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What our customer's say!

"The ever elusive Second act... is here", If you are a seasoned "reader" of screenwriting books, you must have noticed something: every author mentions the difficulty on writing a good second act. But they don't tell you how to write one.

Blake does. Every page in this book is valuable for one reason or another, but le'me tell you: You ain'gonna find how to write a good second act in any other book.

And, as you may know for now, the second act IS the movie...

"Yes, this is the book you want.", This is the book. You want to understand movies? You want a foundation to write a screenplay? You want fun in doing it? You want a great read>
This is the book.

"A good book, but I'd take the advice with a grain of salt", "Save the Cat" is essentially a guide to writing mainstream American-style movies. It provides common-sense advice, the sort of stuff you don't think of in spite of the fact that it's glaringly obvious, and this advice is presented in a conversational, easy to follow manner. I enjoyed reading this book and I think it will help me. However, as with any writing book, I will be taking the advice with a grain of salt.

My greatest reservations about this book are with regards to the chapter in which Snyder states that every (mainstream) movie ever made can be classified into one of 10 basic genres. In order to prove his point, Snyder does some pretty impressive mental gymnastics, but I'm still not convinced. I'm sorry, but I still can't manage to accept the suggestion that "M*A*S*H" and "American Beauty" are both "the same film". Furthermore, although his "beat sheet" (a basic outline that can supposedly apply to any film) is impressive, after having watched a couple of movies with this in mind, I've found that trying to align them with this outline is not as easy as Snyder would make you believe.

In answer to the question that is on your mind, yes, if you're an aspiring screenwriter (or any type of fiction writer, as I believe this advice to be universal), this book is worth buying. It's better that a lot of other writing books that I have read and Snyder has sold a number of the screenplays that he has written, making him a more qualified teacher than most of the writers of these such books. However, don't treat this book as the Bible. Take with you the advice that helps and leave the rest.


"An Amazing Find!", After spending enormous amounts of time in the screenwriting section of many bookstores and libraries, Save the Cat was the first book I came across that I actually found helpful! Most of the books I had tried before that droned on and one about the basics of how to write a story. These other books assumed that I didn't know what an antagonist or protagonist was. I wanted a book that went beyond "teaching me to write" and instead helped make my writing better - and this is exactly what Save the Cat did!

This book takes a look at structure, but also at loglines and subject matter - things that could not be found in other books. The tone of the book is probably it's strongest point - Blake Snyder writes as if he's talking directly to you, like he really cares about helping you as a writer. The rules and structure guidlines are helpful and down to earth instead of reading like a textbook.

This is a book that I have read more than once. When I feel blocked or in need of inspiration, I read a couple of chapters in order to wake up my imagination. The chapter on loglines is a great place to start and come back to if you feel that there's something majorly flawed with your story that you just can't quite pinpoint.

While I used this book to improve my writing, it is set-up to so that beginning writers can also benefit from it. A friend of mine has a kernel of an idea for a story, but he's not sure where to go next and the first thought that came to my mind was to recommend this book to him.

So, if you're looking to write a screenplay, finish a screenplay, or even take your screenplay to that next level, Blake Snyder's Save the Cat is definitely something worth investing in!

"Wonderful Help For All Writers In Every Genre", Mr. Snyder was the lunch speaker at a writer's conference, fortunate for me, as I fancy myself as a novelist, not a screen writer, and I would not have attended his lecture had it been optional.

Mr. Snyder has sold about 19 scripts and had eleven made into movies, putting his credibility at the highest possible level. (I am so weary of attending classes and lectures by instructors who have so far sold one item, and giving classes is how they earn their living.)

Whether writing a movie, a short story, or a novel, his tips will improve the work immensely.

He uses popular movies to illustrate his points, showing exactly where and when a critical development occurs.

The points are not exclusive to screen-writing, they apply to all writers.

Oh, the title, 'Save The Cat'? It is his label to a scene every story should feature: the protagonist should do something selfless and admirable early in the story, to make us like him, and therefore a reason to cheer for him through the later chapters.

(He goes on to list a dozen others.)

The book is worth the time and investment.

Dan Elliott Jr.

Read this reviews before You buy...

"Before you type FADE IN...", ...do yourself a favor and read some Blake Snyder!

As a general rule, I'm not a fan of screenwriting books. Most of them parrot the same drivel over and over and by the end you really don't feel like you've learned anything new. Blake takes a more casual, less academic approach than many so-called gurus and the result is entertaining, informative, and practical. And he's got actual produced credits with major studios, too -- take that, McKee! He's been through the trenches, suffered through the nine rings of development hell, and lived to tell us all about it. We can all learn from his experience.

