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Save the Cat: The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need

Blake Snyder

4.05 · Rating details · 12,466 ratings · 1,365 reviews

This ultimate insider's guide reveals the secrets that none dare admit, told by a show biz veteran who's proven that you can sell your script if you can save the cat!

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Paperback, 195 pages

Published May 25th 2005 by Michael Wiese Productions (first published 2005)

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May 13, 2019 Justin Tate rated it it was amazing

This book is often hyped as the bible of screenwriting, but I would take it a step further and call it the definitive go-to for all storytelling. Trade secrets are fully revealed and once you read them you can't watch a movie without seeing the formula scroll right in front of your eyes. Exactly--to the minute. The formula is so precise that Snyder has it shrunk down to page numbers. On page 75, for example, you have to have an "all is lost" moment, or a "darkest just before the dawn" moment. Do This book is often hyped as the bible of screenwriting, but I would take it a step further and call it the definitive go-to for all storytelling. Trade secrets are fully revealed and once you read them you can't watch a movie without seeing the formula scroll right in front of your eyes. Exactly--to the minute. The formula is so precise that Snyder has it shrunk down to page numbers. On page 75, for example, you have to have an "all is lost" moment, or a "darkest just before the dawn" moment. Doesn't matter if it's a comedy like "Elf" or a drama like "Pulp Fiction" you must have this moment. And you know what? He's right.

The formula is the highlight of the book, but there are no non-highlight pages. I'm not working on a novel not a screenplay, but the advice transcends genre. The title "Save the Cat" rule is simple yet easy to miss. Whether it's Aladdin giving his stolen apple to a more-hungry family or literally saving a cat from danger, protagonists need moments like this to resonate with the audience. It has to be there. 100% of the time. Why fight it?

I found great inspiration in his rule on conflict as well--it has to be something a caveman would understand. Issues so primal that it's in our DNA. Love, for example, or fear of death, family, hunger, etc. Doesn't matter what the conflict is, as long as it roots back to our primal emotions. He's right. Of course he's right.

Those who argue that his examples are too focused on romantic comedies, kids movies, or general mainstream "trash" are right. But they also fail to realize that the formula doesn't change. Whether it's a war drama or something you'd see on IFC, the rules of good storytelling remain the same. The good news is that you can be as creative as you want. You don't have to have characters literally save cats in every script--but you do have to have something like that. Disguising it is part of the fun, and why some movies feel original and other movies feel cookie-cutter.

For all my writer friends out there, of screenplays, novels, short stories, poetry, nonfiction, or anything else, you gotta read this. ...more

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Aug 11, 2008 Thompson rated it liked it

While this book is a clever and succinct reduction of Hollywood story structure, it is not well-served by its snarky, priggish author, who with every page radiates the very same sort of smug, too-cool attitude that the rest of the world associates with Los Angeles. That he is smart, I have no doubts, especially after reading his reduction of modern movies. Indeed, he is so smart that I will soon pick up his next book, Save the Cat Goes to the Movies. But just as his intelligence and skill are a ...more

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Nov 13, 2009 CC rated it really liked it

I'm torn about how many stars to give this book. If you are completely new to screenwriting, then this would be a five-star book. Otherwise, I'll give it four because it's easy to understand and allows you to start breaking down the movies you watch quite easily.

However, if you've written screenplays and understand basic three act structure, the advice is a little naive -- as in, "The Theme has to be stated on page 5." "Page 30 is where the 'B' story comes in." Well, maybe, but not really in a l ...more

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Apr 12, 2013 Alexa rated it liked it

Shelves: non-fiction

My critique partner swears by this book, and in fact has been holding my revision notes ransom until I read it! :) She was kind enough to gift me with a copy, so I hunkered down and zipped through.

It was a punchy, fast read--the margins are freakishly large, so it's not *really* a 150 page book; it reads like 100 pager. The writing style is at times annoying, but it's readable. As a novelist, as opposed to a screenwriter, a lot of the specific advice in Save the Cat is useless -- such as "you mu My critique partner swears by this book, and in fact has been holding my revision notes ransom until I read it! :) She was kind enough to gift me with a copy, so I hunkered down and zipped through.

It was a punchy, fast read--the margins are freakishly large, so it's not *really* a 150 page book; it reads like 100 pager. The writing style is at times annoying, but it's readable. As a novelist, as opposed to a screenwriter, a lot of the specific advice in Save the Cat is useless -- such as "you must state your theme on page 5 of your screenplay or else" and "you get 40 scenes, no more!" and "your screenplay must be 110 pages; that's it." But the general structure of the Blake Snyder Beat Sheet is solid. It's easy to recognize in it a good template for a formula story with tight pacing and character development arcs. A lot of Snyder's plot fix methods, despite eye-rollingly cutesy names, are things that address easily-glossed over things (such as failing to make your hero likeable -- the "save the cat" idea is A+). I can see the techniques and tips in Save the Cat helping a lot of storytellers identify problem spots in their novels and craft better outlines for their stories. I'm using the template to outline my second project, and thus far it has been helpful and helping me see my plot arc/pacing.

