for any aspect of your novel. It’s especially helpful if you’re struggling with writers block. Create a snowflake for an idea that you do have, or a recurring character from a previous book, or even a theme.

Remember, any plotting method is merely a map, a framework, a suggestion guide. The real magic happens once you sit down and, using the map, start the adventure of writing the book itself.

The Last Word

If you’d like to write for children, young adults, or adults, why not sign up for one of the rich and in-depth courses that Writers Write offers to learn how to write the best book you possibly can.

by Elaine Dodge. Author of The Harcourts of Canada series and The Device Hunter, Elaine trained as a graphic designer, then worked in design, advertising, and broadcast television. She now creates content, mostly in written form, including ghost writing business books, for clients across the globe, but would much rather be drafting her books and short stories.

More Posts From Elaine

1. How To Work With A Book Illustrator
2. 5 Reasons To Say Yes To Your Book
3. What Is Developmental Editing And When Do You Need It?
4. 6 Of Our Favourite Children’s Writers
5. What To Gift Your Favourite Bookworm For Valentine’s Day
6. Why Chapters & Their Lengths Matter
7. 5 Netflix Shows That Will Make You A Better Writer
8. 6 Of The Oldest First-Time Authors
9. The Fourth Person Viewpoint
10. Hilary Mantel & Writing Historical Fiction

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