Save The Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need

I bought this book cause I've had some ideas floating around in my head that I wanted to see if I could perhaps make into a screen play. I have no formal education in screenwriting and the information I do know about writing a movie, I learned from online resources. So for a beginner like me this book was filled with TONS of useful information how I could turn a basic idea in my head into a fully fledged movie script. I was debating on which book to buy to help me get started and bought this one because every online resource I looked at, all of them mentioned this book. Some people bashed it but I think that's cause they're more advanced writers and have their own formula for coming up with the structure for a movie. What I like about this book is that it takes out the guess work for you. It lays out a structured outline for you to follow. Snyder created what he calls the Blake Synder Beat Sheet and literally every movie I could think of follows its formula. He tells you "you should introduce your main character by this page, set the theme of the movie by this page, create a conflict by this page, etc..." Snyder also uses movies as examples, showing how they followed this tempo. He has good ideas on how to create meaningful, 3 dimensional characters and even how to create a B story that helps the main story flow better. I wouldn't have thought of any of this had I not read this book. What I don't like is how Snyder is sometimes a little too "by the numbers" when it comes to writing a script. He literally says the break from act 1 to act 2 HAS to happen on page 25. Not page 24, not page 26 but on page 25. I don't agree with that. While you obviously don't want it to come too early or too soon, I don't see a need for it to happen on exactly page 25 of every single script ever written. He goes to make it sound like the big wigs at studios reading your script will toss it in the garbage if they don't find it on page 25. That's simply not true and I feel like it's forcing people to pace THEIR story at HIS speed. He also goes on to bash other great movies cause they didn't follow HIS pace. This guys claim to fame is writing Disneys "Blank Check" mind you. I don't believe in making others look bad to make yourself look good and that's kind of what he does for a bit in the book. He disses movies like Dantes Peak, Memento, Along Came Polly, etc.. but raves about other mediocre movies like 4 Christmases and miss congeniality cause they followed his cookie cutter methods. So to sum it up, I'm glad I bought this book because I did learn a lot by reading it. I definitely feel more confident in writing my script now and figuring out how to fill in the blanks when I wasn't sure in what direction the story should go in. While I don't think his "by the numbers" method is ideal for every script, it does help me know how to set my own pace for my own movie so I don't get carried away with one act of the story over the other. If your a beginner like me and are looking for a little guidance on how to create a story, this book is a great help!

So far, so good. Very helpful insight and prompts. I'm a novice so this is a huge help in the script writing department.

This Is It: the screenwriting book I have needed for years! About three years ago, a family member and myself began (what we thought was) a sci-fi genre of movie that we were able to write a knockout beginning for, but then we floundered. We have been sitting on our idea ever since: stuck like an elephant in the mud. I had heard about this book, but I finally took a chance. I wasn't on page ten of this book when I yelled: "THAT'S what is wrong! That stupid screenplay we started three years ago isn't a SCI-FI movie, it's a MONSTER IN THE HOUSE!" Now suddenly we can see the whole movie from beginning to end. I would venture to say that the restructured way in which Blake Snyder has you understand the chronometer of what you are writing and who you are actually writing for would be necessary for any aspiring fiction novelist, as well. I am only about a tenth of the way through the book, but it is already the best ten bucks in writing advice I have ever sprung for. Heck, even a barista-style coffee is almost as much these days. Forget AI-"written" books, music, and advice! Save the Cat is a masterclass written before the days of AI by an actual, successful human screenwriter who, before he passed, had earned millions in the business and generously took the time to document and share his knowledge and expertise: a measly ten bucks for pure writer's gold.

