Save the Cat! Writes a Novel

by Jessica Brody

Point 5: The Execution of the New Plan

In this final sub-beat, your hero puts their bold, innovative, new plan into action—and of course, it works! Because after all that soul-searching and all that transformative effort, we need to know that the human spirit and perseverance do prevail.

Or if your hero ultimately fails in the end, then there’s a point to the failure. There’s a human lesson to be learned from that too. It’s better to try and fail than to never try at all.

Something to ponder. Something that resonates deep in their soul.

15. FINAL IMAGE WHAT DOES IT DO? Provides an “after” snapshot of your hero and your hero’s life to show how much they’ve changed. WHERE DOES IT GO? 99% to 100% (This is the final scene or chapter of your novel.)

It’s a single-scene beat in which you show us what your hero looks like after this epic transformative journey is complete. How far have they come? What have they learned? How much have they grown as a human being? What does their life look like now that they’ve journeyed through the Dark Night of the Soul, faced their demons, ripped out their shard of glass, and come out the other side better and stronger than ever before?

In this one scene or chapter, the reader should be able to very clearly identify how this story has changed your hero for the better. If the Opening Image and the Final Image aren’t starkly and obviously different, then it’s time to rethink your beats. The farther apart these two versions of your hero are, the more you’ve proved that there was a point to this journey. We didn’t just travel in circles. We went somewhere.

Do the beats have to come in the exact same order that I outlined in this chapter? Not necessarily.

EXERCISE: THE TRANSFORMATION TEST Is your hero’s transformation as big as it can be? Have you hit all the beats hard enough? Use this handy Self-Workshop Checklist to make sure your beats pass the transformation test! Opening Image ❏ Is your Opening Image one scene or one group of interconnected scenes? ❏ Is your Opening Image visual? (Are you showing, not telling?) ❏ Is one or more of your hero’s flaws evident in this scene? Theme Stated ❏ Does your theme directly relate to your hero’s need or spiritual lesson? ❏ Is your theme stated by someone (or something!) other than the hero? ❏ Can your hero easily and believably dismiss this theme? Setup ❏ Have you shown at least one thing that needs fixing in your hero’s life? ❏ Have you introduced at least one A Story character? ❏ Did you clearly establish your hero’s want or external goal somewhere in this beat? ❏ Have you shown your hero in more than one area of their life (such as home, work, and/or play)? ❏ Are your hero’s flaws evident in this beat? ❏ Have you created a sense of urgency that imminent change is vital (stasis = death)? Catalyst ❏ Does the Catalyst happen to the hero? ❏ Is it an action beat? (No revelations allowed here!) ❏ Is it impossible for the hero to go back to their normal life after this? ❏ Is the Catalyst big enough to break the status quo? Debate ❏ Can you sum up your Debate with a question? Or if it’s a preparation Debate, have you clearly defined what your hero is preparing for and why? ❏ Have you cr...

And at some point you’re going to have to pitch your book to someone else. Whether it be to an agent, editor, or movie producer, or directly to the reader, you’re going to have to quickly sum up what your book is about and why this person simply has to read it. And nothing gets this job done faster and more effectively than telling them what your book is similar to.

Unlike in Superhero stories, these dudes are not special and not destined to save the world (at least not when the story begins!).

All of the stories that fit into the Dude with a Problem genre are stories of a lone man, lone woman, or lone group (or lone dog!) who finds themselves facing incredible odds and whose survival often includes a struggle to hang onto their own sanity.

Because literally impossible makes for a very short and boring story, usually ending in death. But nearly impossible? That makes for some great fiction.

The badder the bad guy, the greater the heroics, the better the story.

Regardless of who the bad guy or bad force is, the satisfaction of reading a Dude with a Problem novel comes when our dude uses his individuality to outsmart the enemy in the end. This is where that perfect pairing of dude and problem comes into play.

It’s important to give your dude the abilities they’ll need to conquer their problem up front, abilities baked right into their character DNA. But it’s equally important that your dude (and your reader) not fully realize their potential and how they can use these skills until the time is right and the ultimate challenge is upon them.

You gotta have (1) an innocent hero, (2) a sudden event, and (3) a life-or-death battle.

It’s the hero’s innocence that makes us readers love these stories so much. That dude could be us! We could find ourselves in the same situation and have to defy the same impossible odds.

Second, we need a sudden event that thrusts the hero into their world of hurt. “Sudden” being the operative word here. These Catalysts come seemingly from nowhere and force the hero to come to grips with what’s happening, ASAP.

Tender scenes between the hero and the love interest can often be found in what’s called the eye-of-the-storm moment. This is the part of the novel where the action slows down for a minute and the hero (and reader!) get a chance to relax and reflect.

Buddy Love novels are about completion. One person being made whole by another. Or at the very least, one person (or dog!) who is the Catalyst for bringing about a certain change that the hero desperately needs.

In the end, almost all Buddy Love stories contain a similar message: My life changed for having known another. That’s the hook of these stories, and that’s how love stories (romantic or not) teach us about life.

If you’re thinking of writing a Buddy Love novel, make sure your story includes these three essential ingredients: AN INCOMPLETE HERO: who is missing something physical, ethical, or spiritual. They need another to be whole. A COUNTERPART: who makes that completion come about or has qualities the hero(es) needs. A COMPLICATION: be it a misunderstanding, personal or ethical viewpoint, physical or emotional challenge, epic historical event, the prudish disapproval of society, or an other. This is the primary source of conflict in the novel, working to keep the buddies apart, but also to pull them together.