This is one of the best books on the craft of writing I've ever read!
Save the Cat! Writes a Novel is not only filled with useful, insightful, and actiThis is one of the best books on the craft of writing I've ever read!
Save the Cat! Writes a Novel is not only filled with useful, insightful, and actionable analysis on the structure of successful stories, but it's easy to read, which is a huge plus for an informational book. Even if you are a "pantser" and shudder at the thought of outlining, I recommend you read the beat sheet breakdown and genre explanations so that the information can percolate in your subconscious. I have no doubt that reading this book will make me a better writer.
The "Save the Cat! Beat Sheet" breaks down the traditional 3-act structure on story-telling into fifteen distinct single- or multi-scene "beats." Here's a *very* brief synopsis: Act 1 has an Opening Image, Theme Stated, Setup, Catalyst, and Debate. These beats form the backdrop for your story, introduce your main character(s), and provide the inciting incident that will propel your character to change. Act 2 turns the status quo world upside down and represents the characters chasing their "wants" rather than their "needs." Characters try to solve the story problem "the wrong way." This act includes the introduction of a B-story (sometimes a C,D,etc, for as many side stories as you want to weave in). The first half of act 2 is a section called Fun and Games, during which the character either flounders or flourishes in their new world, and culminates in a Midpoint where the character either achieves a false victory or suffers a false defeat. The second half of act 2 is where the Bad Guys Close In (both figurative and literal), culminating in the All is Lost Moment, where the character hits rock bottom. This is immediately followed by the Dark Night of the Soul, in which the character digs deep and learns the theme of the story in order to move forward and attack their problem "the right way." Act 3 starts with the "aha!" moment where the character realizes what they really "need." Then there's the Finale, which encompasses the lead up to the climax, the final confrontation, and the resolution. And lastly, there's a Final Image, which should be a foil of the opening image to highlight how the character has grown and changed.
While most of that information might seem like a no-brainer, the explanations and descriptions provided in Save the Cat! Writes a Novel certainly helped to clarify my thinking on a few points. Plus, it was a fast and enjoyable read. I highly recommend....more
This book didn't have a whole lot of actual writing advice. It was more a collection of personal anecdotes about how the journey to success 3.5 stars.
This book didn't have a whole lot of actual writing advice. It was more a collection of personal anecdotes about how the journey to success went for this one man. From what I learned, much of that success was due to being in the right place at the right time and knowing the right people -- a tactic that others cannot hope to duplicate and is therefore not particularly useful. This is not to say that Terry Brooks isn't a great writer, I love his books, but he was lucky.
There were some amusing parts, but overall the book left me with a bitter taste because it was centered around the idea that sometimes, for some people, things just magically work out, which implies that sometime (for most of us) they don't....more
4.5 stars. Since I'm about to dive into outlining my next book, I decided to get a quick refresher on story structure to help me decide the order of my4.5 stars. Since I'm about to dive into outlining my next book, I decided to get a quick refresher on story structure to help me decide the order of my plot elements. Enter, The 5 Elements of Story Structure. If you want a fast (and I mean super-fast) refresher on story structure, this is it. I sat down and read the whole book in about an hour. Despite it’s brevity, this book is full of useful insights and modern examples that make it both relevant and easy to understand. While there were no mind-blowing revelations to change the way I write, this book provides a great road map to story structure. I’d recommend anyone in the planning stages of their novel give it a quick read just to keep those key concepts of how to arrange a story for maximum impact fresh in their mind....more
This is the fourth book I've purchased in this writing craft series, and I'd highly recommend adding it to your shelf if you are a writer. It is a greThis is the fourth book I've purchased in this writing craft series, and I'd highly recommend adding it to your shelf if you are a writer. It is a great tool for adding depth and variety to your characters.
Heroes versus villains. Good guys should have good traits and bad guys should have bad ones, right? But people aren't all good or all bad. Every character needs to have both positive and negative traits to be believable, but it's a tricky balance. It's all a matter of degree.
One of my favorite articles prefacing the thesaurus itself (each of these books comes with a section of short, informative articles) is about the different degrees to which a negative trait can complicate a character's life. They call them Sparks, Fireworks, and Explosions. For example, a character can have a negative trait like "stubborn." That might result in butting heads with a coworker if it's a spark level trait, but if it's the character's major flaw it could also mean a leader letting his men die because he refuses to admit he was wrong.
There's also the fact that all traits can be seen as both negative and positive depending on the situation. The general who wouldn't let his troops retreat because he was too stubborn to admit he was wrong could be the same general who gets a medal because he held his ground against hostile forces until reinforcements arrived, thereby turning the tide of battle. In that case, we might replace the word stubborn with determined, unwavering, or stalwart. As such, each entry in this thesaurus includes a sections on the "positive aspects" of the trait.
