It’s here! Save the Cat! Writes a Young Adult Novel is now out in the world and in this post, I’m thrilled to share all the juicy details. Are you ready? Let’s dive in! First off… There’s a new Save the Cat book? Yup, in case you haven’t heard, there’s a new Save the Cat!  … Read more

My first official copy of SAVE THE CAT! WRITES A YA NOVEL has arrived! Of course, I couldn’t do just a regular unboxing video. See how many of Save the Cat! references you can catch!   Also, don’t miss out on your chance to nab 5 Bonus Beat Sheets (100 pages of extra content) when you preorder  … Read more

 Attention Save the Cat! Fans! I’ve got BIG NEWS!  In this post, I’m revealing all the juicy details about the next book in the Save the Cat! Series, Save the Cat! Writes a Young Adult Novel, written by yours truly, including a first look at the cover! So, yes, it’s true. I wrote another  … Read more

“Why is it called Save the Cat!?” A question I’ve been getting a lot since my novel-writing guide, Save the Cat! Writes a Novel, was first published back in 2018. It’s often a confusing title because the term, “Save the Cat!” actually has very little to do with the core of the book, which is  … Read more

Maybe you’ve heard your writer friends talking about Save the Cat! and felt yourself nodding a long while secretly wondering, “What the heck is save the cat?” Maybe you read about it on a blog post or saw it mentioned in a Youtube video. Or maybe you were just searching for cute cat pictures and  … Read more

Flashbacks and backstory can be extremely useful storytelling devices that give your reader important information about the history of the world, a character’s past, and why certain characters behave a certain way. When used sparingly and strategically, backstory can provide context and clarity and even create empathy for unlikeable characters. But where do you do  … Read more

“How do you approach the beat sheet?” There’s a question I get asked a lot. Logically, you might think I start with the Opening Image and just work my way through, beat by beat, until I reach the Final Image. But that’s not usually the case. Although all of my novel brainstorm processes are unique,  … Read more

It’s no secret that one of the best ways to become a better fiction writer is to read lots of fiction. But I think it goes beyond that. I think, to become a better writer, you can’t just read a lot. You have to learn and practice how to read books as a writer. Not  … Read more

Imagine you’re reading a great adventure story. The hero has spent 80% of the story fighting against an evil regime that’s oppressed his village, scattered his friends and family, imprisoned the person he loves, and even kidnapped his dog! Just when everything seems lost for our hero, he realizes what he has to do–he’s got  … Read more

If you’re writing a novel or short story using the Save the Cat! beat sheet and wondering exactly where your beats should fall, then have I got a cool tool for you! (Not to mention a nice rhyme there.) When outlining, writing, or revising a novel, it’s helpful to know not only what story beats  … Read more

Taylor Swift’s new album, folklore, is here and critics are already calling it her “storytelling album”. That seems to fit given that her first released video from the album, “Cardigan,” follows ALL of the key story beats!  I realize there’s about a zillion analyses and lyric interpretations floating around out there, as Swifties everywhere attempt  … Read more

I can’t believe this is actually happening! I’ve been in talks with the lovely people at Blake Snyder Enterprises for over TWO years about writing an installment in the Save the Cat! series geared exclusively toward novelists, and now it’s FINALLY real! Last month, we sold SAVE THE CAT! WRITES A NOVEL to the amazing  … Read more