However, where I find it difficult to completely buy-in to Snyder's book/advice is that a) he doesn't have the most credible resume and b) he's really WRONG about his criticisms of several movies. Snyder kinda-sorta-finally admits it at the end, but he basically made a fortune selling 12 spec scripts in the late 80s/early 90s... but only TWO of them got made into films. In 1992 and 1994. And not memorable films, at that. So I suppose if you're a wannabe screenwriter who wants to make a lot of money selling a script that will never be made into a movie... Snyder's a role model. But even Snyder admits that the Hollywood spec script bubble burst and you just can't do that anymore -- sell a script for a million and then it never gets made.

I found a lot of Snyder's own ideas just... bad. And old-fashioned. I think that's the best way to describe his approach to the Hollywood movie. Neat structure and following a formula is smart, but movie-making--and story-telling-- has changed so drastically since the 80s and 90s. Movies that *break* all the formulas, helmed by bold directors experimenting with style--those are the new blockbusters. Most of the movies Snyder references as good, including his own, have either been completely forgotten, never got made (in the case of his own and two of the "recent sales" he heralded as great. Don't get me started on his praise of 4 Christmases), or are obvious classics but are the rare exception (ie: Chinatown; Die Hard). I would not watch *any* of the movies Snyder pitched him and his writing partners as working on. I enjoyed Blank Check as a kid and all, but Stop... or My Mom Will Shoot was AWFUL. I mean, seriously. Who cares if the screenplay made a million dollars. Bad movie!

Let's talk about the movies Snyder knocks heavily, and says fail as movies b/c they don't follow his formula or violate his rules:
Memento
Minority Report
Signs
Spiderman

Now I'm not saying that any of the above are masterpieces of cinema (though I'm a personal devotee of Christopher Nolan & Memento), but I found Snyder's *reasons* for criticizing them plain stupid, short-sighted and the opinions of an "old dude who doesn't get it." Yep, I'm pulling the age card. I'm 29, born in 1983, and I am of the generation who likes their movies fresh, innovative and non-formulaic. I don't have a short attention span -- I can handle long exposition, smart complicated plots, and complex characters. I hate those screenwriters/directors from the 80s and 90s who made boring movies with no camera movement or outside-the-box plots/characters.

Snyder doesn't specifically say why Memento fails, but he makes it clear that he hates that movie. And I say: eff off. Nolan is a BRILLIANT screenwriter, even though I'm 90% sure they all break the "rules" of the BS2. Just... Inception. And The Prestige. Brilliant.

His reason for Minority Report is DUMB: he doesn't like that it takes 40 minutes of world building/exposition to get to the "catalyst," which Snyder says should happen by page 10, no exceptions (ie: 10-15 minutes into the movie). Nope. My favorite part of Minority Report is the prolonged build up of the world/sci-fi set-up. It's effing good.

Then there's Signs. Now, M. Night Shyamalan is an extremely problematic screenwriter/director, in that he basically has only written two good films, one semi-OK film and the rest have been crap. He probably could have used more structure in his screenwriting (and more oversight at the studio level). But Signs was the WRONG movie for Snyder to take exception to, as it's one of the only ones that doesn't suck (The Sixth Sense being the other). Apparently, it violates the rules of having two "mumbo jumbo magic" things. Aliens + questioning faith in God is apparently too much for Snyder. Signs should have stuck with just aliens, and also apparently shouldn't have featured that section where we see what's happening in the outside world via the news. Nope, nope, nope. Totally disagree. Signs is NOT about an alien invasion. It's about a crisis of faith in God, and framing a big emergency around one average family. The scene where they watch the news is that vital glimpse of what's happening outside, to give the viewer context. I would have disliked Signs if it was just an alien movie (though honestly I get the sense that Snyder basically writes just for Dudes, all of his advice is about Dudes and Heroes and Primal shit, so yeah). But as a movie about family and faith, framed around alien invasion? Elevates the movie to quite good.

The "can't have two forms of magic in one movie" is also the reason Snyder says Spiderman fails. I'm not saying it's a new classic, but I think "radioactive spider + totally different magical realism set up for the Green Goblin in one movie" is NOT a valid reason that Spiderman "fails." I think the audience is smart enough to handle two different forms of magical realism in one movie.

Basically, may poor Snyder rest in peace (he died in 2009), I feel the author is a bit too old fashioned to really "get" the modern movie industry/story-telling world. But that doesn't mean the core structure isn't useful. ...more

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Jun 29, 2015 Alex West rated it it was ok

Shelves: how-to-write, american-author, reviewed

Save the Cat: The Last Book on Writing Painfully Banal PG-13 Hollywood Comedies You’ll Ever Need

This book provides the perfect guide to writing movies I loathe.

