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

Book 1 in the series:Save the Cat!

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'Save the Cat!: The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need' by Blake Snyder is a comprehensive guide on screenwriting and story structure. The book provides valuable insights into plot structure conventions, storytelling techniques, and tips for creating engaging and marketable scripts. The author's writing style is described as conversational, casual, and humorous, making the book accessible and engaging for readers. Snyder's emphasis on the importance of plot structure, character development, and creating meaningful story beats is highlighted throughout the book, along with practical advice on writing screenplays.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is casual and accessible, though at times it may come off as arrogant or overly self-referential.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot revolves around essential techniques for structuring a screenplay, including the creation of loglines and emphasis on specific page numbers for plot points.

Setting:

The setting is focused on the Hollywood film industry, using popular movies as examples to illustrate concepts.

Pacing:

The pacing is detailed and structured, but some readers find the rigidity limiting for creative storytelling.
Each of these specialty presentations resulted in a million-dollar sale. And headlines in Variety the next day noted the marketing innovations and the bidding war both inspired. For our part, we alway...

Notes:

Save the Cat! is a guide to screenwriting written by Blake Snyder.
It emphasizes the importance of structure in storytelling.
Snyder suggests creating a logline to clarify your story concept in one or two sentences.
The book includes a breakdown of specific plot points and when they should occur in a screenplay.
Snyder recommends watching and analyzing popular films to understand the structure better.
The Save the Cat website offers resources, including beat breakdowns of various movies.
Snyder discusses the use of a beat sheet to outline story points effectively.
The book's tone is snappy and conversational but may come off as arrogant to some readers.
Snyder has a bias towards family and romantic comedies.
Despite criticism, many readers found the tools in the book helpful for their writing process.
Inevitably, the book sparked discussions about the effectiveness of conventional storytelling methods.
Snyder's approach includes a detailed breakdown of different genres and their essential elements.
Many critique his strict adherence to page numbers for plot points, arguing that creativity shouldn't be so rigid.
The book is recommended for both screenwriters and novelists.
Readers found that it provides a clear framework for storytelling, enabling them to understand their narrative better.

From The Publisher:

Here's what started the phenomenon: the best seller, for over 15 years, that's been used by screenwriters around the world Blake Snyder tells all in this fast, funny and candid look inside the movie business. "Save the Cat" is just one of many ironclad rules for making your ideas more marketable and your script more satisfying, including: The four elements of every winning logline The seven immutable laws of screenplay physics The 10 genres that every movie ever made can be categorized by - and why they're important to your script Why your Hero must serve your Idea Mastering the 15 Beats Creating the "Perfect Beast" by using The Board to map 40 scenes with conflict and emotional change How to get back on track with proven rules for script repair This ultimate insider's guide reveals the secrets that none dare admit, told by a showbiz veteran who's proven that you can sell your script if you can save the cat.

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