Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody is a popular book with a strange title.
If your research has landed you on this page, chances are this is not the first time you’ve heard of the book. In fact, it’s probably been mentioned too often that it annoyed you into looking it up. So what’s Save the Cat! about? Why is it called Save the Cat!? And more importantly, is it the right book for you?
This book is about story structure. It helps you get the pacing right. It helps you meet your audience’s expectations of when certain story milestones should occur and deliver on your story’s promises.
Ever heard a reader say your story is dragging? That it was so boring they started skipping pages? That it felt rushed? That the payoff was disappointing? Ever asked why? Ever asked how to fix it? This is what Save the Cat! is all about—story structure.
Knowing you, you’re probably here just for the tea, because why is it called Save the Cat!? I mean…that’s so random.
Come close, *Sips from a china cup.* So, I’ve heard Jessica was struggling to sell her first book… yes, I know! … she had a file drawer full of rejection letters. *Nods in diva.* A whole drawer, darling! And they all said the same thing: “Great writing. No story.” *Giggles like a dolphin, eyes squinted.*
A friend of hers gave her Save the Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need by Blake Snyder, and that changed the way she wrote. Novels were sold. Eventually, it inspired her to write a similar book for novelists.
Now, that explains why the book is called Save the Cat! Writes a Novel, but that doesn’t explain the Save the Cat! part. Her answer: “If your main character starts off somewhat unlikable, then, in the early pages of your story, they should save a cat…or do something comparable that immediately makes the reader root for them…”
We get it. Jessica Brody, a former movie studio executive struggling to make it as a novelist, didn’t know how to plot a story. Her screenwriter friend handed her a popular screenwriting book because he believed it could work for novels too. It worked for her. What would make it right for you?
Think back to the many times you’ve sat down, racking your brain for what to write. Then inspiration hits in the form of a scene or a character. Either way, the idea has to grow into a story in which the character develops along with the plot. A story readers want to read.
Why do we care?
Brody begins with how to make the main character story-worthy—a character intriguing enough to convince readers to tag along on their journey.
First impressions matter here. No one opens a book expecting to put it down the very next second. To create an interesting character that is believable and relatable, Brody suggests you give them a flaw. We all have flaws. Flaws create room for improvement.
Also, give them a want. Your character can’t just float in space without a care in the world. What will your reader root for if your character doesn’t have a concrete goal they are actively trying to achieve? What will the story be about? Just random things happening to a passive character? Why would we care?
So giving a character a want gives the story direction.
The question that naturally comes next is, will your character achieve their goal?
No matter the outcome, they will discover that there is still something there that needs treatment. “A shard of glass,” Brody calls it. A psychological wound under the surface. This is the real problem. In a way, it’s the reason your character has their flaws. And it’s your job to decide what this need is for them. The need is the life lesson your character will learn. And it’s what lingers with the reader when they put the book back on the shelf.
On the surface, your character is actively pursuing something.
Under the surface, your character needs a completely different thing.
This naturally creates two layers of your story: what Brody calls the A Story (for the story on the surface) and the B Story (for the story brewing underneath).
Now that you’ve figured out your main character, you need to write the actual story. But writing a whole story is no small feat. Where do you even start?
Brody gives you a roadmap to help you go from the beginning of your story to the end. Enter the famous Save the Cat! Beat Sheet aka The End of All Your Plotting Problems. Her words, not mine. *Takes a step back, hands raised.*
That sounds a little too good to be true. Without beating around the sheet, what does this thing do?
Well, it takes the daunting task of writing a novel and breaks it down into manageable chunks. Each chunk has a road marker—a beat.
So instead of roaming pathetically across a blank page, bumping into every writer’s roadblock known to humanity (and then a few others that are not yet recorded), you have a little map that shows you your location, how far you’ve gone, and how much is yet to go. It also helps you notice when you’ve strayed from the route.
The good news is, the map Brody is handing you is for a place you already know. She’s not luring you into an alien structure. The Save the Cat! Beat Sheet belongs on Planet Three-Act Structure. It just subdivides it into fifteen beats. Why fifteen? It’s because it’s fifteen. *Raps on the paper.* Focus.
Some beats mark a particular moment in the story, while others cover a stretch of it. Brody assigns each one an approximate percentage to show where it falls in the novel. Expect to find them overlapping.
Act 1 shows us your main character in their natural habitat. They’re minding their own business, flaws and all. A life-changing inciting incident happens, and they jump into Act 2. Whether they leap willingly or stumble in screaming is another matter.
