Save the Cat! Writes a Novel

by Jessica Brody

Perfect heroes without any flaws or problems whatsoever are bo-o-oring.

if you want to create a hero for your novel who is believable, relatable, and interesting, they can’t be perfect. They must have at least one major problem—or better yet, lots of them!

The true soul of a novel lies in the hero’s need, which can also be called the internal goal, the life lesson, or the spiritual lesson. And by “spiritual,” I’m not necessarily talking about religion. Although your spiritual lesson certainly can relate to religion (as evidenced in countless popular novels like The Shack by William P. Young or The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini), it certainly doesn’t have to. The life lesson is the inner journey that your hero didn’t even know they were on, that will eventually lead them to the answer they never expected.

ultimately, all Institutionalized stories end with the third genre ingredient: a sacrifice. Heroes either join the system (1984), “burn it down” (The Help, The Outsiders, The Giver), or escape from it (The Handmaid’s Tale, The Great Gatsby, The Color Purple). The escape can also be a suicide (both literal or figurative). Regardless of the ending, the hero’s sacrifice serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of entering into an institution. In the end, the deeper message is about listening to your inner voice. Yes, we all need to be part of some type of group to survive, but it’s our individual human spirit—the thing that makes us who we are—that we ultimately must nurture and protect. Beware the group! Be yourself!