This is a very good book on the craft of writing scripts that get sold, and if that is your aim (and what screenwriter doesn't want to sell a script?) this is an important book to read. Blake Snyder knows the territory. He makes a very good living selling scripts and has created a user-friendly guide to the process that has worked for him. I have read most of the other "classics" in the field, and this is very likely the best if what you want is both a clarification of the mindset of those who buy screenplays and a set of reliable strategies for appealing to them. Even if you never plan to write a screenplay, I would recommend this for someone who is interested in how Hollywood works. While the book is very well written -- Mr. Snyder knows how to make his point both clearly and cleverly -- I had an uneasy feeling while I was reading it. He illustrates his points with some very exceptional (and some not so stellar but reasonably successful) films, and I believe he convincingly shows that some of the best Hollywood films are in line with the strategies he suggests. At the same time, nothing he writes begins to suggest what the difference is between the very best films and the generic and forgettable films that "work" but have nothing special to recommend them (I guess that is what I mean by describing them here as the product of "hacks"). The criterion he continually points to is just that the films he admires were in fact sold and recuperated their investment. That is no small accomplishment, and Blake is to be congratulated for having written two films (and some smaller projects, including so-far unproduced films) that appear to fit this bill -- and especially for making clear that there are some more or less reliable guidelines to getting there. Still, as everyone knows (and this is what lies behind the usual critiques of Hollywood type films) there are a lot of films that do get made and even make money that will nevertheless be forgotten very quickly, and will never win awards or the admiration of critics. This book is not aimed to do anything more than help you in creating the latter. Blake Snyder's own films, while certainly evidence of craft and skill, are obvious examples: I can't believe that "Stop or My Momma Will Shoot!" or "Blank Check" will ever be on anyone's top 100 films list, or will ever stand out as films that were "worth" making apart from the fact that they earned back their investments. A lot of reviews are written here by people who have attended Mr. Snyder's seminars, and who obviously like him. He does seem like a charismatic (even if a bit self-important) man from the way he writes, and you certainly can learn a lot from his book. After reading this book, though, I would strongly recommend honing the strategies he outlines by watching the very best Hollywood films in the genres you choose to write in, films that are both "successful" and admired. What you will find is that while they usually do fit the strategies he encourages, there is usually much in them that a studio executive would not likely have embraced willingly and yet somehow is the special thing that makes the film stand out. In addition, it would be well worth your while watching the very best films made outside the Hollywood tradition (films from the Criterion collection of dvds would not be a bad place to start), many of which deliberately eschew the kinds of strategies Snyder suggests and yet have stood the test of time and stand as enduring examples of the power of the cinema (-- Snyder acknowledges that there are critically acclaimed films that don't fit the mold -- he uses Memento as his example -- but thinks he clinches the point about the value of his methods when he reminds us that these films rarely make as much money as more mainstream fare; he misses the point that while Memento was no cash cow, it will continue to be watched twenty years from now, and it did recuperate its costs and did fairly well for an indie; and introduced the world to a talented director who has since gone on to create extremely successful commercial films that are much less generic than most mainstream Hollywood fare). While Blake Snyder's book may well be the last book on screenwriting that you really need (since what all of us aspiring writiers really need is just to write and rewrite and get rejected and reflect on what went wrong and get advice from writers we admire and keep writing), still the guidelines he offers are only a starting point for understanding and creating unforgettable films that are worth making and that the world really needs.

Wow! I just finished reading "Save The Cat: The last Book On Screenwriting That You'll Ever Need", and have to write something now or I will explode! Seriously by far the best How To book I have ever read! I am so sad to find out Blake Snyder is dead because I want so badly to shake his hand. I can't believe such a book could be written that literally tells you how to write a good screenplay in a way that is understandable and an absolute joy to read. For a small town boy with no formal mentor in the industry, Blake Snyder is a God send. He makes writing movies compatible for anyone with his honest, no secrets insight that inspires me to dive right in. The man was a master of his craft and he was so good that he just could not bear to withhold his plethora of knowledge and golden gem insights into the art of scriptwriting. Blake Snyder is the first person who ever taught me how to tell a good story and I believed him. He never just tells you something or states a fact, which he does often and comically, Blake gives you a perfectly relevant life story that smacks your brain with such explosive imagery and logic that there is almost no way you can misinterpret his points unless you are reading the book upside down! And he praises the reader for challenging him and dares you to prove him wrong. It's so awesome because you pretty much know you don't stand a chance past your initial argument. Mike Cheda. I must meet this man or in some way become affiliated with him because anyone one or any movie or anything for that matter that Blake Snyder approves of is A. O. K. by me. As must be fairly apparent by this review, I am a complete noob when it comes to screenwriting and I feel like no better book in the world could have tossed me so gracefully into the exciting realm of the movies, which is hey! what we all really came here for in the first place. Thank you Blake Snyder. In 195 pages you have become my greatest teacher and totally turned my world upside down both professionally and personally. You were the catalyst to my story!

I have published plays and fiction, plus a few nonfiction items, but I have always wanted to be a successful screenwriter and have been struggling mightily toward that goal for five years or so. Like so many other would-be screenwriters, I've read books from the masters, and most of them were excellent books. However, I hadn't really yet come across a book that seemed to speak directly to me until I came across Save the Cat. Not only is the book packed with lots of useful, practical information, but it's written in a style that's a joy to read. Humorous, practical, and above all, useful. I know other reviewers have said this, but I wish I had had this book when I started screenwriting. Snyder covers everything from the logline to beats to practical ways to troubleshoot your script. One of the most helpful things to me was the glossary in the back. Every "Hollywoodish" term Snyder uses he gives a simple definition for in the glossary. For the first time, I believe I can actually understand the lingo. Some chapters that were especially helpful to me were chapter two, a discussion on genre; Chapter four, a section on structure; and Chapter six, common sense screenplay rules. These are just my favorite chapters; I found helpful information in every single one -- no exaggeration. In discussing genre, Snyder doesn't just use the basic ones like romance or science fiction. Read "The Monster in the House" to see just one example of a genre. He also writes on such topics as "The Pope in the Pool." I could go into a lot more of the book, but you can't get the benefit of it unless you read it yourself. I have had consultations, I have had coverage, and I have even taken one of the best online screenwriting courses out there, but I could have bought this book and saved myself a lot of money -- not that the other experiences weren't good ones because they were. This book just brings all you need to know right in one spot. I am going to be ordering the sequel to this one right away. By the way, Snyder gives you his email in the book, and yes, he did answer me when I dropped him a note. I don't know if that would mean anything to you, but it meant a lot to me.