Obviously the authors couldn't fit every possible trait into a single book, but there are enough, and enough variety, that you should be able to find something close to your character's flaws and get some good ideas about how to portray them realistically, and how your character can overcome them.
For more information on this and other books in the series, check out the Writers Helping Writers website....more
Ackerman and Puglisi have published an entire series of books designed to help authors create unique details. Some focus on character building, othersAckerman and Puglisi have published an entire series of books designed to help authors create unique details. Some focus on character building, others on world building. The Urban and Rural Setting Thesauruses focus on the latter.
The main part of these books is the actual thesaurus, which lists places an author is likely to write about. Under each listing, they have included descriptive details you are likely to find in each location arranged by sense: sights, sounds, smells, tastes, textures and sensations. They also list people commonly found in that environment and possible sources of conflict, as well as a written example of the setting. Obviously, the lists can't be exhaustive, but they are an excellent jumping off point for authors. It's hugely useful to get a full-sensory description of a place your character goes when it's not a location you personally frequent, and these details can prove the difference between a flat setting and a vivid one.
The first section of each of these books also contains about 30 pages of useful, engaging articles designed to help authors use their setting descriptions to the fullest. The Rural Setting Thesaurus includes: "Crafting Settings That Create Emotional Connections," The Setting as a Vehicle for Establishing Mood," The Setting as a Vehicle for Conflict," "The Setting as a Vehicle for Steering the Story," "Figurative Language: The Key to Enhancing Your Setting", "Common Setting Snags," and "Rural Setting Considerations." In the Urban Setting Thesaurus, you will find: "The Giant Misconception: Who Cares About the Setting?" "The Setting as a Vehicle for Characterization," "Setting Matters: The Importance of Where," "The Setting as a Vehicle for Delivering Backstory," "The Crown Jewel of Settings: Sensory Details," "Urban World Building" The Pros and Cons of Choosing a Real-Life Location," "Common Setting Snags," and "Other Urban Setting Considerations." As you can see, the authors split the articles so they didn't overlap, so if you want the full spectrum of information you'll need to get both books.
These are not the kind of books most people would read cover to cover. They are more designed to sit on your shelf as a reference, and when you hit a snag in your writing or find a description that is falling flat, you can pull these out to give you a creative kick in the pants. The variety of entries in both books is impressive, and while you may not be able to find the exact setting you are trying to get across, you will doubtless be able to find something close. Again, these books are tools to get your own writing on track, not to write your scenes for you. Be selective in what you take from each entry. Don't try to include all the details, and don't always use the same details for the same types of places. The goal is to make each scene fresh and unique, and these books can help with that if you use them well....more
This book was recommended on several separate occasions during a writer's conference I attended last year. I bought a kindle version of it because thaThis book was recommended on several separate occasions during a writer's conference I attended last year. I bought a kindle version of it because that's the only format I could find, then promptly forgot about it because I'm way more likely to read a physical book than an ebook. I recently found it again thanks to a happy set of circumstances I won't go into here, and have since read it cover to cover... if ebooks had covers. That in itself gives this book high marks. A lot of craft books are great for reference, but not something you actually sit down and *read*.
Most of the information in GMC was stuff I'd heard at one time or another from seminars, articles, or other books, but it was put together in a clear, concise, easily approachable way that really made it resonate. It's a pretty quick read, offering examples of successful use of GMC in movies as well as some exercises to help you get the hang of it.
The basic concept is that every character should have a chart showing their internal and external goals, what motivates them toward those goals, and what prevents them from reaching those goals. They should also have a sentence or two that explains what they need to learn in order to succeed and their most distinguishing character traits. Dixon writes, and mostly discusses, romance books, but the GMC framework can, and should, be applied to any genre. It's basically a tool to make characters deep, realistic, and memorable, and I think most writers would benefit from having it in their toolbox....more
Ackerman and Puglisi have published an entire series of books designed to help authors create unique details. Some focus on character building, othersAckerman and Puglisi have published an entire series of books designed to help authors create unique details. Some focus on character building, others on world building. The Urban and Rural Setting Thesauruses focus on the latter.
The main part of these books is the actual thesaurus, which lists places an author is likely to write about. Under each listing, they have included descriptive details you are likely to find in each location arranged by sense: sights, sounds, smells, tastes, textures and sensations. They also list people commonly found in that environment and possible sources of conflict, as well as a written example of the setting. Obviously, the lists can't be exhaustive, but they are an excellent jumping off point for authors. It's hugely useful to get a full-sensory description of a place your character goes when it's not a location you personally frequent, and these details can prove the difference between a flat setting and a vivid one.
