{"id":4546,"date":"2026-09-07T22:41:29","date_gmt":"2026-09-07T20:41:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/smartmag.theme-sphere.com\/blogger\/review-post-points\/"},"modified":"2026-09-07T22:41:31","modified_gmt":"2026-09-07T20:41:31","slug":"how-to-use-save-the-cat-writes-a-novel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/goodcompanylit.com\/index.php\/2026\/09\/07\/how-to-use-save-the-cat-writes-a-novel\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Use Save the Cat! Writes a Novel:"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Save the Cat! Writes a Novel<\/em> by Jessica Brody is a popular book with a strange title.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your research has landed you on this page, chances are this is not the first time you\u2019ve heard of the book. In fact, it\u2019s probably been mentioned too often that it annoyed you into looking it up. So what\u2019s Save the Cat!<\/em> about? Why is it called Save the Cat!<\/em>? 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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!<\/em> is all about\u2014story structure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Knowing you, you\u2019re probably here just for the tea, because why is it called Save the Cat!<\/em>? I mean\u2026that\u2019s so random.
Come close, *Sips from a china cup.* So, I\u2019ve heard Jessica was struggling to sell her first book\u2026 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: \u201cGreat writing. No story.\u201d *Giggles like a dolphin, eyes squinted.*
A friend of hers gave her Save the Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You\u2019ll Ever Need<\/em> by Blake Snyder, and that changed the way she wrote. Novels were sold. Eventually, it inspired her to write a similar book for novelists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, that explains why the book is called Save the Cat! Writes a Novel<\/em>, but that doesn\u2019t explain the Save the Cat!<\/em> part. Her answer: \u201cIf your main character starts off somewhat unlikable, then, in the early pages of your story, they should save a cat\u2026or do something comparable that immediately makes the reader root for them\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We get it. Jessica Brody, a former movie studio executive struggling to make it as a novelist, didn\u2019t 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?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think back to the many times you\u2019ve 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why do we care?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brody begins with how to make the main character story-worthy\u2014a character intriguing enough to convince readers to tag along on their journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, give them a want. Your character can\u2019t just float in space without a care in the world. What will your reader root for if your character doesn\u2019t 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?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So giving a character a want gives the story direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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. \u201cA shard of glass,\u201d Brody calls it. A psychological wound under the surface. This is the real problem. In a way, it\u2019s the reason your character has their flaws. And it\u2019s your job to decide what this need is for them. The need is the life lesson your character will learn. And it\u2019s what lingers with the reader when they put the book back on the shelf.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now that you\u2019ve 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<\/em>. Her words, not mine. *Takes a step back, hands raised.*<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2014a beat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So instead of roaming pathetically across a blank page, bumping into every writer\u2019s 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\u2019ve gone, and how much is yet to go. It also helps you notice when you’ve strayed from the route.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The good news is, the map Brody is handing you is for a place you already know. She\u2019s not luring you into an alien structure. The Save the Cat! Beat Sheet<\/em> belongs on Planet Three-Act Structure. It just subdivides it into fifteen beats. Why fifteen? It\u2019s because it\u2019s fifteen. *Raps on the paper.* Focus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Act 1 shows us your main character in their natural habitat. They\u2019re 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: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. OPENING IMAGE (0 TO 1%)
2. THEME STATED (5%)
3. SETUP (1% TO 10%)
4. CATALYST (10%)
5. DEBATE (10% TO 20%)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Set. Jump.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Technically, the jump (Break Into 2<\/em>) 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\u2019s fun and it\u2019s exhilarating, and it\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the midpoint, your character will discover they\u2019re flapping the air with their bare arms. They have no wings. They\u2019ll look down. Their eyes bulge out, then they plummet down. Their scream fades until it\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As you approach the end of this act, you\u2019re allowed to unleash your wrath on this poor fictional creature. Don\u2019t hold back. Summon all the sleepless nights, the excessive drinking\u2026of 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sorry to interrupt your maniac laugh. Don\u2019t let yourself get carried away. Check your map:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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%)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Did you see the B Story beat? That\u2019s because the beats aren’t merely a sequence of external events; they’re connected to the protagonist’s transformation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Act 3 starts with your character stumbling out with a dazed smile on their face\u2014lesson learned. They head off into the sunset. Life is good. The world is a better place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Behind them, the three final beats roll up the screen:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

13. BREAK INTO 3 (80%)
14. FINALE (80% TO 99%)
15. FINAL IMAGE (99% TO 100%)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Look, I understand this might be overwhelming, but don\u2019t F the messenger. If you think this all sounds a little too formulaic, that\u2019s a legitimate concern. But it\u2019s a discussion for the review. Brody addresses that criticism in the book, too. *Disappears slowly, leaving only her brody grin.*<\/p>\n\n\n\n

*Reappears on your doorstep with a pot in her hand. Takes off the lid.* Genres!…but not your mother\u2019s genres.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your mother\u2019s 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:<\/p>\n\n\n\n