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Save the cat!
216 pages
A fast-talking, highly pragmatic Hollywood mentor hands you the ultimate cheat sheet for making your story work.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like grabbing coffee with a fast-talking, deeply pragmatic Hollywood insider who is determined to see you succeed. The atmosphere is highly energetic and relentlessly encouraging, stripping away the mystical aura of the writing process to reveal the sturdy, mechanical bones of a good story. It moves at a brisk, punchy pace, delivering its insights with a wry, conversational tone that never takes itself too seriously but treats the craft of commercial storytelling with absolute respect. You aren't meant to linger over beautiful prose here; instead, you are propelled forward by a sudden, urgent desire to grab a stack of index cards and start plotting. It is a deeply motivating experience, transforming the daunting chaos of a blank page into a manageable, exciting puzzle waiting to be solved.
- Mood
- energetic
- motivational
- structured
- insider-y
- Tone
- candid
- funny
- pragmatic
- encouraging
- irreverent
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- creative demystification · the mechanics of storytelling · commercial viability · audience connection
- The writing
- Conversational, punchy, and jargon-free, reading more like a pep talk from a seasoned Hollywood mentor than an academic textbook.
- The arc
- Moves from the overwhelming chaos of a blank page to the empowering clarity of a structured, marketable plan.
- Who it's for
- Aspiring screenwriters, novelists, and storytellers who want a no-nonsense, highly structured blueprint for crafting narratives that sell.
About the book
Here’s what started the phenomenon: the best seller, for over 15 years, that’s been used by screenwriters around the world! Blake Snyder tells all in this fast, funny and candid look inside the movie business. “Save the Cat” is just one of many ironclad rules for making your ideas more marketable and your script more satisfying, including: The four elements of every winning logline The seven immutable laws of screenplay physics The 10 genres that every movie ever made can be categorized by ― and why they’re important to your script Why your Hero must serve your Idea Mastering the 15 Beats Creating the “Perfect Beast” by using The Board to map 40 scenes with conflict and emotional change How to get back on track with proven rules for script repair This ultimate insider’s guide reveals the secrets that none dare admit, told by a showbiz veteran who’s proven that you can sell your script if you can save the cat.
Source title: Save the Cat: The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need
Description from Open Library.
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