The premise of this book has merit, and there is some useful information in it, but it is also based on a borrowed premise and, as such, there was not much in it that I had not heard elsewhere.

There are *hundreds* of spoilers in this book. If you have an extensive or diverse TBR, you may find yourself needing to skip paragraphs or even multiple pages of content to avoid spoiling a story you want to read. This might make it less than useful for some readers. Additionally, while the author’s analyses are insightful, they are also sometimes “fluffy,” and the book does contain some editing errors / typos.

I think this book best serves as a beginner’s introduction to storytelling. It’s limited in scope but does give the reader a jumping off point. ( )

This is the most helpful bundle of insight on how to write a novel that I have found. I put down an arbitrary "completed" date because it's a reference book that one never really finishes.

I just keep going back to it again and again. The analyses of several different genre examples also included are treasure.

Absolutely invaluable. ( )

Love it ( )

This is a great starting point for learning the Save the Cat methodology as it applies to writing novels. Anyone with previous exposure to the concepts can easily skim the first chapters to grasp the novel-specific tips, analyze the applicable genre chapter(s) for a couple of new genre insights and cherry-pick the bits of "Problems / Solutions" they find interesting. I particularly liked the write up for "The Foundation Beats" that simplifies the 15-beat structure into the 5 most essential for getting started. ( )

A priceless book!

I was already familiar with Blake Snyder's Save the Cat! script writing method from YouTube so I knew how it generally worked and how many movies actually use this structure to tell their stories. I was applying those ideas to my story writing but wanted to have a better (more professional) translation of how these beats directly applied to novels, so I'm happy that Jessica Brody already did the work and did so in such a brilliant manner.

Not only does this book breakdown each of the 15 Save the Cat! beats within the three act structure telling you what they accomplish and why they're important, she shows you how these work in published novels from many genres such as Grapes of Wrath, Hunger Games, The Fault in Our Stars and more.

On top of that, Jessica also goes into detail on the 10 Save the Cat! story genres, mixing the genres, how to pitch a novel, some frequently asked questions and more. It really is an extensive book that covers all the bases!

Bottom line: it's a great tried-and-true formula using the three act structure in it's own way. Yes, there are other methods out there and you should definitely be aware of them and use those if suited. All said, Save the Cat! by Jessica Brody is another great tool in any author's arsenal. ( )