It may be true that Miss Congeniality and Elf made good money at the box office, but you know what? If I’m going to sacrifice my work and family time to write, I’m going to write about something slightly more meaningful and less demeaning than whether a Hollywood star pretending to be a badly written FBI agent looks smoking hot in a beaut ...more

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Nov 20, 2013 K.M. Weiland rated it it was amazing

As a novelist, the more I read screenwriting books, the more I love them. Straightforward, no-nonsense, and endlessly applicable, they cut through the fluff and offer practical tips for writing better stories. Snyder's beloved Save the Cat! is certainly no different. He entertains even as he shares tips on structure and character and little, memorable bits such as his "Save the Cat" and "Keep the Press Out" slogans.

Is there a bit of formulaism here? Sure. But even for authors who completely balk ...more

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Dec 02, 2010 Stephen Worman rated it did not like it

Hack advice given by a hack writer. While it's nice to see the business side of writing examined, it would have been better (i.e. something approaching "acceptable") to have it examined by a competent writer. If your only two credits for screenwriting are "Blank Check" and the so-bad-Sylvester-Stallone-apologized-for-his-role-in-its-creation "Stop Or My Mother Will Shoot", you have no place writing a book on the subject. Even the non-creative side is uninspired rehashes of common sense advice (F ...more

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Jun 23, 2009 Jeffrey Johnson rated it did not like it

A lot of people swear by this book, but I think it's just terrible. If you want to write movies, there is a great deal to be gained by learning about the three-act structure. That being said, though, Blake Snyder will teach you a micro-managed form of it that forces you to meet a very specific and frankly obnoxious rubric.

Snyder says specifically in his book that if he turns to one of the pages where he says X should happen and X doesn't happen, he immediately dismisses the script. Though he pro ...more

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Jan 06, 2010 Nicholas Karpuk rated it liked it

Some people who can't really should teach.

Blake Snyder mentions on several occasions that he sold a screenplay to Steven Spielberg for a million dollars at one point. Impressive right?

Then he ruins it by describing his story. It was called "Nuclear Family" and involved a family who camped by a nucleur test site, gaining super powers.

I'm rather glad that failed, and then "The Incredibles" happened instead.

Blake Snyder's ideas are consistently awful. He's the scribe responsible for "Blank Check" Some people who can't really should teach.

Blake Snyder mentions on several occasions that he sold a screenplay to Steven Spielberg for a million dollars at one point. Impressive right?

Then he ruins it by describing his story. It was called "Nuclear Family" and involved a family who camped by a nucleur test site, gaining super powers.

I'm rather glad that failed, and then "The Incredibles" happened instead.

Blake Snyder's ideas are consistently awful. He's the scribe responsible for "Blank Check" and "Stop Or My Mom Will Shoot". I'm familiar enough with bad movies to groan at both those titles. All his ideas are about that caliber, and his comedies are especially heinous in description. His talents very obviously relate more to selling screenplays and knowing what sells.

There's a lot of good explanations on how formulas work, how to structure the three acts, what all needs to be included, etc. It's well laid out and really did get me fired up to create a good story.

The first thing that cracked me up were some of his homebrewed labels. What he considers memorable is sometimes so specific that it's basically useless for anyone else. One pitfall is called Black Vet, based on an argument with a cowriter about a show where the man was both a veteran and a vetrinarian. There had to have been a more accessible title for some of these.

The most hilarious point is his rant about Momento, which breaks a lot of the formulas. His zinger is that Momento didn't actually make all that much money.

I always find it tiresome when people discuss popularity and quality like they're different words for the same thing (hi, Avatar fans). At times the two are points on two seperate axis that comes close once in a while. It's so easy to make a list of things most artists would find repugnant that would be bulletproof if measured in popularity. My favorites would be Larry the Cable Guy and the Insane Clown Posse (who've actually made the popularity argument themselves.)

"Save the Cat" is a fun, entertaining read that teaches a surprising amount about story structure. For me, the corny perspective of its narrator is an odd enhancement. If you're not the type who watches bad movies just to snicker them, your mileage with Snyder may vary. ...more

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Feb 27, 2018 Joe rated it liked it

If you didn't like a novelist's stories, would you follow their advice in crafting your own? Would you take cooking instruction from a chef if their meals didn't please your taste buds? What about a painter whose portfolio only inspired shrugs?

That's the dilemma for almost everyone who reads Save the Cat, a how-to guide for aspiring Hollywood screenwriters. The author, Blake Snyder, has written numerous scripts, sold many, had a couple made into movies and earned a small fortune along the way, ...more

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Oct 30, 2015 Joshua Rigsby rated it liked it

Shelves: for-fun-modern, professional

This book gets poo pooed a lot in critical/literary/artistic circles for being a perfect encapsulation of everything that's wrong with Hollywood. These criticisms are not unjustified.

