When using the snowflake method, you begin with a one-sentence summary of your book followed by a paragraph-long summary. Using this method invented by writer Randy Ingermanson gives you an overarching plan. The snowflake method is like a bridge between the more freewheeling methods above and some of the more structured methods that follow. It’s often a liberating exercise that allows you to let go, not worrying about broader story structure, and create. Outlining in this way can feel a little bit like free-writing. Include any side note that will make it easier to get the bulk of your story down on paper. So include notes to yourself to work out parts that you aren’t entirely sure of yet. However, the difference between publishers’ synopses and your own right now is this one is strictly for your creative use. Thus another advantage of this approach is learning an important marketing skill.

If you are planning to send your novel around to agents and publishers, you will have to write a synopsis at some point. Writers who struggle with breaking down a novel into units like chapters may enjoy writing a synopsis because it feels more like telling a story. One advantage of the synopsis is that it can feel more informal than the traditional approach. In fact, you might even significantly rearrange your structure once you’re done. This differs from a traditional outline in that you are not worrying too much about chapter breaks. In a synopsis, you write out the whole plot of your novel, condensed. Summarize the main events of each chapter in two to three sentences per chapter. Once you’ve decided how you will organise your plot summary, write a summary of what will happen in each chapter. You can even create folders labelled for each chapter, in which you can store individual scene summaries or visual inspiration. You can take a notebook and give each page its own chapter heading, or you can write each chapter on an index card. One strength of the traditional approach is its flexibility. To begin, divide your plan for your novel into sections. The traditional approach to writing an outline is not as rigid as some other models. Choose a helpful outlining method that suits your personal writing preferences: How to outline a novel: 7 methods The traditional approach

These seven ways to write a story outline appeal to different writing strengths. You’ve possibly been told many times to outline your book, but perhaps not how to create a plot outline.

The joy of creation story mode plot