Save the Cat!: The Only Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need

This book was a revelation to me. I had been writing children's books (predominantly picture books) for about a year, and up until I read this book, they weren't all working. I attended a screenwriting workshop and was recommended this book. Now, I use it all the time now for sanity checking my stories and also for inspiration. The fact that his principles work well for picture books as well as screenplays, shows just how well he has broken down story structure. I believe this book could be applied to any length of story.This book is written in a friendly, non-pretentious way buy a successful screenwriter and the tips and tricks of the trade are all revealed. I find the insight into this writer's career and into Hollywood absolutely fascinating. It reveals a competitive industry where an inside view is essential.Blake Snyder discusses different genres and how to group all films into just a few categories. Some stories are remarkably similar at their heart, and yet so different stylistically. I am now able to identify and categorise films according to these rules and analyse their structures much more successfully.The importance of loglines and pitches is another good chapter. We all need to be able to sum up our stories succinctly and to pitch to the appropriate audience. It also keeps you on track to your original premise.The story structure section is broken down into smaller beats and I always refer back to these (loosely) as a sanity check. Google the "Blake Snyder beat sheet" to have a look at these. Having a formula that works well and yields a satisfying story is a wonderfully, liberating feeling. Yes, it is formulaic, but there is so much room for creativity within this. I find having something to constrain me makes starting so much easier and relieves writers block. I find the book very inspirational and the author very knowledgeable.I would definitely recommend this book, not just for screenwriters, but for tellers of all stories, in all forms.

Like all good stories all the elements in this book have been heard before. the structure is not unique, but it is delivered in a different way. The different way that Blake is trying to get across is the essence of good writing!This is not a quick fix! For those who have read other screenwriting theory books in the past the honest truth is that this book isn't going to tell you anything ground breaking. If you are looking for an easy way to make, write and sell a billion dollar film this isn't going to magically make one appear on the table.However, it is a great read and it will take you through a very logical approach to screenwriting, It emphasises certain areas you may have overlooked as minor detail and tells you that these are the key to getting it all right a. It is also all written in a very readable way. This isn't a book of theory that will beat you over the head until you are sick of hearing terms like 'three act structure.' It is a book of good advice from someone who has been there and lets face it Blake Snyder is a legend!!!The Blake Snyder beat sheet looks like a very useful resource, though I can't say I have tried it yet. Overall this has been an incredibly useful read to me if only to bring me back to basics and get me fired up again for a new batch of writing.This book would be invaluable for new writers and is still well worth a read for those who have been doing it for years. If nothing else Blake seems like a friend who is here to help you through and in the world of writing that is a precious thing to have!

I bought this book to give as a gift however when it arrived the cover had a lot of water damage so I received a refund. I read some of it and found it fascinating, though i don't think I'll look at any movie the same again. It's a shame it was damaged as the person I was giving it would have loved it.

To be clear before writing the rest of my review, I purchased this book with no intention of screenwriting (and stiill not) but as an aspiring novelist and I'm glad that I did. Keeping that in mind while I read it helped me to understand what to take on board for story in general and what can be ignored that is mostly about screenplays.It is an entertaining read and put across in a friendly way. I'm aware that Blake has left this planet but I'm glad that others have carried on with and from what he put together in this book.I'm aware that there is a soon to be realeased Save the Cat book for novelists but I felt that it makes sense to familiarise myself with what it's about and I'm glad that I did. I have seem some people state that Save the Cat encourages formulaic stories and I suppose if you're not at all bothered about making more that a few quid from your writing then you might not like this. But if you do hope to make money, be successful and appeal to a large audience then surely you must accept at some point that you need to write very commercial stories.Anyway, I recommend the book for a writer of stories, whether a screenwriter or a novelist. It's the second screenwriting book that I have bought and I hesitated over this one for quite a long time. And there's so much more to it than the 'Save the Cat!' element that the book is named for. Obviously it's not the only book on screenwriting that you will ever need, but one of them that you need.

