This ultimate insider’s guide reveals the secrets that none dare admit, told by a show biz veteran who’s proven that you can sell your script if you can save the cat!
I’m in the middle of re-reading this book now as I’m plotting my next novel (and plan to finish it over Thanksgiving weekend). It’s so massively helpful. Save the Cat is technically a book on screenwriting, but the principles translate well to novel writing. The first two sections provided a much-needed reminder that I should finalize the “logline” and pitch BEFORE attempting to outline. But the most valuable chapter for me is “Beat it Out,” in which Blake deconstructs the 15 beats an engaging story should have. While I prefer the plots of my novels to organically progress — I usually don’t follow his “Beat Sheat” beat-for-beat — it helps you know approximately where in a story major or minor disturbances should ideally happen. I highly recommend this one to any other writers out there!
Author
jessiecampbell
3 years ago
The only writing craft book I’ve ever stayed up late to finish. Brilliant.
Author
nancygwest
3 years ago
I just finished this book on writing screenplays. I write Aggie Mundeen mysteries and will proably never write a screenplay (although I’m working on a stand-a-lone.) But it’s nice to see how the pros look at stories for movies/TV and evaluate them for production. Snyder talks about a lot of movies we’ve seen. Interesting! Hollywood lingo, too.
Author
emmylaybourne
3 years ago
This is a terrific book on screenwriting story structure. Many novelists use it, including myself. It’s also very witty! Anyone working with narrative will see wisdom here.
Author
nicoleburnham
3 years ago
I’m often asked which books I recommend for aspiring writers (or even longtime writers who wish to shake up their thought process.) This is a fantastic , approachable primer on plotting an engaging story. It’s the first book I suggest to writers hoping to raise their game.
Author
roniloren
3 years ago
The writing book I still use for every book I write. This one was a game changer for me.
Author
erinbevan
3 years ago
If anyone wants to learn about screenplays or how to write a novel better, this is your book! I learned so much, and I can’t wait to put the knowledge to practice in future endeavors.
Author
angelikakoch
3 years ago
This was a really good book to read if you are trying to understand the ins and outs to writing screen plays.
Author
arthurmdoweyko
3 years ago
Very good primer on how a screenplay should be written.
Author
robingregory
3 years ago
If you want to learn about screenwriting, this is highly informative, well-written, and complete place to start.
Author
sarahloudinthomas
3 years ago
While I write novels rather than screenplays this book is HUGELY helpful in the plotting and rewriting process. It’s the three-act structure at its core, but with so much more woven in. If you’re a storyteller of any kind, go read this book!
Author
assaphmehr
3 years ago
I came at this book from a novel-writing perspective. Learning different perspectives is always very beneficial for one’s core domain.
I’ll say that Snyder advice is solid for any form of storytelling, not just in movies. While the book is obviously focused on screenwriting for Hollywood, most of the advice is about creating a great emotional experience for the reader/viewer. Snyder is looking very much into what forms of stories and storytelling work — and that approach is applicable to any forms of storytelling.
Whether you want to write better stories, this is an excellent book. From ‘loglines’ (the movie equivalent of subtitles and blurbs), to story archetypes (not genres, but commonalities between story types — even across what might appear unlikely initially), to sympathetic characters, to conflict and emotional arc, and on, Snyder’s words are for the most part applicable to any medium of storytelling. He presents ‘rules’ as shorthand for do’s and don’ts that have proven impact. It’s always advisable to understand the common narrative and why it works before (or if) you plan to challenge and break it.
A lot of the detractors seem to focus on two aspects of the novel — the ‘Save the Cat’ scenes to make the hero likeable, and the ‘Beat Sheet’ that lists emotional highs and lows at particular points of the story. One, there is nothing wrong with an approachable protagonist (and a lot of right to it), and, Two, I think the twists and turns of the beat sheet and its rhythm make a lot of sense. While you may stretch or shorten or twist certain aspect, your goal as a storyteller is to make readers connect emotionally with the characters and their story. Snyder’s Beat Sheet is a helpful tool in ensuring that your story doesn’t meander or comes flat — and who wants that?
I’d highly recommend this novel to any writer, whether novelist of playwright, who’s interested in reaching readers (and make no mistake — there is no glory in being an unappreciated artist; success as an author lies in reaching and impacting people, and selling and marketing your novel is a necessary step for this).
