In the ever-evolving landscape of creative writing, the marriage between traditional outlining techniques and cutting-edge AI technology has opened new doors for authors seeking to craft compelling narratives. As a writer who has experimented with various approaches, I've found remarkable success with what I call "Discovery Outlining with AI and the Snowflake Method." This approach has transformed my writing process, making it more efficient, cohesive, and—surprisingly—more creative. In this post, I'll share my experiences and provide a comprehensive guide to implementing this method in your own writing journey.
As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, I'm a huge fan of outlining my stories to avoid any surprises that may arise. Recently I combined different story structures with the snowflake method and had a lot of fun. This post will introduce you to my workflow and how I will outline all my future books.
Before diving into how AI enhances this process, let's briefly recap the traditional Snowflake Method developed by Randy Ingermanson. The method derives its name from the way a complex snowflake pattern emerges from simple elements that grow in complexity through iteration.
In writing terms, you start with a simple premise and systematically expand it into a full-fledged novel through these steps:
The beauty of the Snowflake Method lies in its iterative nature—each step builds upon the previous, gradually adding complexity while maintaining the core essence of your story.
AI tools have transformed how I approach the Snowflake Method. Rather than viewing AI as a replacement for human creativity, I use it as a collaborative partner that helps me explore possibilities, overcome creative blocks, and maintain consistency across my narrative elements.
Here's how I integrate AI into each phase of the Snowflake Method:
I begin with my core concept and world elements. For example, in my recent trilogy, I shared with my AI assistant:
Then, I collaborate with the AI to craft a compelling single-sentence summary. The AI helps refine my wording and sometimes suggests interesting angles I hadn't considered. For instance, what began as "A story about a healer in a divided continent" evolved through AI suggestions into "An outcast healer discovers a forgotten magic that could either unite the warring tribes of Elthar or destroy the delicate balance that prevents ancient horrors from returning."
This is where the AI truly begins to shine. I prompt the AI to help me expand my single sentence into a five-sentence paragraph following the classic structure:
The AI generates several options, and I select elements that resonate with my vision, often mixing and matching from different suggestions or requesting targeted revisions until the paragraph feels right.
Character development becomes a dynamic conversation between myself and the AI. I provide the basic concept for each character, and the AI helps fill out:
What I find particularly valuable is how the AI can quickly generate variations on character traits or suggest relationships between characters I hadn't considered. For example, when developing a tribal warrior character, the AI suggested a conflicted relationship with traditional magic that added wonderful complexity to his interactions with the protagonist.
Working from our paragraph summary, I ask the AI to help expand each sentence into its own paragraph, creating a one-page synopsis. This becomes an iterative process where I provide feedback, ask questions, and request alternatives for plot points that don't quite fit my vision.
The AI excels at maintaining consistency between world elements I've established and the unfolding plot. It often flags potential issues: "Given the magical constraints you established, would Character X realistically be able to do this?"
As the plot takes shape, characters require more depth. I use AI to develop character sheets that include:
The AI helps ensure character growth aligns with plot developments. For instance, when my protagonist needed to make a pivotal decision in act two, the AI helped me trace how her experiences in act one would influence this choice, maintaining psychological realism.
This phase transforms the synopsis into a detailed scene-by-scene outline. I've found tremendous value in using AI to:
For my four-chapter short story, this resulted in about 40 scene beats. For my trilogy, each book had approximately 240 scene beats for each of the 24 chapters, giving me a comprehensive roadmap without constraining my creativity during the drafting stage.
The final phase before drafting involves expanding key scenes with greater detail. I prompt the AI to help flesh out:
This creates a robust framework that makes the first draft process significantly smoother while still leaving room for discovery and inspiration during the actual writing.
After using this method for projects ranging from short stories to a full trilogy, I've identified several key advantages:
Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of this approach is its scalability. The same fundamental process works whether you're planning a 5,000-word short story or a 300,000-word trilogy. The difference lies merely in the depth and breadth of each expansion phase.
For my short story, character development was concise but sufficient. For my trilogy, the AI helped me develop intricate character arcs that evolved naturally across all three books, with foreshadowing elements planted in book one that would bear fruit in book three.
