Snowflake Method: Randy Ingermanson's 10 steps, pre-loaded into Extypis.
From the fifteen-word summary to the finished manuscript, in ten successive layers. Each step expands the previous one without betraying it: sentence, paragraph, character sheets, synopsis, scene table, outline, first draft, rewrite. You never lose your way, because you always know what to write next.
Structure
The 10 Snowflake steps pre-loaded as a canvas, in the exact order Randy Ingermanson defined.
The Snowflake Method runs on ten successive steps — provided you have them all at hand.
Fifteen-word sentence, five-sentence paragraph (set-up, three disasters, resolution), one-page sheet per major character, one-page synopsis, detailed character sheets, four-page synopsis, scene table, scene-by-scene outline, first draft, rewrite. Each step lives in its own document, linked to the next.
From the fifteen-word sentence to the finished manuscript, in ten layers.
Build layer after layer, expand each step faithfully, keep the Snowflake consultable while writing, ship a manuscript ready to go — without losing your way along the way.
The Snowflake Method promises rare consistency — provided you have the right tooling.
Reading Ingermanson in his book Advanced Fiction Writing is one thing. Keeping the ten steps alive over six months is another, especially without software designed for the Snowflake.
Three promises, atop the Snowflake's ten layers.
Pre-load Ingermanson's ten steps, expand each layer faithfully toward the next, ship a manuscript ready to go — publisher, contest, self-publishing.
Ingermanson's skeleton, ready to use.
15-word sentence, 5-sentence paragraph, character sheets, 1-page synopsis, detailed sheets, 4-page synopsis, scene table, outline, first draft, rewrite. All pre-loaded, all linked.
Expand each layer without betraying the previous.
The AI reads the current layer, proposes a faithful expansion toward the next. You accept. The fractal holds — from the fifteen-word summary up to the four-page synopsis.
From finished manuscript to submission format, no patch-up.
Publisher-spec DOCX, EPUB for beta reads, book-quality PDF for Kindle self-publishing. Title page with contact info, ISBN if self-publishing, optional dedication.
Give your project a real reading address.
Once the text is ready, you don't have to leave Extypis to find your first readers. Publish in one click on the public catalog and give your book a clean, readable, shareable page.
Published directly on Extypis — no fees, no middleman.
Publishing opens a dedicated page for your project: cover, title page, chapters, table of contents. The content is frozen at publication, so your readers always see a stable version while you keep working. You decide when to push a new version.
A reading page for each project
Customizable URL, title page, cover, table of contents and chapter-by-chapter navigation.
A catalog that helps readers find your book
Your project can appear in the public catalog, categories, subcategories and trending page — or stay accessible only through the direct link.
Readers who can actually react
Readers can comment chapter by chapter, mention a specific paragraph, and you get notified for every feedback.
A stable version without breaking your work
The text is frozen at publication time. You keep writing on your side, then decide when to push an update.
Everything Extypis unlocks for you
Hold your story, from outline to final page.
Narrative tools you won't find elsewhere — turn a tangle of ideas into a structure that holds.
AI that suggests, never replaces
The AI permanently sees your whole project — outline, sheets, scenes already written. Every rewrite, every completion, every suggestion, every cover stays consistent with your entire work, and at no extra cost or setup. You approve every word.
Estimates if you only use this feature. Credits are shared across every AI tool.
Daily writing comfort
Everything that makes long-form writing sustainable: shortcuts, templates, anchored notes, versions, goals.
Ship a book, not a file.
From manuscript to finished book: professional exports, academic citations, direct publishing.
Analyse and refine your prose
Style tools that go beyond the spell-checker: readability, poetic meter, repetitions, connectors, passive voice.
Lifetime updates
Every future Extypis innovation included, no extra cost, no paywall.
Backing an indie project
Extypis is an independent, self-funded project — no ads, no venture capital.
Human support
Got a question? You talk directly to the creator, never a chatbot.
Free to begin, even to finish. Serious when you need to go deeper.
