Plotting With the Save the Cat Beat Sheet Structure

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

Since I'm still deep in revisions, and recently had an interesting discussion with a fellow author about screenplays, I thought I'd pull this favorite out of the archives. 

I love story structure, and I've studied so many different templates and concepts since I first started writing. Even if the structure isn't for me, I almost always find something useful in it I can add to my process. I think it's also important for writers to understand how story structure works so they better understand what goes into crafting a strong story.

I've discussed both the Three-Act Structure and the Hero’s Journey, and now it's time for screenwriter Blake Snyder's ever-so-popular Save the Cat Beat Sheet. (There's also Hague's Six Stage Plotting Structure and Joyce Sweeney's Plot Clock) While Snyder's format was designed for movie screenplays, writers have adapted it to the larger novel format with great success. You'll notice how this also fits into the same basic story structure as what we looked at so far.

If this structure appeals to you, I recommend buying the Save the Cat book, which goes into more detail that I can do here. (ya know, those copyright laws and everything). It's a great book to have on your shelf no matter what your process is, actually. There's also a novel version, with Save the Cat! Writes a Novel.
Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com