Save the Cat – Blake Snyder
One of Blake’s most endearing traits was his infectious joie de vivre, his love of life and all things “movie.” There are dictionaries where you look up bon vivant and the only thing there is Blake’s picture. (yes, that’s a modified line from “The Batting Order.”)
“Save the Cat” is not shy about insisting, “Do it this way because it works.” Coming from the mouth of an arrogant prick, it would be pretty hard to take. But Blake had all the endearing traits of a trickster – and we all know that the court jester can say things that the king's advisers can’t.
One of my son’s coaches used to wrap up the pre-game huddle and have the boys shout, “Work!” Well, . . .
The coach wanted intensity, focus and high energy. But the fact is, one is supposed to “play” soccer, or play the violin or play poker. It’s not that Blake and “Save the Cat” is lacking in intensity, quite the contrary, but somehow his theme remains, “This is supposed to be fun!” And the corollary goes with it, “The better you get at doing it, the more fun it will be.”
The book spends a lot of time on constructing a logline for your story. That’s because Blake suggests that you wait with writing FADE IN: until you have a logline. Not only that, you shouldn’t write FADE IN: until you’ve “tested” your logline to be sure strangers – not family and not friends, but strangers – take an interest in that logline.
I looked at my copy of “Save the Cat” to get ready to write this page and was charmed by it all over again. I recommend it to you without reservation – for two reasons. 1) It’s a really fun read with lots of good information. 2) The world is full of “Cat” people – some “Cat” lovers and some “Cat” haters. If you know what’s inside the covers, you’ll be better able to talk to them (both). Here is the link to the “Save the Cat” website.
“Save the Cat” is not shy about insisting, “Do it this way because it works.” Coming from the mouth of an arrogant prick, it would be pretty hard to take. But Blake had all the endearing traits of a trickster – and we all know that the court jester can say things that the king's advisers can’t.
One of my son’s coaches used to wrap up the pre-game huddle and have the boys shout, “Work!” Well, . . .
The coach wanted intensity, focus and high energy. But the fact is, one is supposed to “play” soccer, or play the violin or play poker. It’s not that Blake and “Save the Cat” is lacking in intensity, quite the contrary, but somehow his theme remains, “This is supposed to be fun!” And the corollary goes with it, “The better you get at doing it, the more fun it will be.”
The book spends a lot of time on constructing a logline for your story. That’s because Blake suggests that you wait with writing FADE IN: until you have a logline. Not only that, you shouldn’t write FADE IN: until you’ve “tested” your logline to be sure strangers – not family and not friends, but strangers – take an interest in that logline.
I looked at my copy of “Save the Cat” to get ready to write this page and was charmed by it all over again. I recommend it to you without reservation – for two reasons. 1) It’s a really fun read with lots of good information. 2) The world is full of “Cat” people – some “Cat” lovers and some “Cat” haters. If you know what’s inside the covers, you’ll be better able to talk to them (both). Here is the link to the “Save the Cat” website.