Save the Cat! Writes a Novel: The Last Book On Novel Writing You'll Ever Need Paperback – October 9, 2018

This is, by far, the most phenomenal instructional/teaching/reference work I've ever read. Period.Oh, should I say a LITTLE BIT more? Sorry!I have written short stories, song lyrics, and various types of marketing content and blog articles over the last 20+ years, but I've never attempted a novel before this year. When I was set upon by a story idea that would require not only a book, but several books in which to be told, I quickly found myself--a life-long and devout pantser!--scrambling to figure out how to outline a novel. (I was too overwhelmed by the size of the story and the alien process of writing a book to even consider pantsing.)I read a bunch of articles online and had just convinced myself I'd created a custom, patchwork solution that would work for me, when a friend on Twitter stepped forward to recommend this book, Save the Cat! Writes a Novel. My first thought was probably: Weird title! But I read the description, ordered it immediately, and then began feeling a steadily growing sense of confidence from page one on.This book provides incredible informational value on every page--and, if you don't believe me, I'd be happy to send you my bill for highlighters! It is the perfect book for anyone from novice novelist to experienced author with multiple books under their belts already.And I want to underscore the fact that this isn't JUST for plotters. Although my goal is to handle the series that I'm writing as though I were a full-on plotter, I can tell from many years of writing by the seat of my pants that the framework for storytelling provided in this text could easily and readily be used by pantsers who get stuck at various points along the process, or who find their passion for the story dwindling in the middle of the book and need some emergency fuel to get them across the finish line.Rather than get into all the elements that this book covers, I'll just say, with certainty, that it covers what you need to know. It covered all my questions and there was plenty left over that didn't apply to me. And yet it's written so well that I read practically every word, even when it didn't apply to me.In summary: buy this book ASAP! You'll be so happy you did.

Wowza! This book should be required reading for any aspiring author. Brody adapted this from Blake Snyder's Save the Cat book about screenwriting after intensely comparing countless books across genres and time to Snyder's beat sheet.I really took my time with this book, studying each beat and Save-the-Cat story genre, and I feel like I have learned so much—it's like a creative writing class within the pages of a book. I will likely read this many more times over to really hone in on the nuances of it all so I can use it in my book coaching and editorial services to guide authors toward writing a truly compelling novel, regardless of genre!As a bonus at the end of the book, Brody advises how to create a logline and blurb from your Save the Cat beat sheet, as well as covers a variety of FAQs including how to get started, how to create a visual representation of this beat sheet, what to do if you have multiple protagonists, what to do with an unlikable protagonist (the novel's namesake), and how to handle writer's block. She also candidly shares a before-and-after beat sheet from one of her own novels to show how it can change as you develop your book and improve your ideas and plot points.Whether you are a plotter or a pantser, if you are writing a book or want to write a book, buy this one first!

This book is based on “Save the Cat Goes to the Movies” by Blake Snyder, which is based on “Screenplay” by Syd Field.Both of those books do a good job of laying out the basic structure of how to plot your novel. Both of those books are also a little light on filling in some of the grey areas on which that structure is based.They get you close to understanding their plotting technique, but don’t get you all the way across the finish line.If you have “Save the Cat Goes to the Movies” you may not need this book—it is very similar to Blake Snyder’s book.If you have “Save the Cat Goes to the Movies” and are still unsure about how to utilize Blake Snyder’s beat sheet to full effect—then you may be interested in what Jessica Brody does with the topic and may find it useful for filling in those grey areas.If you haven’t yet purchased either, then “Save the Cat Writes a Novel” by Jessica Brody is the book to get.At first I was annoyed when I purchased this book (e-book version) and flipped through it. It looked exactly the same as “Save the Cat Goes to the Movies”. The list of genres is exactly the same—just in a different order.But when I turned to the beat sheet section, is when I discovered that “Save the Cat Writes a Novel” is worth the price of admission.Brody does an excellent job of breaking down the purpose of each of the beats, rather than giving a vague definition that will still leave you confused. She explains in detail, gives examples, and introduces new ideas that provide both clarity and new understanding of plotting—especially to the function and purpose of the midpoint of the story.If you’ve had difficulty plotting and the other books on the subject just didn’t quite get you to where you needed to be, give “Save the Cat Writes a Novel” a chance. Jessica Brody will likely help you understand just how to plot that novel you’ve been working on.