Snyder sets out a systematic, formulaic strategy for writing a screenplay that hits all of the same tired plot points we've seen a million times. Take a big budget studio movie, break it down minute by minute, and almost without exception every plot point hits at the exact minute mark Snyder describes. Save the Cat This book gets poo pooed a lot in critical/literary/artistic circles for being a perfect encapsulation of everything that's wrong with Hollywood. These criticisms are not unjustified.

Snyder sets out a systematic, formulaic strategy for writing a screenplay that hits all of the same tired plot points we've seen a million times. Take a big budget studio movie, break it down minute by minute, and almost without exception every plot point hits at the exact minute mark Snyder describes. Save the Cat's premise essentially says, "Hey you want to make it in Hollywood? Stick to this formula! You're good to go."

So, the LA movie-machine chugs out cookie cutter plots that make decent money, but fail to challenge convention or offer anything new. Movies come out bland, tepid, and unoriginal, but no one seems to object, so the stasis remains unchallenged.

Snyder reinforces his premise by dogmatically attacking as garbage any movies that dare to fall outside of his formula (e.g. Memento). These diatribes come across as pointless and disingenuous to me. Why proclaim that your way is the only way? Why discredit all other options? Why not simply offer yours as the best among competing suggestions? There were several places where Snyder snidely snipes at movies that I felt were unwarranted. A decent, box office-pleasing flick that challenges convention should be praised, not derided, at least in my view.

That said, this book can still be useful, especially to the new screenwriter. Snyder provides a 10,000 foot view of the way stories are structured. He borrows from Campbell and other theorists who've put together similar systems. And, like it or not, this structure is one American movie goers have come to expect from their narrative entertainment, so it makes sense to at least be aware of what the expectations are before challenging them.

Snyder does a good job in pointing out common plot/character pitfalls new writers struggle through and offers mildly cliched methods of avoiding them. He also offers an honest assessment of what it's like to work in Hollywood, and the amount of work and rejection required to get anything made.

The book is a little dated these days, as any material that references modern movies inevitably becomes. Some of the on-the-ground strategies he recommends for getting noticed are irrelevant now, his suspicion of email for instance, strikes the reader as glaringly old fashioned.

All told, though, if someone is interested in understanding how Hollywood narrative functions, this is still a good book to read. Take some of Snyder's recommendations, leave others. It's a grab bag that's still more than 50% useful.

http://joshuarigsby.com ...more

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Feb 17, 2019 Ross Blocher rated it it was amazing

Save the Cat! is one of the best-known books on screenwriting, and for good reason. It's fast, smart, irreverent, and gives you a kick in the butt to start work on your screenplay. Figure out your logline (a brief description of what your film is), make sure it's sufficiently enticing, and then write to that. Block out your beats on a big board with index cards: opening image, statement of theme, catalyst, midpoint, dark night of the soul, finale, etc. You should even know in advance exactly whi ...more

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Feb 07, 2014 M rated it did not like it

Blake Snyder subtitled his trendy screenwriting guide, SAVE THE CAT, “The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need,” but it’s unlikely the double-entendre was intentional. While his hipper-than-thou how-to might offer a few common sense essentials, it’s hardly essential in itself. Of course, it’s hard to imagine why a writer of any worth would ever really need an instruction manual in the first place but, to be fair, SAVE THE CAT is not so much about how to write a good screenplay as how to w Blake Snyder subtitled his trendy screenwriting guide, SAVE THE CAT, “The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need,” but it’s unlikely the double-entendre was intentional. While his hipper-than-thou how-to might offer a few common sense essentials, it’s hardly essential in itself. Of course, it’s hard to imagine why a writer of any worth would ever really need an instruction manual in the first place but, to be fair, SAVE THE CAT is not so much about how to write a good screenplay as how to write a successful (read: lucrative) one. That’s not a distinction that Snyder, himself, is capable of making, but it’s an important one for a reader to keep in to mind, since it throws a little light on some of his more dubious pronouncements (such as proclaiming himself the most successful screenwriter in Hollywood, despite having only two writing credits - both on very poorly-received films - to his name; or championing Miss Congeniality over Memento as a model of exemplary screenwriting) and contextualizes the “creative” approach he lays out.

