Part of Save the Cat!
First published 2018
Jessica Brody takes the Save the Cat! methodology, originally developed by screenwriter Blake Snyder for film, and rebuilds it from the ground up for novelists. The book centers on 15 beats, specific plot points that a story needs to work, starting with the opening image and running through to the finale. Brody argues that structure is not a cage but a map, and that understanding where each beat falls gives a writer control over pacing, tension, and reader investment. She lays out ten story genres, among them Monster in the House, Whydunit, and Dude with a Problem, showing how each genre carries its own structural logic. She also introduces concepts like Save the Cat and Shard of Glass, which address character likability and backstory wound respectively. Throughout, the examples draw from published novels rather than films, making the guidance immediately applicable to fiction writers. The result is a practical workbook for any novelist who wants to build a plot that holds together and a story that readers will finish.
Genres: education, writing, non-fiction, how-to, books-about-books
Vibes: accessible, empowering, instructional, practical, structured
314 pages · Paperback · Ten Speed Press