Saggy middles, plot points, pinch points… Sounds gibberish and scary? Yeah, I’ve been there. Every time I started writing a novel, I had to stop because it was going nowhere. I worked and worked, but nothing substantial came out of it. Until I stumbled upon Jami Gold’s Save the Cat! beat sheet, which led me to the book itself by Jessica Brody.
Its title, Save the Cat!, really achieved what it claims: It saved the Cat (my name’s Catherine).
The Beat Sheet (Jami Gold)
This beat sheet is marvellous! Not only does it have the titles of each important plot point, with the number of pages on which it should happen no less, it also offers short descriptions of those points! As a newcomer to this method (a year ago), I didn’t understand this jargon right away. But the descriptions, damn, did they help me! I figured out what they meant overall and started applying my story to the plot points and… magic! I had a workable, substantial storyline; not perfect, mind you, as I still had to learn the whole method, but my story could hold on its own now!
It drastically changed my plotting method. Plotting is my most hated part of writing (I love all others! Yes, even marketing), but now I see it as crucial and even pleasant to see the story form before my eyes and stand on its own. Whenever I have a new book idea, I print the beat sheet and fill it in first thing. It might take a few days, since this is plotting, but it works for me. The Save the Cat! method is a godsend to me!
You can find the beat sheet here.
The Actual Book
Now, I mentioned a book, didn’t I? Well, Jessica Brody wrote a book about novel writing using the Save the Cat! method. And guess what? I’m damn glad she did!
Here it is:
It is insightful, helpful and precise. There’s little fooling around, and you’ve got actionable steps, theory and a lot of examples (yes, beat sheets examples, too!) I purchased it a while ago and I cherish it. I can finally immerse myself in this technique instead of simply “guessing” like I used to do with only the beat sheet.
Really, give this book a try if you’re like me, stuck on plotting, saggy middles or don’t really know what to do with those plot and pinch points… It’ll save your novels, too. I can vouch for this!
Jessica Brody’s course
What if I told you there’s a course built around this very book? Well, there is! The author is the one offering this course (we lucky champs!) You can access it by paying a monthly membership fee ($12), and it’s full of resources, beat sheets, examples, and clear and precise explanations by the Jessica Brody herself.
If you’re interested (like I was—I am paying that membership for this course precisely), head over here.
In Conclusion
Wow, that’s a lot! Don’t you feel better and energized by finding more about the Save the Cat! method? I believe it will help you like it helps me—tremendously, every day. Now I feel confident (or at least, less afraid) about my plotting skills, and I discuss the plot of my novels with others in a straightforward way. No more stuttering and losing myself in “maybe” or “I think they’ll do this, but I’m not sure”, etc. The doubts and hesitations about plot are easier to overcome.
I encourage you to try out this proven, successful method. It’s highly rewarding.
Remember: trust your centre and have fun!
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Ad Librum Aeternam 