Less a guide to writing your screenplay than selling it, what SAVE THE CAT really offers are formulas and strategies for maximizing your work’s marketability and mass appeal, even if those methods are often dressed-up in the guise of aesthetic improvements. While Snyder’s down-to-earth, dollars-and-sense mindset can occasionally give rise to one or two useful tidbits about navigating the wilds of the Hollywood system, it more frequently results in some bafflingly backwards suggestions, such as perfecting your sales pitch first and then designing your screenplay accordingly. Even when he does discuss the actual craft of screenwriting (story structure, character development, etc.), his technique - a recycled pablum of dumbed-down Joseph Campell, Syd Field, and Robert McKee, sprinkled liberally with odds and ends from development executives, agents, and even Georg Friedrich Hegel - is focused primarily on adhering to tried-and-true formulas that have proven popular with producers and audiences alike. Codifying the patterns observed and explored by the likes of Campbell and Field into inflexible rules, anything that doesn’t fit Snyder’s narrow framework is summarily dismissed as bad (see Memento, above). Quality means taking the safe, paint-by-numbers route towards consensus, popularity, and, ultimately, profitability, and if, at any point, you disagree with him, well… He’s open to argument, but as he never fails to remind you, he’s made a lot of money doing this.

And in the end, the real problem with SAVE THE CAT is not its uninspired insights, narrow-minded instruction, or aesthetic void. All of that would make the book merely dispensable. What ultimately makes it thrown-with-great-force-worthy is the smug, smarmy, self-congratulatory tone with which Snyder benevolently hands-down his wisdom from on high. SAVE THE CAT is a short book, but a long read because Snyder is so infuriatingly self-satisfied, you can’t get through a chapter without wanting to beat him AND his fucking cat to death with a Louisville Slugger. His methodology isn’t necessarily flawed or faulty, but it is misdirected, creatively limiting, and presented better elsewhere. So unless, for some reason, you're seeking a superficial, supercilious guide to screenwriting as salesmanship, SAVE THE CAT might actually be the last book on screenwriting you’ll ever need. ...more

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May 10, 2013 Robert Kroese rated it liked it

Blake Snyder is supposedly “Hollywood’s most successful spec screenwriter.” I don’t know how that works exactly, since he has exactly two IMDB credits (for Blank Check and Stop or My Mom Will Shoot), but whatever.

Save the Cat is basically a book full of little gimmicks for improving a screenplay, as well as pitfalls to avoid. The title comes from the idea of having the hero of the story save a cat early on in the movie to establish his/her likability. It sounds silly, but the examples Snyder giv ...more

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Feb 04, 2017 Melissa Storm rated it it was amazing

This book was recommended by my good friend and fellow author, Bonnie Paulson. Don't let the fact that it's aimed at screenwriters push you away, authors! Snyder explores some global truths of good storytelling and breaks them down in an easy to digest manner. The most interesting discovery for me? Most of my "romance novels" aren't technically in that genre. According to Snyder's model, they are "rites of passage" stories. That makes so much sense and really explains what I like to write and wh ...more

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Apr 27, 2011 Phil rated it it was ok

Save the Cat! is a great book for understanding the underlying structure that must be built in order to write a good, solid screenplay. Snyder fills this How To book with great information and good examples, and it is easy enough to follow, should one want to try their hand at screenwriting.

Where this book breaks down, though, it its tone and style. Snyder tries too hard to be cool, or hip, or engaging, or something, and the introductions to each chapter are trite, annoying, and a bit like a par ...more

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Sep 16, 2013 Sam Raines rated it it was ok

How ironic, for someone to criticize Memento (which is a huge no-no) for not making a lot of money.. Then the director/writer of that movie goes on to direct billion dollar blockbusters such as Inception and the Dark Night franchises (I still think Memento and Following are better). What does Snyder have on him? Nothing. What does this mean? Nothing. The movie world is a crazy and unpredictable world, and this book does an o.k. job at trying to explain it. However, as said by a lot of people bel ...more

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Nov 12, 2016 Leonard Gaya rated it really liked it

This is a "how to" handbook, targeting aspiring screenwriters, composed by a man who actually has some track record in writing comedy scripts for Hollywood.

It basically guides the reader through all the stages of writing for the movie industry: how to turn an idea into a marketable "logline"; how to fall within a given genre (Snyder suggests an interesting genres taxonomy, based on what actually happens in the story); how to build a protagonist (again, he offers an original vision of characters ...more

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Mar 05, 2017 Samantha Luce rated it liked it

It was good. Not worth all the hype though. Blake Snyder made it easy to follow. It's helpful not just for screenwriting but any sort of writing.

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Apr 20, 2020 Abigail Bok rated it really liked it

I have a fondness for reading books about screenwriting--not because I have an ambition to be a screenwriter but because they tend to have good ideas about the mechanics of storytelling. Plotting and structure are not my top skills, and these books often give me tools that help me chart a path through the work of telling a story.

Save the Cat takes a very practical approach, aimed at those who want to write for mass audiences. The author advises you to start with a basic idea, which you refine do I have a fondness for reading books about screenwriting--not because I have an ambition to be a screenwriter but because they tend to have good ideas about the mechanics of storytelling. Plotting and structure are not my top skills, and these books often give me tools that help me chart a path through the work of telling a story.