The work of structuring and writing is entirely yours. The subscription gives you a thoughtful co-pilot, an occasional co-author, and an objective reader drawn from your target audience.
Frequent questions about the Snowflake Method.
How long does the Snowflake Method take before you start writing ?
Plan two to six weeks of pre-writing, depending on the novel's complexity and your pace. Layers 1 to 3 (sentence, paragraph, character sheets) take a few days. Layers 4 and 6 (1-page then 4-page synopsis) demand more time. Layer 7 (scene table) can take a week for an 80-scene novel. It's long — but Randy Ingermanson estimates that this time pays back fivefold during writing, because you never write blind. Extypis's AI noticeably shortens the expansion layers.
Does the Snowflake suit pantsers (improvisers) ?
Not really, and that's by design. The Snowflake Method is the archetype of plotter writing (architect): everything is planned layer by layer before the manuscript's first word. If you're a pure pantser, Extypis lets you write in free-form mode — but the Snowflake isn't your method. Many writers are actually plantsers (hybrids): they do Snowflake layers 1 to 3, then improvise the rest. Extypis supports every profile.
What's the difference between the Snowflake Method and Save the Cat ?
Save the Cat is a fixed grid of fifteen beats (Opening Image, Theme Stated, Catalyst, Debate, Break Into Two, Fun and Games, Midpoint, Bad Guys Close In, All Is Lost, Dark Night of the Soul, Break Into Three, Finale, Final Image) you fill by placing your story's events. The Snowflake builds the story through successive layers without ever imposing prefabricated beats: you expand from general to detail. Save the Cat says « here are the fifteen moments to hit ». The Snowflake says « here's how to build your novel, your way, in ten increasingly precise steps ». Both methods are complementary — many authors use the Snowflake for global structure and Save the Cat as a verification grid.
Does Extypis really pre-load Ingermanson's 10 steps ?
Yes, that's the Snowflake canvas. When creating a project, you pick that narrative plan and the ten steps appear as distinct sections immediately: fifteen-word sentence, five-sentence paragraph, one-page character sheets, one-page synopsis, detailed character sheets, four-page synopsis, scene table, scene-by-scene outline, first draft, rewrite. Each step is editable, consultable from anywhere in the project, linked to the others. You can also start with a free outline if your version of the Snowflake differs slightly from Randy Ingermanson's canonical form.
Does the Snowflake suit romance, fantasy or YA ?
Absolutely — that's actually a strength. Ingermanson designed the Snowflake as a universal method: it works equally well for thriller, romance, fantasy, science fiction, YA, contemporary. Layer 1 (fifteen-word sentence) stays the same regardless of genre. For romance, the scene table (layer 7) naturally integrates emotional beats. For fantasy, detailed character sheets (layer 5) host the world-building. The Snowflake is a frame — you fill it with your genre's content.
Can I do 7 Snowflake steps and improvise the rest ?
Yes, and many authors do exactly that. Layers 1 to 7 (from the fifteen-word sentence to the scene table) are the architectural phase. Once the scene table is in place, some authors skip the scene-by-scene outline (layer 8) and dive straight into the first draft (layer 9), keeping the table as a compass. Extypis forces nothing on you — every step is optional, you keep or drop the ones that serve you. The Snowflake's discipline lies in its order, not in its exhaustiveness.
What does « Extypis » mean ?
« Ex typis » is a Latin formula that appeared on the frontispieces of printed books from the 16th to 18th centuries, right before the printer's name — literally « from the presses of… ». The word derives from the Greek τύπος (typos): imprint, model, mark left behind. That's exactly the lineage we claim: a digital workshop that prepares your manuscripts in the great European typographic tradition, until they're worthy of being printed.
I built the writing app I'd always wished for.
Having finished a novel after several attempts, and built up years of poetry — kept right here, on Extypis — I saw firsthand how many writing blocks are really method problems, easy to move past once you give yourself the right tools. The Snowflake Method is one of the most demanding, and one of the most effective — provided you have a tool that carries it. If you write seriously, Extypis is for you too.