By front-loading my world-building elements and having the AI reference them throughout the outlining process, I've eliminated many of the consistency errors that plagued my earlier works. The magic system, tribal cultures, and geographical constraints remain consistent throughout, as the AI helps track these details across the expanding outline.
One of the most powerful aspects of this method is how it develops character and plot in tandem. Rather than developing characters in isolation and then forcing them into plot requirements, the AI helps ensure that character motivations drive plot developments and plot events shape character evolution in an organic way.
Despite having a detailed outline, I never feel constrained. The outline serves as a flexible framework rather than a rigid template. During drafting, if I discover a more compelling direction, I can easily circle back to the AI with my new idea and quickly regenerate the affected portions of the outline.
When I hit a creative wall—perhaps unsure how to connect two plot points or resolve a character dilemma—the AI offers alternatives I might not have considered. This doesn't replace my creativity but rather stimulates it, often inspiring solutions that are entirely my own but that I might not have reached without the prompt.
Despite the many advantages, integrating AI into your outlining process isn't without challenges. Here are some issues I've encountered and how I've addressed them:
Solution: Be specific in your prompts. Instead of asking "What happens next?", try "Given Character X's fear of water established earlier and the tribal beliefs about river spirits, how might she react when forced to cross the forbidden river to save her companion?"
Solution: Use the AI for structural elements and ideas, but put these suggestions through your own creative filter. I often take AI suggestions and rewrite them completely in my own voice and style.
Solution: Explicitly include your thematic intentions and cultural nuances in your prompts. For example: "In this world, I want to explore themes of technological ethics through the lens of a society that has rejected certain magical practices due to historical trauma. How might this affect the next scene where..."
Solution: Pace yourself. You don't need to complete the entire process in one sitting. I typically spread this process over several sessions, focusing on different aspects each time and allowing my subconscious to process between sessions.
If you're interested in trying this method, here are some practical tips to get started:
While there are many AI writing assistants available, look for one that:
Develop templates for each phase of the Snowflake Method. For example, my character development template includes:
Based on our story about [brief story summary], help me develop the character of [character name], who is a [brief character concept].
Please include:
- Background aligned with the [specific world element]
- Connections to other characters, especially [existing character]
- How their personal goals align or conflict with the main plot
- Key strengths and flaws
- Potential character arc across the storyAs you develop your outline, compile all elements into a searchable story bible document. This becomes invaluable as your story grows in complexity, and you can share relevant sections with the AI when working on specific elements.
Don't settle for the first AI suggestion. Provide feedback, ask for alternatives, and engage in a genuine back-and-forth. Something like: "I like the conflict you've suggested, but it feels too similar to what happened in chapter 3. Can we develop something that contrasts with that earlier conflict while still challenging the protagonist's fear of abandonment?"
I often ask the AI to help me create visual representations of my outline—timeline diagrams, character relationship webs, emotion arcs, etc. These visual tools provide new perspectives on my story structure and often reveal opportunities for improvement.
Discovery Outlining with AI and the Snowflake Method represents not just a practical technique but a new philosophy of creative collaboration. It acknowledges that creativity doesn't occur in a vacuum—we've always drawn inspiration from other sources, whether books, conversations, or life experiences. AI simply becomes another collaborator in this process, albeit one with unique capabilities.
What makes this approach particularly powerful is how it bridges the gap between structured outlining and discovery writing. The iterative nature of the Snowflake Method, enhanced by AI's ability to generate variations and maintain consistency, creates a dynamic space where structure and spontaneity coexist.
As AI technology continues to evolve, I anticipate even more sophisticated forms of creative collaboration. Yet the fundamental principle will remain the same: the human author remains the creative visionary and final arbiter, while AI serves as a tireless brainstorming partner, consistency checker, and alternative generator.
For writers struggling to find their perfect process, I highly recommend experimenting with this approach. Start small—perhaps with a short story—and see how the method works for you. Adapt it to your own creative style and needs. You may find, as I have, that it transforms not just your outlining process but your entire relationship with your stories.
Happy writing, and may your snowflakes grow into beautiful, intricate stories that capture exactly what you want to express.