This book will not teach you how to come up with amazing ideas and artistic vision. And unless you have the creative drive and desire to write, this book will not make you a talented writer.However, assuming you have the drive and the desire, this book will tell you the easiest way to get your idea down on paper in as painless a way as possible. The advice given here is fantastic and intuitive. You'll wonder why you'd never thought to try these methods before and once you've tried them, you'll wonder how you got by without them.No matter how experienced you are, this book is a brilliant source of knowledge and also an entertaining read.

Snyder has totally misunderstood what he has done here. This is not just a book on how to bang out a formulaic movie script, but in reality, it is how to write (and more importantly, construct!) ANY story!From the New Testament, to the plays of Shakespeare, from the novels and stories by PG Wodehouse, to Star Wars, all good stories adhere to the structure that Snyder so brilliantly outlines here. Three acts, 15 sections, 40 scenes! He tells us how to lay them out on a story board and even how to use repeat gags, set pieces and similar dramatic devices.His 15 sections are -1. Opening image2. Stating the theme3. Set-up4. The catalyst (i.e. stuff happens!)5. Debate (now what do we do?)6. Break into act 27. The B story or stories8. Fun and games (i.e. business/action/etc.)9. Midpoint (shift in pace)10. The bad guys close in11. All is lost12. Despair sets in13. Break into act 314. Finale15. Closing image.He also states right at the beginning that every good story can be summed up in one sentence. That is true for every story and indeed for every product or project - if you can't or refuse to view what you are doing that way, chances are, you will fail!It's just a great book for anyone interested in drama and story-telling! If you don't have a copy, you must not be even remotely interested in how stories are told! And no - I'm not lending out my copy. Get your own!

This book, im not finished reading is EXCELLENT. I will definately be buying his other 2 books. I have been trying to learn my craft for some time now. I have said time and again, Why cant I find someone telling me HOW TO WRITE A SCREENPLAY that has acutally sold to the industry! Not a producer telling you what they think it takes. Not a director with no idea. A guy in the front line. With sold credits amounting to millions of dollars. This is the book for me. I once read an excellent book about songwriting, it was written by Jason Blume. Id never heard of him but I knew Britney Spears. He wrote Dear Diary. What im saying is this, for my money im looking for someone who knows what theyre talking about, not a teacher who has a degree in English and lectures people on a theory they haven't had any success with themselves. ONLY BUY BOOKS TEACHING YOU SOMETHING FROM SOMEONE WHO CAN DO WHAT YOU WANT TO! I told my friend, who said yeah but English teachers dont write books. He missed the point, I said theyre not teaching us how to write books. Final word: I wouldn't want to be taught how to strip an engine by someone who owns a garage. A MECHANIC teaches people to be MECHANICS a SCREENWRITER teaches SCREENWRITERS. However much Syd Field, Vikki King and others go on about it if theyre no good at what they speak, why listen ?

The book delivers what you expect.It is an easy read and the 12 step beat sheet will be incredibly useful to budding screenwriters.However, there was one aspect of the book that really made me question the integrity of the author and that is his use of examples of what works as a screenplay and what does not.He often references his own spec scripts and movies, none of which I have heard off and none of which impressed me.He uses forgettable films (Miss Congeniality being the best of a sorry bunch) as examples of what is a successful film (yes in terms gross) and then critises films such as Minority Report and Open Range (2 of the most perfectly realised films of the noughties) because they break his rules of structure.At this point in the book Blake Snyder lost all credibility for me.It is fine to create a system to simplify the structuring of a screenplay but I did not like the way he dismissed films that are far superior in every department to anything he has been involved in because they did not follow his own set of rules.The conclusion I came to is this guy knows how to write something that will sell and if that is why you are reading the book then I would have to recommend it despite my dissapointment in the way he references other peoples work.Souless but effective.

This book was informative and interesting to read.

Comprei para dar de presente. A pessoa gostou bastante.

I've definitely learned several things from the book and could implement it directly in my work. Strong recommendation!

A lire en anglais (car la traduction française est nulle).Je l'ai lu déjà 2 fois, et j'y reviens régulièrement.On peut appliquer les conseils... ou pas.C'est un bel outil de travail, plus simple d'accès que Story de Robert McKee.Complémentaire.Je l'offre régulièrement (j'ai déjà dû l'acheter 2 ou 3 fois !)

Great book to read and learn from.