@marcr #SaveTheCat is pretty much industry standard. If taken as a guideline (instead of a prescription), it's a useful lens for analyzing and planning stories. And yes, you'll find parallels between STC and Hero's Journey ... and Harmon's #StoryCircle and "How to Write a Movie in 21 Days" and even the sequence of Tarot trumps (ha!), as all of these, one way or another, are seeking to make mythic story structure more approachable. Take what works and ignore the rest!

Dear #WritingCommunity, I have a question.
I took a look at "Save the Cat! Writes a novel." and the accompanying beat sheet. To what extent is this canon or best practice?
I mean, when I compare it to a structure like the Hero's Journey, I can see how this could be mapped roughly 1:1, even though both have different focuses.

Do you know of any other proposed structures that might even contradict this?
Or can this be recommended without reservation? What are your experiences?

#savethecat

#WritingWonders 15. What unintentional behaviors / actions hurt your MC?

At the beginning of #ParallelLines, Thomas's lying is habitual ... and therefore unintentional. It's his default strategy for dealing with tension.

I worry about this a bit, because, at first Thomas can be a little unloveable for this reason. It makes his transformation more dramatic ... but there's a concern that Thomas might be hard to fall in love with when the story begins.

#SaveTheCat #amwriting #novel

#WritersOfMastodon Today has felt unusually productive for me - filled out The Board with scenes and it’s given me ideas for rewrites and new scenes as well as tweaks to existing ones. Frankly, I’m not used to this. 😱 #screenplay #SaveTheCat

@falxcerebri @allisonwyss My favorite structural rubric for all kinds of writing is #SaveTheCat, originated by Blake Snyder for screenwriting. This version has been very effective for both #novels and #memoirs:

Save the Cat! Writes a Novel: The Last Book On Novel Writing You'll Ever Need
https://a.co/d/5P53W6K

Happy to discuss if you have questions!

#WritingTip

#Structure

#SaveTheCat is my favorite structural tool. There are many others.

It’s not that these tools are magic; what I like is that someone more experienced than me thought it all through.

So if you employ one of these rubrics, you can be fairly certain that you’re considering all the elements of story, such as character arc, emotional beats, plot points, etc.

The tools make you ask the questions that can guide a structural edit.

#WritingCommunity
#AmWriting

@orionkidder
The #SaveTheCat system is not only this lady. It was originated by director Blake Snyder ("Pink Panther" movies and others), from analysis of films. This lady adapted it for writing books, now it's very common for others to make videos and write articles about it, also.

If you look closely at the 15 beats, you'll see they are actually quite distinct from one another.

@orionkidder
Here's more about the #SaveTheCat beat sheet system.

https://youtu.be/k8EfEEjbwGk

#Writing #Writer #Writers #Author #WritingCommunity

@orionkidder
I've been an editor for many years, traditional & freelance. If more than one person gave you the same feedback, you should really pay attention.

It could be that your story elements/beats are out of order, or that you have information dumps, or other plot-level issues. Did they specify anything beyond the words above? Try to figure out what exactly was hitting them as "wrong."

Have you run it through the #SaveTheCat beatsheet? That tends to help straighten up jumbled plotlines.

Had so much fun on the Save The Cat! storywriting webinar Saturday night. When I 1st discovered #savethecat, cats kept appearing out of nowhere in real life! I saw them as cosmic messengers nudging me to play with the story structure.
It’s so fun to view your own story & life lessons through the Save The Cat lens 😻
#writing
Photo description: Woman with long dark hair and glasses leans into a computer screen showing slides from a webinar on the “Save The Cat” screenwriting methodology.

#WritingTip

Have an author client who's stuck on his novel, so I gave him a little #CharacterArc homework. (Based on #SaveTheCat by Blake Snyder.)

Might be fun to ask these questions about your characters.

#WritingCommunity
#NaNoWriMo
#WritingCoach

@leonivek just MUTILATED me, again! I mean, I like dat I no longer get my #claws caught in da couch or blankets or carpet -- where I den proceed to panic and lose my shit because I feel like I'm suffocating --, but 12 years of dis "trimming my nails so I stop damaging things" #bullshit is enough, don't you tink?

#FML #SaveTheCat #CatProblems #CatsOfMastodon #Mastocats #cats

#caturday #CatOnBook #SaveTheCat

#WritingTip

I’m a big believer in the #SaveTheCat rubric devised by Blake Snyder. The fifteen beats he explained for screenwriting clarifies structure and is easy to apply.

For all you #NaNoWriMo writers out there, check out the version for novels, Jessica Brody’s Save the Cat! Writes a Novel. If you’re a #planner, this will help you think through the full story arc. If you’re a #pantser, this book is a hugely useful tool for after-the-first-draft rearrangement.

https://www.amazon.com/Save-Cat-Writes-Novel-Writing/dp/0399579745/

#WritingTip

I’m a big believer in the #SaveTheCat rubric devised by Blake Snyder. The fifteen beats he explained for screenwriting clarifies structure and is easy to apply.

For all you #NaNoWriMo writers out there, check out the version for novels, Jessica Brody’s Save the Cat! Writes a Novel. If you’re a #planner, this will help you think through the full story arc. If you’re a #pantser, this book is a hugely useful tool for after-the-first-draft rearrangement.

https://www.amazon.com/Save-Cat-Writes-Novel-Writing/dp/0399579745/

I write using the “Save the Cat” framework because it helps me structure my storytelling and keep it moving forward. Do you outline to a framework? I’m curious to hear how you plan … or if you plan. #writing #amwriting #SaveTheCat