Save the Cat takes a very practical approach, aimed at those who want to write for mass audiences. The author advises you to start with a basic idea, which you refine down to a title and a "logline," a one- or two-sentence précis of what the story is that you want to tell. Then you break down the story into a four-part structure, with critical milestones happening at predictable moments. You map out where scenes happen within that structure, and make sure each scene includes conflict and moves the goal of the story forward. And only once you have this structure complete and honed to your satisfaction do you begin to write.

This is not, I must say, how I write. And I would be concerned about writers slavishly following such a process and ignoring the serendipity that comes from exploring new ideas that often arise spontaneously as words go down on paper (metaphorically or, in the case of dinosaurs like myself, literally). Often one's characters have their own ideas about how a story should play out, and exerting too much control over their will would be a mistake.

Nevertheless, taking the time to construct a schematic framework can help the writer clarify inchoate ideas and refine rough ones, and I am already finding Blake Snyder's guidance helpful in resolving problem areas in my work. And it helps me to challenge myself: am I telling a good story in an effective way, one that readers will find engaging?

Snyder's style is breezy to the point of snark, and he is very good at demystifying the praxis of writing. He also is gifted at creating silly labels for critical analysis and writerly tricks that will stick with you, from "save the cat" to "the pope in the pool." He outlines ten basic story types that will help writers understand why their stories will work best if they follow certain tracks. His book's ideas about the state of the film industry may be rather dated, but the basic advice about constructing a story should prove useful to most writers. ...more

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Oct 09, 2017 Rebecca rated it really liked it

Shelves: nonfiction, youngwriters-and-writing, age-adult-books, 2017-art-reading

My year of listening to the Harry Potter series has gotten me really interested in story structure. I stumbled on this series and, though it's about screenplays, not novels, it's got some really solid story and revision advice (regardless of the cheesiness of Blake Snyder's own scripts). I've thought repeatedly about 1) ALL STORIES ARE ABOUT TRANSFORMATION, and 2) his advice to make characters' drives primal: rooted in survival, hunger, sex, protection of loved ones, fear of death. This has chan My year of listening to the Harry Potter series has gotten me really interested in story structure. I stumbled on this series and, though it's about screenplays, not novels, it's got some really solid story and revision advice (regardless of the cheesiness of Blake Snyder's own scripts). I've thought repeatedly about 1) ALL STORIES ARE ABOUT TRANSFORMATION, and 2) his advice to make characters' drives primal: rooted in survival, hunger, sex, protection of loved ones, fear of death. This has changed how I look at compelling characters.

Favorite quotes:

In a sense, stories are ABOUT change. And the measuring stick that tells us who succeeds and who doesn’t is seen in the ability to change. Good guys are those who willingly accept change and see it as a positive force. Bad guys are those who refuse to change, who will curl up and die in their own juices, unable to move out of the rut their lives represent. To succeed in life is to be able to transform. That’s why it’s the basis not only of good storytelling but also the world’s best-known religions. Change is good because it represents re-birth, the promise of a fresh start.

The truth is that movies are so much about what happens that we must learn about characters by what they do, not by what they say. As in Life, character is revealed by action taken, not by words spoken.

Three acts: thesis, antithesis, synthesis

In many a well-told movie, the hero and the bad guy are very often two halves of the same person struggling for supremacy, and for that reason are almost equal in power and ability...And each has something the other wants...even if it’s just an answer to what makes them the way they are.

The trick is to create heroes who:
Offer the most conflict in that situation
Have the longest way to go emotionally
Are the most demographically pleasing

As writers we tend to be insular, introverted, and introspective. But if you want to sell your script, you have to sell yourself -- and I say this in the most healthy and positive sense. There is no crass salesmanship if you are genuinely interested in your subject.

If you are lucky enough to have a career, you will be bumping into these people again and again for years. So try not to burn any bridges, or at least try not to burn them all the way down.

When characters are not acting like human beings, when they are not being driven primally, odds are you are testing the patience of the audience. To ask “Is it primal?” is to ask “Is this relevant to a caveman?” The answer must be: Yes! ...more

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May 05, 2014 Kolcs rated it did not like it

Shelves: film, non-fiction, ars-scribendi

Think of those stereotypical snake-oil salesmen, or the Gordon Gekko wanna-bes, who dress in suits and travel around the country, renting conference rooms or even small diners and trying to convince middle-aged suburbunites to join their programm on how to be succesful.
You know the type: slightly sleazy, fast talking, very friendly but also aggressive, addressing everyone with their first name: "John, you look like a great guy, I like you, but how dare you not be rich? Believe you me buddy, the Think of those stereotypical snake-oil salesmen, or the Gordon Gekko wanna-bes, who dress in suits and travel around the country, renting conference rooms or even small diners and trying to convince middle-aged suburbunites to join their programm on how to be succesful.
You know the type: slightly sleazy, fast talking, very friendly but also aggressive, addressing everyone with their first name: "John, you look like a great guy, I like you, but how dare you not be rich? Believe you me buddy, the only one to blame is you and only you. But we're gonna change that, aren't we?"
Did I paint a familiar picture? Ok, well now you know Blake Snyder.

