The following email I sent one of my CPs last week should explain how I feel about the writerly book I’m discussing this week:
OMG! I love SAVE THE CAT!!!!
I finished doing my index cards yesterday (STC style) for Sit D, and wrote the one line sentences for the 15 beats according to STC (actually it was only 12 since 3 didn't apply). OMG! With a few points elaborated on for detail, my synopsis is pretty much written. :D
Yep! Best book ever written.
I've also been doing some other analyzes on plot/characterization based on suggestions in the book. Wow, it's awesome. I'm already seeing how I can take Sit D to the next level.
Did I mention I love the book? :D
(note: Sit D = my WIP, Shot in the Dark)
Save the Cat, by Blake Snyder, is actually a book written for screenwriters, but after the hype by some of my writer friends, I had to check it out.
I’ve been working through Save the Cat backwards because I’ve already written the first draft of my WIP. The book talks you through the preplanning and outlining (so to speak) of your screen play novel. It then explains how things that can go wrong and how to prevent or fix these issues. This is similar to Emotional Structure: Creating the Story Behind the Plot, which I discussed a few weeks ago. However, they are two very different books. (I’m using both right now for Sit D. Emotional Structure fits its format perfectly since Sit D has a co-protagonist.)
In Save the Cat, Blake talks about the logline, killer titles, and the hero. He then explains the fifteen beats of the screenplay (Save the Cat style):
- Opening Image
- Theme Stated
- Set-up
- Catalyst
- Debate
- Break into Two
- B Story
- Fun and Games
- Midpoint
- Bad Guys Close In
- All Is Lost
- Dark Night of the Soul
- Break into Three
- Finale
- Final Image
He also explains where each should fall in the screenplay, which is typically only 110 pages. This part I didn’t find too helpful, but it did give me a basic idea where they should come in a novel.
After you create your logline, you’ll write one or two sentences for each beat, then expand the whole thing into 40 scenes on 40 separate index cards (again, not necessarily true for novels).
In my case, I did the index card exercise (which included the emotional arc and conflict for each scene, as explained by Blake), organized them into piles according to the beats, then wrote the one or two sentences. And viola, my book fit perfectly into this structure, and I was able to identify some weaknesses as mentioned in the chapter, "The Immutable Laws of Screenplay Physics". Brilliant, huh? On top of this, I realized my one-page synopsis is pretty much written (other than a few details that need to be added or expanded on).
And now I understand why so many fiction writers are excited by the book. Unfortunately, Blake died unexpectantly in 2009 at 52 years old, but he does have to sequels out, one of which I might check out one day soon.