I've read literally hundreds of writing guidebooks and this is the most practical I've ever seen. I've seen books that literally say, "Here's how to write a plot. Put your character in a tree, throw rocks at the character, have the character get back down." That's a nice analogy but how you're supposed to apply it to a romance or a science fiction story or a courtroom drama? Snyder gives real advice that writers can apply right away.
This book is best known for its discussion of what is known as "beats." Snyder created a basic formula of elements that will fit almost every story out there to tell. He even breaks the beats down to what page number they should appear in the screenplay which has lent itself to a spreadsheet called the "beat sheet" that has become essential in modern Hollywood. The beats have also been applied to TV shows, novels and other forms of fiction. There's been a lot of the criticism of the beats as being formulaic, but it's really just a system that fits story arcs going back to ancient mythology. Almost any story is going to have a midpoint where there are highs or lows and "bad guys closing in."
Beyond the beat sheet, there are also tips like writing young characters to reach the widest audience, using distraction to gloss over exposition, and not making the story too complicated. I thought Snyder's advice was very practical and could be applied right away, but is something I've never seen in print, so it's welcome.
Yes, this book isn't for people who want to write metaphorical or metaphysical drama that explores the human condition. If you want to write a movie or novel that will sell to a small and limited audience, this isn't the book for you. If you want a book that will tell you how to write blockbuster stories for the biggest audience, I can't think of a better one.
Save the Cat!: The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need
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Customer reviews
If you’ve been writing fiction for any length of time, you’ve probably heard about Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat series of books. They’re books that were originally written to help screenwriters improve their craft, but became quite popular among writers of many creative disciplines because they provide a very accurate, concise, and some would even say easy plot model. As you know, constructing a plot from nothing can be difficult. These books, especially the first one, provide a way to do so without inducing paralyzing anxiety. I dare say that they’re a necessity for every writer who wants to get published.What’s In Save the Cat?A tabby cat dangling from a rope, with the words "Save the Cat: the Last Book on Screenwriting That You'll Ever Need" above it.In Save the Cat: The Last Book on Screenwriting That You’ll Ever Need, Snyder describes 15 “beats” or benchmarks that every plot needs to have, no matter the medium it’s displayed in. Whether words or moving pictures are used to tell a story, it should always start with an opening image and progress throughTheme StatedSet-upCatalystDebateBreak Into TwoB StoryFun and GamesMidpointBad Guys Close InAll is LostDark Night of the SoulBreak Into ThreeFinaleFinal ImageAll of these benchmarks—aptly described in the book—should lend themselves towards showing the main character doing something, being proactive. This could mean saving a cat, going with Hagrid to Hogwarts and leaving a known life behind, or undergoing a makeover to become an undercover beauty queen. It’s the essence that defines who the hero is and makes the reader like him or her.Who Would Like Save the Cat, And Why?As mentioned, anyone who’s serious about writing The Greatest Book of All Time. It’s designed, Snyder says, primarily for writers who intend to pitch/query agents in mainstream movie-making and publishing. I think that’s because it’s based on the premise that you’ll use one- to two-sentence descriptions of each of those beats to pitch to agents. Although there are many, many plot models out there—three-act structure, hero’s journey, dramatica, etc.—this is the one I’ve found to be the easiest and smoothest. It’s a compromise between totally outlining and just “pantsing” it: enough structure (and the right kind of it) to get your story started, but not so much that it overwhelms your creativity before you even start writing a book. It’s also very helpful in showing the main character proactively progressing through the book’s plot, not just reacting to various crises.Find the full review of this book, as well as many other writerly advice posts, at HeadOverTales.com.
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Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2018
Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2018
All exceptions to rules require knowing the rules and Snyder present those rules in a solid, well done, interesting way
Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2018Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2019
Top reviews from other countries
John
One of the best books on creating a story that I have read so far.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 17, 2018Procrastinating Pete
An alternative pet based title could be 'The Dogs Boll*cks"
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 19, 2018
Procrastinating Pete
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 19, 2018
Beat sheet adds the structure to your screenplays. I now have 3 boards 90 cm x 55 cm hung on doors to use for screenwriting.
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Wood Gnome
Screenwriters need this on their bookshelf
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 20, 2017lovemeslender
Check the edition date
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 24, 2022
lovemeslender
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 24, 2022
Being so old, a lot of the films that are mentioned as recent are obviously a bit out of date, as is all the talk of checking newspapers for movie listings etc. I bought this as I already had a copy of ‘save the cat writes a novel’ but as I’m studying screenwriting as part of an MA, I thought I should get this too. It’s not particularly well written or succinct - there are quite a few typos. Having said that, Blake knows his stuff and does impart it in a long winded way. Personally, I found the outdated references really off putting & the games for coming up with ideas were very basic and again felt like they needed a re write. But all the infamous ‘beats’ are here!
Having read a few screenwriting books recently I think there are better books out there, notably John Yorke’s Into the Woods. Or Trottier’s screen writing bible covers all the screenwriting how to books in one with minimal waffle (just ignore the hideous cover. Even though it looks super 1990s, it’s a 2019 edition).
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