Friday, July 1, 2011

SAVE THE CAT, THE LAST BOOK ON SCREENWRITING THAT YOU'LL EVER NEED



SAVE THE CAT, THE LAST BOOK ON SCREENWRITING THAT YOU'LL EVER NEED may have just saved my writing. As an aspiring author, I've struggled over the years as I've grown and learned how to write fiction. I've read a handful of books on the craft of writing but none have compared to SAVE THE CAT by Blake Snyder.

If you are a fiction writer, don't let the fact that SAVE THE CAT is about screenwriting cause you to look the other way. It has all the elements needed to write a novel. And not just any novel. One that has everything needed for a great story. It even touches on how to promote and sell your work.

In other books I've read on the craft, they were not able to cover all the basics in such precise, easy to understand and visually pleasing ways as SAVE THE CAT.

A few things I've learned from SAVE THE CAT?

1) You must be able to answer the question, "It's about a guy who..."

2) You need a great logline.

3) A primal goal is a must.

4) Spice up the back-story so it's not boring.

5) An ARC in every character a must...except the bad guy.

6) Give every character a limp or an eye patch.

And so much more, including:

The dos and don'ts to creating a great story.
A checklist for the lead characters, and
How to build the perfect novel.

To date, SAVE THE CAT is the best writing book I've read, one that will have a huge impact on my writing.

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