—
Assaph Mehr, author of Murder In Absentia: A story of Togas, Daggers, and Magic – for lovers of Ancient Rome, Murder Mysteries, and Urban Fantasy.
Author
jloakley
3 years ago
Really helps with story structure.
Author
lorainenunley
3 years ago
This is going on my keeper shelf. I am going to apply this advice to my novel writing. There is so much good advice here.
By blakesnyder
I’m in the middle of re-reading this book now as I’m plotting my next novel (and plan to finish it over Thanksgiving weekend). It’s so massively helpful. Save the Cat is technically a book on screenwriting, but the principles translate well to novel writing. The first two sections provided a much-needed reminder that I should finalize the “logline” and pitch BEFORE attempting to outline. But the most valuable chapter for me is “Beat it Out,” in which Blake deconstructs the 15 beats an engaging story should have. While I prefer the plots of my novels to organically progress — I usually don’t follow his “Beat Sheat” beat-for-beat — it helps you know approximately where in a story major or minor disturbances should ideally happen. I highly recommend this one to any other writers out there!
The only writing craft book I’ve ever stayed up late to finish. Brilliant.
I just finished this book on writing screenplays. I write Aggie Mundeen mysteries and will proably never write a screenplay (although I’m working on a stand-a-lone.) But it’s nice to see how the pros look at stories for movies/TV and evaluate them for production. Snyder talks about a lot of movies we’ve seen. Interesting! Hollywood lingo, too.
This is a terrific book on screenwriting story structure. Many novelists use it, including myself. It’s also very witty! Anyone working with narrative will see wisdom here.
I’m often asked which books I recommend for aspiring writers (or even longtime writers who wish to shake up their thought process.) This is a fantastic , approachable primer on plotting an engaging story. It’s the first book I suggest to writers hoping to raise their game.
The writing book I still use for every book I write. This one was a game changer for me.
If anyone wants to learn about screenplays or how to write a novel better, this is your book! I learned so much, and I can’t wait to put the knowledge to practice in future endeavors.
This was a really good book to read if you are trying to understand the ins and outs to writing screen plays.
Very good primer on how a screenplay should be written.
If you want to learn about screenwriting, this is highly informative, well-written, and complete place to start.
While I write novels rather than screenplays this book is HUGELY helpful in the plotting and rewriting process. It’s the three-act structure at its core, but with so much more woven in. If you’re a storyteller of any kind, go read this book!
I came at this book from a novel-writing perspective. Learning different perspectives is always very beneficial for one’s core domain.
I’ll say that Snyder advice is solid for any form of storytelling, not just in movies. While the book is obviously focused on screenwriting for Hollywood, most of the advice is about creating a great emotional experience for the reader/viewer. Snyder is looking very much into what forms of stories and storytelling work — and that approach is applicable to any forms of storytelling.
Whether you want to write better stories, this is an excellent book. From ‘loglines’ (the movie equivalent of subtitles and blurbs), to story archetypes (not genres, but commonalities between story types — even across what might appear unlikely initially), to sympathetic characters, to conflict and emotional arc, and on, Snyder’s words are for the most part applicable to any medium of storytelling. He presents ‘rules’ as shorthand for do’s and don’ts that have proven impact. It’s always advisable to understand the common narrative and why it works before (or if) you plan to challenge and break it.
A lot of the detractors seem to focus on two aspects of the novel — the ‘Save the Cat’ scenes to make the hero likeable, and the ‘Beat Sheet’ that lists emotional highs and lows at particular points of the story. One, there is nothing wrong with an approachable protagonist (and a lot of right to it), and, Two, I think the twists and turns of the beat sheet and its rhythm make a lot of sense. While you may stretch or shorten or twist certain aspect, your goal as a storyteller is to make readers connect emotionally with the characters and their story. Snyder’s Beat Sheet is a helpful tool in ensuring that your story doesn’t meander or comes flat — and who wants that?
I’d highly recommend this novel to any writer, whether novelist of playwright, who’s interested in reaching readers (and make no mistake — there is no glory in being an unappreciated artist; success as an author lies in reaching and impacting people, and selling and marketing your novel is a necessary step for this).
—
Assaph Mehr, author of Murder In Absentia: A story of Togas, Daggers, and Magic – for lovers of Ancient Rome, Murder Mysteries, and Urban Fantasy.
Really helps with story structure.
This is going on my keeper shelf. I am going to apply this advice to my novel writing. There is so much good advice here.