This was a very enjoyable and informative read. I've read a few books on screenwriting as part of my reading about writing in general, and the author of this book, the late Blake Snyder, is correct in his early statement that many of those other books, though excellent resources, -do- hold a reverence for film that perhaps obscures and interferes with their ability to give advice. I'm thinking of Robert McKee's 'Story,' right off the bat. Not a bad thing, and of course you'd want someone to be reverential of the medium in which they choose to work. But it's refreshing reading a more light-hearted approach that still takes the craft just as seriously. There are many who oppose what they see as the rigidity of Snyder's approach. These people are even called out in the text: 'But what about Memento?' these people ask. As in: what about movies that don't follow this structure? Being as Snyder died in 2009, I think I can answer the this criticism thusly: Christopher Nolan directed Memento in 2000. Since then, he's directed Batman movies and Inception. Wonderful, successful, creative movies, but also movies that lean more heavily on the structure outlined in this book than Memento. And I would argue that more people have seen Memento since then in a quest to watch all of this very successful director's past work than saw it before he started writing his creative scripts in a more structured way. Basically, I think people who think that learning techniques that other people working on the craft employ will ruin their 'art' aren't really as artistic as they think they are. It's something you always hear. If your 'artistry' is so fragile that it would evaporate after hearing about three act structure, maybe you're not the cinematic Picasso you fancy yourself to be. Another criticism is that Blake Snyder only had two scripts produced. Neither, admittedly, a very artsy film: 'Stop or my Mom will Shoot' and 'Blank Check.' Two things: Snyder says that family comedy is the type of movie he writes. Both of these were profitable movies in that genre and though they came out in like 1989 and 1993, lots of people have still heard of them 25 and 21 years later, so they have had a bit of lasting impact. Secondly, Snyder has had an enormous amount of scripts BOUGHT, including one from Steven Spielberg for one million dollars. I've seen criticism from people that seems to equate scripts produced to scripts bought, and say he wasn't so successful as a screenwriter that they need to listen to him. That's fairly ridiculous. What are the percentage of people who set out to be screenwriters who even get one film produced, let alone two? Not very high of a percentage. And the number of screenplays sold that get produced is equally low. So it evinces a fairly amateurish understanding of the industry to not grasp these points. And I'm saying this as someone who doesn't write screenplays, only novels and short stories. Even in my reading, I've learned as much. But that is all more defense of the utility of the book than review. There are a number of helpful terms, in addition to 'Save the Cat,' such as 'Pope in the Pool,' that are easily remembered and express important points for any writer, whether their working on screenplays or manuscripts. This book was well worth the time it took to read it and the money invested, and I'm certain I want to move on to Snyder's other two books. Recommended for anyone interested in storycrafting of any sort.

Are you a screenwriter? Me, too. If you have ever wished that you had a good friend in the movie and TV business who could show you how to write your best possible screenplay – someone with a well-established track record of writing, selling, and seeing their screenplays produced, not someone who just talks about screenwriting to sell courses, lectures, seminars, and books – well, so did I. I never found that person: a mentor who could explain a screenwriting ‘how-to’ that would work for me, not just for them. Someone respected by their professional peers and colleagues, someone with confidence earned over a successful career – yet free of arrogance. Good humor and a congenial approach to their work and method seemed too much to ask. But, what would a screenwriting education at the elbow of such a person be worth? Sadly, I never met – or even discovered – Blake Snyder before his untimely death, but, judging by his legacy, Blake Snyder was that person. In Save the Cat! – a brief book with an unlikely title – Blake Snyder provides instruction, yes, but also encouragement and inspiration, laced with smiles and chuckles. It’s fun to read, easy to understand, and challenging to master. No matter where you might be along your pursuit of screenwriting achievement and success, Save the Cat! has so much between its covers that it makes an unsurpassed starting point, yet remains an incomparable finishing point. I plan to return to it over and over again. I also recommend Save the Cat! to actors, directors, producers, and fans who want to understand what makes a successful screenplay work. Rest assured that I have no connection to the Blake Snyder estate, Michael Wiese Productions, or the Save the Cat! organization. I just like the book. It’s a screenwriting education in paperback.

This book was informative and interesting to read.

Comprei para dar de presente. A pessoa gostou bastante.

I've definitely learned several things from the book and could implement it directly in my work. Strong recommendation!

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 !)

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.