The first section of each of these books also contains about 30 pages of useful, engaging articles designed to help authors use their setting descriptions to the fullest. The Rural Setting Thesaurus includes: "Crafting Settings That Create Emotional Connections," The Setting as a Vehicle for Establishing Mood," The Setting as a Vehicle for Conflict," "The Setting as a Vehicle for Steering the Story," "Figurative Language: The Key to Enhancing Your Setting", "Common Setting Snags," and "Rural Setting Considerations." In the Urban Setting Thesaurus, you will find: "The Giant Misconception: Who Cares About the Setting?" "The Setting as a Vehicle for Characterization," "Setting Matters: The Importance of Where," "The Setting as a Vehicle for Delivering Backstory," "The Crown Jewel of Settings: Sensory Details," "Urban World Building" The Pros and Cons of Choosing a Real-Life Location," "Common Setting Snags," and "Other Urban Setting Considerations." As you can see, the authors split the articles so they didn't overlap, so if you want the full spectrum of information you'll need to get both books.
These are not the kind of books most people would read cover to cover. They are more designed to sit on your shelf as a reference, and when you hit a snag in your writing or find a description that is falling flat, you can pull these out to give you a creative kick in the pants. The variety of entries in both books is impressive, and while you may not be able to find the exact setting you are trying to get across, you will doubtless be able to find something close. Again, these books are tools to get your own writing on track, not to write your scenes for you. Be selective in what you take from each entry. Don't try to include all the details, and don't always use the same details for the same types of places. The goal is to make each scene fresh and unique, and these books can help with that if you use them well....more
This is a short book, with a lot of good points in it. I especially like the section on creating character agendas in opposition to creActually a 3.5.
This is a short book, with a lot of good points in it. I especially like the section on creating character agendas in opposition to create tension in dialogue.
I think the main reason I didn't connect very well with this book was because the author kept using examples from old movies I'd never seen. Often, it felt like the author was gushing about how great a piece of dialogue was more because of some nostalgic connection he had to it than the dialogue itself. When I read the quoted text I didn't find it nearly so engaging as he made it seem.
Examples aside, the advice in the book is very good, and well worth a quick read. ...more
This was one of the easiest to read books on writing craft I've ever picked up. Weiland did a great job of imparting priceless information without getThis was one of the easiest to read books on writing craft I've ever picked up. Weiland did a great job of imparting priceless information without getting preachy or overly expository. The writing was tight and engaging, and the movies and books used as examples throughout the book were varied and current enough that even though I didn't recognize all of them I could immediately connect with most.
The basic premise of the book is pretty self-explanatory, it describes what makes a great character arc, with specific examples and advice on how to make it work for you. The greatest gem I got out of it, and there were plenty, was Weiland's explanation of character arc being founded on a Lie that the character or society believes. It seems like such an obvious way to tie the scenes and ultimately the whole book together, but it never occurred to me, and in all my writing workshops I'd never heard mention of it before. I can't wait to go into my next round of editing with this concept foremost in my mind.
K.M. Weiland has several other books out on writing craft that I'm definitely going to look for. She also had a website/blog that I would recommend for any aspiring authors called HelpingWritersBecomeAuthors.com...more
This is a good reference book for pinning down unique manifestations of emotion. Meaning, you can vary your writing so as not to sound stale the eightThis is a good reference book for pinning down unique manifestations of emotion. Meaning, you can vary your writing so as not to sound stale the eighth time someones experiences the same emotion. It really helps with the "show don't tell" adage too, by providing detailed lists of both physical and mental manifestations of various experiences. It takes a bit of translation, as not all of the descriptors for a given emotion will fit every situation. For example, a person can experience anticipation for both good and bad things, and the effect will be slightly different. This book is by no means an excuse not to put yourself in the character's shoes, but it does provide suggestions for a nice variety when you're fighting cliches. ...more
This book has a lot of useful information. I especially like the section on the three layers of character. But, as others have pointed out, much of thThis book has a lot of useful information. I especially like the section on the three layers of character. But, as others have pointed out, much of the writing is redundant and, in some places, condescending. It would be a more useful reference if the nuggets of useful content weren't buried so deep within the rambling discourse of the author. Still, it's worth getting through at least once....more
As an aspiring author, this is the best book I've found so far to help me self-edit my work. It is engaging and easy to read. Too often books on writiAs an aspiring author, this is the best book I've found so far to help me self-edit my work. It is engaging and easy to read. Too often books on writing fall victim to the very mistakes they denounce. Just because a book is primarily for reference, doesn't mean it shouldn't be enjoyable to read. This book was a breeze, and I kept turning page after page even as I absorbed new information. If you're looking for a good reference but don't want to get bogged down in a text book, I highly recommend Self-Editing for Fiction Writers....more
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