I also like that he covers every aspect of the craft, not just the actual nuts and bolts of writing the scripts. He takes you through crafting an idea, bullet-proofing its market potential, creating a solid logline, breaking down genres... everything you need to know. And he does it with humor and personality and makes it all so easy to grasp. His "Blake Snyder Beat Sheet" breaks down structure into all those simple beats you know and love, but he makes each one his own and informs every step with new insights. He also addresses things such as exposition and character arc in ways you never considered. He comes at them from a new perspective.

My writing partner and I consider Blake's books invaluable resources. They've not only helped us in developing new material, but with older pre-Cat scripts as well. We had numerous old specs sitting in drawers, knowing they had problems but unable to pinpoint them. Save the Cat helped us break through some of those barriers and gave us some genuine "a-ha!" moments. Hopefully, they will do the same for you.

And don't forget the software! It takes the old "index card" method into the digital age, letting you drag and drop scenes all around a virtual corkboard. And it won't let you move forward with making your little index cards until you've laid out a title, logline, and all the steps for your beat sheet. I like this because it forces a little discipline on you and won't let you dive head first into the shark pond without some kind of fail safe. Another great resource for any screenwriter, neophyte or professional.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

"You'll Be Glad You Did", True Story. Was killing time at a Borders, waiting for a movie to start, and came across this book because of it's interesting title and cover. When I picked it up and realized it was a book on screenwriting I literally said to myself: "Another book on screenwriting? Just what the world needs." After perusing the other aisles and books I found myself back at the same table. "Alright," I said. "I'll give this guy two pages to sell me on his book. I skipped the foreward and flipped straight to the intro whose first words read: "Another book on screenwriting?!" Needless to say, I was sold right then and there. In fact, after reading the intro I bought the book and skipped the movie altogether. And man am I glad I did. I've read McKee's "Story" and a few others on the subject of screenwriting and they each have their strengths and are somewhat useful. However, this one is, quite simply, the best. More than once I found myself thinking "I wish I had read this book three years ago and said to hell with all the rest." Not to say there wasn't anything learned or gained from them, just illustrating how effective his way of breaking down the science and the art of the screenwriting process is. Additionally, I appreciated the humor throughout as well as the analysis, examples and the fact that he focus' on the This-Is-What-You Have-To-Do-If-You-Want-To-Sell-A-Script ideology. Interesting how all the other books dance around this issue and clearly a testament to Snyder's knowledge and success in the business. If you really, really want to learn the way it's done, cough up the cash and buy this book now. I promise you, you'll be glad you did.

"really bad stuff", This type of books is Hollywood's main enemy. The type of books that make readers feel it is okay to not risk anything and just go for plain formula that has sold in the past.
Really bad stuff.

"Structure, Structure, Structure", One of my favorite quotes from law school comes from a professor who was talking about applying the moral and ethical rules of conduct to the difficult situations in which lawyers could find themselves. He said, "These rules don't make life easy. They make it possible." Save the Cat! doesn't make screenwriting easy, but it makes it possible. (And easy-er.) Blake Snyder details the "beats" that are followed by (almost) every successful movie. (Watch movies while following along with his "beat sheet" and you'll see that this is so. It's uncanny!) He explains what the beats are (eg-"Opening Image", "Debate", "Break into [Act] Two") and where they go in a screenplay.

Imagine trying to write a sonnet without knowing the sonnet form - how many lines, rhyme scheme, &c. In StC, Blake Snyder reveals the form of a successful screenplay and gives many helpful examples.

I've found following his rigorous structure to be a freeing experience. I know what has to go where (and why) and often the beat sheet serves as a prompt to help me write the next scene. (Snyder realizes that sometimes the rules need to be bent or broken, but one must know the rules before one can tinker with them.)

This book describes movie genres, has some useful tips for advancing the plot and "amping up" the characters and conflict, and provides great advice on writing a marketable screenplay. All of this would make it valuable. The detailed instruction re structure make Save the Cat! invaluable. Thanks, Blake!

"A MUST HAVE!!!", A good friend suggested Save The Cat to assist me in my screenwriting venture. I wasn't sure what to expect but he would rant and rave about the book. When I started reading, I realized why. This is one of them books where the author (Blake Snyder) not informs us, but cares about us. Save The Cat takes on a more practical approach and is geared towards anyone (from novices to pros). I wouldn't be surprised if this becomes required reading for film schools. I know I would recommend it. If anyone is interested in screenwriting, Save The Cat is a MUST HAVE.

I give this 5 STARS!!!