Ah, yes, Blake Snyder, that Hollywood success story. The guy who wrote "Blank Check", do you remember "Blank Check"? I don't. I never saw it. Nor would I see it. Oh, and he also wrote ""Stop! Or my mom will shoot", classic.

Blake Snyder will teach you about "the biz", will show you how Hollywood people really talk. He will give you insight into such insider jargon like "plot" and "story arc".

He wrote this book because he thought other books on the subject are too academic (all of them). This guy thinks Syd Field's language is too academic for you to comprehend. Do me a favour, go to any place where you can find a paragraph from Syd Field's "Screenplay", and tell me that you found it hard to comprehend.

Never have rolled my eyes more often and with more conviction than when reading this self-righteous, condescending douche-bag's pamphlet (for it is a very short book) on screenwriting.

He refers to Field as the father of screenwriting theory, he praises his book. And he is right, go buy that book. Or Linda SIeger's. Or McKee's. I gave it two stars, because it isn't completely useless, and if this is the first book on screenwriting you read you won't finish it without having learned something, but there is nothing here you can't learn in a better way from any of the books mentioned above, or others.

Now, if you do think that "Ernest goes to Camp", "Transformers" or, I don't know, "Happy Gilmore" have some of the best gosh-darn scripts you've ever had the pleasure to enjoy, than maybe this is the book...No! I am sorry, even if you are this person, I still think Syd Field is the better option for you. ...more

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Sep 21, 2016 K Todd Ramer rated it did not like it

Shelves: sold-it-on-ebay, the-nope-list

Absolute nonsense. This was PURE speculation from beginning to end that starts out by criticizing others for taking educational and clinical approaches to the writing process.

Has an opinion on just about every film from 11 years ago or beyond, but basically has no ACTUAL input on as to why these films worked. Was very quick to dismiss works based on established novels though. I couldn't help but notice that (Minority Report).

This probably is the last book on screenwriting you'll ever need, mos Absolute nonsense. This was PURE speculation from beginning to end that starts out by criticizing others for taking educational and clinical approaches to the writing process.

Has an opinion on just about every film from 11 years ago or beyond, but basically has no ACTUAL input on as to why these films worked. Was very quick to dismiss works based on established novels though. I couldn't help but notice that (Minority Report).

This probably is the last book on screenwriting you'll ever need, most likely because if you have any common sense, based on this preponderance of opinion, you quit the industry altogether. You should know something is up when the author starts out by saying "I don't need to do this for the money, I just want to share my knowledge" and then goes on to tell you immediately that you need his tenured wisdom to make money in his industry. That's alot of talking just to hear yourself talk. I mean, 80% of the stuff considered a faux pas in this thing is now industry standard, including the "4th wall break" that earned Deadpool the highest box office sales for an r-rated film in U.S. history.

This book was recommended to me as away to help me with my novel manuscripts. I was advised, and believed from reading the "back of the book" "logline", that this is what I would be getting. Instead, I read the whole book, cover to cover, and found absolutely NOTHING to help me with pacing, scene blocking, dialogue or conceptualizing. I mean, I assumed those things were just as needed in writing a screenplay as they are in writing a novel (and why this was recommended). Clearly, I was mistaken. You need an "ironical" 1-line, some beat sheets and poor opinions of films that actually did well in the box office. Telling the reader that they shouldn't even bother writing their concept until they have an "ironic, mental image creating, cost effective audience grabber with a killer title 1-line" is insanity. This is either just ego tripping or it's an attempt to dissuade people from competing in the industry.

I'm sorry. I can't recommend this to anyone. I would even go as far as to say that people who have read this invest in mind bleach to make it go away.

(Usually I try and find something redeemable to offset my negatives, but I couldn't find anything.) ...more

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Jun 24, 2016 Maria rated it it was amazing

Shelves: writing

loved this book!

it's written the way i like books to be written - very structured. your journey as a screenwriter begins with the idea and then the author takes you thru the whole process, explaining every step and its meaning

i read this book looking for storytelling tips, and i must say - it delivered. it really does teach you how to write a story which is not too long and not too short, which is engaging with twists, with characters to love and rewarding ending. of course, some of the advice i ...more

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Oct 24, 2017 Audrey rated it really liked it

Shelves: non-fiction, 2017-books

This is a great, concise book on story structure. Although written for screenwriters, any kind of story writer can benefit. (Mostly the advice on pitching will be a bit different.) He goes over key plot elements every story must have to be interesting. If your story is lacking something, there’s a good chance it’s missing one of these elements. The book also shows you how to focus on making your story marketable to agents/publishers/producers. This is definitely full of useful advice. There are ...more

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Nov 20, 2012 Jessica Bell rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I'm not a screenwriter, I'm a novelist, and I tell you, this book has shed some light on so many things that I was aware of, but most times fobbed off. Everybody has their own process and there is never just one right way to plot a story, but this made me realize how much easier life would be if I followed a few hard plotting rules.