But first, you need to retrace your steps and see if you hit the five beats of Act 1:
1. OPENING IMAGE (0 TO 1%)
2. THEME STATED (5%)
3. SETUP (1% TO 10%)
4. CATALYST (10%)
5. DEBATE (10% TO 20%)
Set. Jump.
Technically, the jump (Break Into 2) belongs in Act 2. Your main character leaps into the air, and what do you know, they find themselves flying higher and higher, and it’s fun and it’s exhilarating, and it’s everything they ever wanted. A false victory. Or they topple down the rocky cliff, painfully *bang* breaking *bang* every *bang* bone *bang* in their *bang* body *crash*. A false defeat.
At the midpoint, your character will discover they’re flapping the air with their bare arms. They have no wings. They’ll look down. Their eyes bulge out, then they plummet down. Their scream fades until it’s replaced by a thud. Or, in the other scenario, your character will collect themselves, stand up, crack their neck, push their shoulder back into its socket, and realize the only way from here is up. So they hike up.
As you approach the end of this act, you’re allowed to unleash your wrath on this poor fictional creature. Don’t hold back. Summon all the sleepless nights, the excessive drinking…of coffee, the dark circles that are not going anywhere soon. Swirl them between your hands. Throw them at your character. Let the whirlpool swallow them until nothing is visible but an arm or a leg that is quickly pulled back inside. This should be the lowest point of the story.
Sorry to interrupt your maniac laugh. Don’t let yourself get carried away. Check your map:
6. BREAK INTO 2 (20%)
7. B STORY (22%)
8. FUN AND GAMES (20% TO 50%)
9. MIDPOINT (50%)
10. BAD GUYS CLOSE IN (50% TO 75%)
11. ALL IS LOST (75%)
12. DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL (75% TO 80%)
Did you see the B Story beat? That’s because the beats aren’t merely a sequence of external events; they’re connected to the protagonist’s transformation.
Act 3 starts with your character stumbling out with a dazed smile on their face—lesson learned. They head off into the sunset. Life is good. The world is a better place.
Behind them, the three final beats roll up the screen:
13. BREAK INTO 3 (80%)
14. FINALE (80% TO 99%)
15. FINAL IMAGE (99% TO 100%)
The end.
Look, I understand this might be overwhelming, but don’t F the messenger. If you think this all sounds a little too formulaic, that’s a legitimate concern. But it’s a discussion for the review. Brody addresses that criticism in the book, too. *Disappears slowly, leaving only her brody grin.*
*Reappears on your doorstep with a pot in her hand. Takes off the lid.* Genres!…but not your mother’s genres.
Your mother’s genres are market genres (fantasy, action, romance, sci-fi, etc.), but these belong to a different classification. Some writers call them story types. Regardless of the name, choosing a story genre can help you:
- Identify what kind of story you’re telling.
- Clarify your character’s transformation and the central theme or question.
- Recognize the conventions your type of story tends to need.
- Study comparable stories when you’re stuck.
- Find comparable titles when it’s time to pitch your novel.
But *Claps the lid on the pot.* don’t obsess over which genre is The One. I’ve been carrying this pot all the way from over there. Some of the genres may have spilled into each other.
I hand you the pot. The ten genres inside are:
- Whydunit
- Rites of Passage
- Institutionalized
- Superhero
- Dude with a Problem
- Fool Triumphant
- Buddy Love
- Out of the Bottle
- Golden Fleece
- Monster in the House
You’re probably wondering why I’m still standing here with that unwavering grin on my face.
You see, I hate writing loglines and synopses. I’ve tried so many times, and there’s always something missing. So Brody’s method for writing them is one of my favorite tools in the book.
She uses the story’s beat sheet to help build the synopsis. When I first saw the method, it seemed so obvious—which is exactly what makes it genius. It was one of those aha moments: “Of course. That’s how it should be done.”
You nod politely as you start to shut the door. *Wedges her foot between the door and the frame.*
The book also addresses some of the messier situations that don’t fit quite as neatly into the basic framework: multiple protagonists, series, unlikable heroes, and the inevitable Help! I’m stuck!
I mean literally. Help me, my foot is stuck. You open the door a sliver. *Pulls foot out before you slam it.* *Bang*
Wait, I didn’t even tell you if the book is right for you!
*Shrugs.* I wasn’t going to tell you anyway. *Walks away, counting on her fingers.* I need to know first if you’re a plotter or a pantser, and what problem you’re trying to solve: is it plot holes, writer’s block, or something else? *Sighs.* I’ll save that for the review.
Also Read: Review: Save the Cat! Writes a Novel
