Save the Cat! Writes a Novel

by Jessica Brody

The key is all in the pacing. A well-paced novel with visual elements, compelling character growth, and an airtight structure can step into the ring with any blockbuster film—and win. But how do we write one? Enter Save the Cat!

Because despite what you might think, this book is about so much more than just plot. The word “plot” on its own is pretty useless. It’s just a series of events that happen in a story. But structure is the order in which those events happen and, maybe even more importantly, the timing of when they happen. Then you add in a character who needs to change and does change by the end, and presto! You’ve got a story worth telling.

Plot, structure, and character transformation. Or what I like to call the “Holy Trinity of Story.”