I want a whole wall dedicated to THE BOARD. Don't know what I'm talking about? Then read this book. You'll save yourself a lifetime of unnecessary rewrites.

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Jan 14, 2014 Stephen M rated it liked it

Essential for scriptwriting, but hard to take seriously when it bashes momento on one page (on the grounds that it made no money in the B.O.) and then praises miss congeniality as a great movie the very next page.

His best advice comes from Campbell, McKee, & Field anyway. ...more

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Mar 04, 2012 Jolene Perry rated it it was amazing

EVERYONE who writes anything should read this book.

SO.
FREAKING.
GOOD.

And simple :-D

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Apr 25, 2018 Evie Hughes rated it really liked it

Maybe 3.5

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Feb 04, 2014 Troy Blackford rated it really liked it

This was a very enjoyable and informative read.

I've read a few books on screenwriting as part of my reading about writing in general, and the author of this book, the late Blake Snyder, is correct in his early statement that many of those other books, though excellent resources, -do- hold a reverence for film that perhaps obscures and interferes with their ability to tell advice. I'm thinking of Robert McKee's 'Story,' right off the bat. Not a bad thing, and of course you'd want someone to be re This was a very enjoyable and informative read.

I've read a few books on screenwriting as part of my reading about writing in general, and the author of this book, the late Blake Snyder, is correct in his early statement that many of those other books, though excellent resources, -do- hold a reverence for film that perhaps obscures and interferes with their ability to tell advice. I'm thinking of Robert McKee's 'Story,' right off the bat. Not a bad thing, and of course you'd want someone to be reverential of the medium in which they choose to work. But it's refreshing reading a more light-hearted approach that still takes the craft just as seriously.

There are many who oppose what they see as the rigidity of Snyder's approach. These people are even called out in the text: 'But what about Memento?' these people ask. As in: what about movies that don't follow this structure? Being as Snyder died in 2009, I think I can answer the this criticism thusly: Christopher Nolan directed Memento in 2000. Since then, he's directed Batman movies and Inception. Wonderful, successful, creative movies, but also movies that lean more heavily on the structure outlined in this book than Memento. And I would argue that more people have seen Memento since then in a quest to watch all of this very successful director's past work than saw it before he started writing his creative scripts in a more structured way.

Basically, I think people who think that learning techniques that other people working on the craft employ will ruin their 'art' aren't really as artistic as they think they are. It's something you always here. If your 'artistry' is so fragile that it would evaporate after hearing about three act structure, maybe you're not the cinematic Picasso you fancy yourself to be.

Another criticism is that Blake Snyder only had two scripts produced. Neither, admittedly, was for a very artsy film: 'Stop or my Mom will Shoot' and 'Blank Check.' Two things: Snyder says that writing family comedy is the type of movie he writes. Both of these were profitable movies in that genre and though they came out in like 1989 and 1993, lots of people have still heard of them 25 and 21 years later, so they have had a bit of lasting impact. Secondly, Snyder has had an enormous amount of scripts BOUGHT, including one from Steven Spielberg for one million dollars. I've seen criticism from people that seems to equate scripts produced to scripts bought, and say he wasn't so successful as a screenwriter that they need to listen to him.

That's fairly ridiculous. What are the percentage of people who set out to be screenwriters who even get one film produced, let alone two? Not very high of a percentage. And the number of screenplays sold that get produced is equally low. So it evinces a fairly amateurish understanding of the industry to not grasp these points. And I'm saying this as someone who doesn't write screenplays, only novels and short stories. Even in my reading, I've learned as much.

But that is all more defense of the utility of the book than review. There are a number of helpful terms, in addition to 'Save the Cat,' such as 'Pope in the Pool,' that are easily remembered and express important points for any writer, whether their working on screenplays or manuscripts. This book was well worth the time it took to read it and the money invested, and I'm certain I want to move on to Snyder's other two books.

Recommended for anyone interested in storycrafting of any sort. ...more

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About Blake Snyder

Blake Snyder

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In his 20-year career as a screenwriter and producer, Blake Snyder has sold dozens of scripts, including co-writing Blank Check, which became a hit for Disney, and Nuclear Family for Steven Spielberg. His book, Save the Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need, was published in May, 2005, and is now in its eleventh printing. It has prompted "standing room only" appearances by Blake in ...more

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“To be a screenwriter is to deal with an ongoing tug of war between breathtaking megalomania and insecurity so deep it takes years of therapy just to be able to say “I’m a writer” out loud.” — 9 likes

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