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

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!

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.

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.

Worth the buy and provides great info.

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.

Planning (breaking) a story has always been a weaker element in my toolbox. Save the Cat is showing me how planning can save so much time later on. Primarily written for screenwriters, there are lessons here for any writer. And universal truths that apply across writing disciplines. Some of the content is a little dated (it was first published in 2005 after all), but there are still essential lessons that will always remain relevant. It helps that Synder writes accessibly. Funny, encouraging, kind, and yes, bullheaded to steal his terminology.

Good product

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.

Comprei para dar de presente. A pessoa gostou bastante.

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 !)

Your don’t need this

Dieses Buch ist auf english, es gibt auch eine deutsche Version.

Great book to read and learn from.