Save the Cat! Writes a Novel

by Jessica Brody

Ready Player One isn’t about a worldwide Easter egg hunt through a massive online simulation game. That’s just the external story (A Story). Underneath, behind the scenes, the internal story (B Story)—the heart of the novel—is about a shy, insecure boy who hides inside a video game and finally has to learn how to make real-life connections.

Forgiveness: of self or of others Love: includes self-love, family love, romantic love Acceptance: of self, of circumstances, of reality Faith: in oneself, in others, in the world, in God Fear: overcoming it, conquering it, finding courage Trust: in oneself, in others, in the unknown Survival: including the will to live Selflessness: including sacrifice, altruism, heroism, and overcoming greed Responsibility: including duty, standing up for a cause, accepting one’s destiny Redemption: including atonement, accepting blame, remorse, and salvation

At this point in the story, as our hero is making their proactive decision to Break Into 2, they are still being motivated by what they want. They’re still chasing after that external goal. Maybe they’ll get it, maybe they won’t. But by the end of the novel, it won’t matter, because they’ll have gotten what they need. They’ll have learned their life lesson. They’ll have learned the theme. That’s why I like to call Act 2 fixing things the wrong way.

You can have more than one B Story character! That’s right. Many great novels have what are called twin B stories.

Who the hero was in Act 1 + What they’ve learned in Act 2 = Who they will become in Act 3

The Five-Point Finale breaks down the Finale into five sub-beats, giving us even more road markers to break up the last section of our trip.

Point 1: Gathering the Team

Point 2: Executing the Plan

Point 3: The High Tower Surprise

Point 4: Dig Deep Down

Point 5: The Execution of the New Plan

I usually start with what I like to call the Five Foundation Beats. These beats make up the pillars upon which all the other beats stand. They are also all single-scene beats, so they’re easier to tackle up front. These are the directional beats of the story, meaning each of these beats sets a new direction for the plot. Once you establish these beats, the rest of the beats tend to fall into place a bit more naturally, based on the simple mechanics of the beat sheet. The Five Foundation Beats are Catalyst Break Into 2 Midpoint Break Into 3 All Is Lost

Then I work through the following questions: What does the hero’s Act 2 world look like? How is it different from Act 1? Is it different enough? This starts to shape my Break Into 2 beat. How would my flawed hero change the wrong way, based on what they want, not what they need? This continues to shape my Break Into 2 beat. What kind of major event would be enough to kick this hero out of their status quo and into this strange new world? This forms the Catalyst beat. Does my hero generally flounder or excel in this new world? This determines the Midpoint and whether it’s a false victory (the hero excels in the new world) or a false defeat (the hero flounders in the new world). How does my hero, then, change the right way, based on what they need? This helps me start to discern my Break Into 3. Finally, what kind of rock-bottom life-changing event would be enough to eventually convince my hero to change the right way? This informs my All Is Lost beat—which you may recall is usually another Catalyst.