Who
hasn’t heard of the Save the Cat method of writing? I had, of course. However,
being old school and a mix of a plotter and a pantser, I was happy with my
loose sheets of paper (for the plot/scenes), my big A4 notebook (now falling
apart) with sections for each novel in my Middle Grade adventure series, The Chronicles of the Stone. I must say it has become harder to keep track of things
with each book, and I have screeds of notes on recurring themes, ‘breadcrumbs’
for each plot that link the books, and what people said in Book One that might
be relevant to Book Five (which is where I am now in a 7-part series). I am
generally skeptical of new-fangled computer systems of making notes and keeping
track. Nothing beats physical notebooks for me. However, knowing about Save the
Cat! as a tried and tested (by others) method, I thought it might be interesting
to try.
Save
the Cat! provides writers with the resources they need to develop their
screenplays and novels based on a series of best-selling books, primarily
written by Blake Snyder (1957- 2009). Blake’s method is based on 10 distinctive
genres and his 15 story beats (the Blake Snyder Beat Sheet). The books,
workshops, story structure software, apps, and story coaching teach you
everything you need to unlock the fundamentals and mechanics of plot and
character transformation.
Save the Cat! Story Structure Software is adapted from the Save
the Cat! methodology to help screenwriters and novelists unlock the
fundamentals of plot and character transformation. The Story Structure Software
is a virtual writer board with digital index cards to help map out your story
against the 15 beats or plot points to your story. The software enables writers
to track emotional shifts of characters from scene to scene, develop profiles
and edit and change your story with ease.