LDSPMA

Empowering Latter-day Saints to spread light and truth by connecting them at the intersection of faith, creativity, and professional skill

Story Structure

How “Save the Cat” Can Save Your Story – Part Five

By Leave a Comment

Every reader knows that stories consist of more than just fun and games, and they’ll be ready to discover what comes next. You’d better deliver the heat you promised at the midpoint!     

Where the midpoint is a single scene beat that acts as a catalyst to change your hero’s path, the next beat is similar to the debate where your fearless hero deals with the fallout.

Beat 10: Bad Guys Close In

The stakes are high, and a ticking clock increases the pressure. Your story takes a dramatic turn, and your hero faces their ultimate test.

What happens to humans under pressure? Even the best of us default to our worst qualities—and that’s exactly what happens to our hero. All their negative personality traits drive their behavior. Eventually, their character flaws become too much for their friends to bear, and the hero finds themselves alone.

Beat 11: All Is Lost

What happens when we find ourselves in the worst spot of our lives with no one to support us? We hit rock bottom.

In this moment of despair, your hero faces a significant defeat that represents the death of the character they once were. This single scene beat is often signified by an actual death, especially that of the hero’s mentor. Without a mentor, the hero is truly on his own. This is the darkest hour before the dawn and the door through which your hero must pass to experience profound transformation.

Beat 12: The Dark Night of the Soul

This internal struggle is a crucial moment of reflection, introspection, and growth for your hero. Your hero confronts their inner demons, learns a valuable life lesson, and comes to understand the theme of your story.

Your hero will reflect on the lessons learned in their darkest moment to rise up and face the final challenge. This epiphany is the culmination of your story and the rising platform on which your hero will emerge victorious.

You can create a compelling and satisfying ending to your story by understanding the key stages of Act 2. I’m excited just thinking about it! Do this section right, and you’ll have a winner on your hands.

Now comes the grand finale. Act 3 brings all the pieces together, and your hero emerges triumphant. Let’s explore how to craft a satisfying and memorable conclusion to your story. Remember, the brightest dawn often follows the darkest night.

Beat 13: Break into Three: The Eureka Moment

The turning point of Act 3 is when your hero has a breakthrough—a realization that changes everything. The lessons they learned in the Dark Night of the Soul (Beat 12) meet the “aha” moment that sets the stage for the showdown.

Beat 14: The Final Battle

The stakes are at their highest, and the outcome is uncertain. It’s the climax of your story—the moment of truth. Here, your hero faces their greatest challenge where they will triumph or fail.

The hero must make amends for their bad behavior in Beat 10 and restore the relationship with the B-story character. Either the B-story character or the team recognizes the hero has changed and joins them in the fight.

With a foolproof plan in hand, they confront the bad guys—and are completely thwarted. The bad guys throw down a plot twist that destroys the hero’s plan and leaves them hopeless.

This defeat leads to a mini setup/catalyst/debate where the hero digs deeper than ever before and decides once and for all if they have what it takes to win the game. “Winning” requires them to embrace the theme and become the person the story has guided them to be. Only by doing so will they truly be able to defeat the bad guys.

The hero confronts the bad guys again with greater confidence and a supportive team.

This time, the hero and their team emerge victorious.

Beat 15: The Final Image

The last scene provides a snapshot of the hero’s new reality. This image mirrors the opening scene and allows the theme to resonate with the reader. The final image cements the hero’s transformation and emphasizes the lessons they’ve learned.

Crafting a satisfying ending is crucial to leave a lasting impact on your readers. By following these steps and understanding the importance of each beat, you can create a rewarding and memorable conclusion.

Pro Tip: The key to a great ending is to make it feel earned. The resolution should directly result from the character’s journey and the challenges they’ve faced.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this journey through the beats of Save the Cat, but you should never feel constrained by a writing method. Follow the beats as closely or loosely as you wish to guide you through crafting the best story you’ve ever written—the first of many to come.

Happy writing!

A headshot of Ali Cross.

Ali Cross

Ali Cross is a USA Today bestselling author, motivational speaker, and story development coach who loves to help writers level up both professionally and personally. A happiness enthusiast and believer in hope and magic, Ali’s a sucker for underdogs, redemption stories, and happily-ever-afters. She explores the concept of joy and where it can be found in her YouTube show and podcast, Write4Joy. She lives in Utah with her hacker husband where they collaborate on stories, artificial intelligence, and their plan for virtual world domination.
Find Ali at her website or @thealicross online.

    How “Save the Cat” Can Save Your Story—Part Two

    By Leave a Comment

    In Part One of our article series, we introduced “Save the Cat” (STC) Acts as a guide to help you understand the purpose of each part of your story. Each act is broken down into “beats”—essential story parts. It’s entirely up to you how detailed you plan out each beat prior to writing, making STC completely customizable. As a rebel myself, I thoroughly enjoy things I can make entirely my own—and I suspect many of you feel the same too.

    The Transformation Machine

    Consider your hero’s transformation before outlining, and especially before you write. Knowing the hero’s wound (flaw or problem), their want (what they think will solve their problem or make them feel better), and their need (what you as the creator of their story know they truly need) will inform how your hero behaves at each beat. The Transformation Machine is about creating resonance between your reader and your hero by making the hero relatable. The more your readers can see themselves in the hero’s problem or flaw, the more readers will want to read about them.

    Enough chatting. Let’s get plotting!

    Thesis—or the World as It Currently Is

    Where we show our readers who the main character is, what’s lacking in the character’s life, and create that resonant bond between the reader and the hero.

    You need to establish a resonant connection to deliver on your story’s promises. The first three beats of Act 1—Opening Image, Theme, and Setup—are particularly      designed to do just that.

    Beat 1: Opening Image

    Beat 1 is a snapshot of the hero’s current life. You’ve heard the advice to start with action. A conflict reveals what’s wrong in their life, which captures the reader’s attention and builds resonant bonds. However, avoid so much action that the hero’s plight is lost beneath the action.

    Pro Tip: Imagine the ending and make your beginning the mirror opposite. If it ends with a happily ever after, then start the story with a breakup or with a character who can’t get a date.

    Plantser Tip: If you know the beginning and ending, you can happily draft knowing you’re heading in the right direction.

    Beat 2: Theme

    Beat 2 is “scheduled” for the 5% mark in a novel, but it’s very flexible. I like it during the first 10% of a book because it sets the tone for the character arc, but you can place it wherever makes sense to you—even at the beginning of Act 2. Later than that, however, and it loses its power.

    Imagine this beat as a conversation with your mom in which she says something wise and meaningful, but you brush it off because “she doesn’t understand.” The thing about moms, though, is that they usually do understand. You can substitute any kind of mentor/authority figure here. Deliver this advice or warning any way you see fit—a prayer, a song, a poem, an old wives’ tale. However it’s delivered, the hero needs to reject it, creating that resistance humans are so familiar with. By the end of the book, they’ll embrace the theme and grow—and perhaps inspire some positive change in your reader as well.

    Pro Tip: The theme is directly related to your character’s need. Knowing this need will help you craft the best rewards and punishments for your hero.

    Beat 3: Setup

    Beat 3 encapsulates up to 10% of the novel. Its purpose is to introduce the hero, the world, and hint at what’s wrong with the hero’s life. It reveals how the hero behaves at home, at work, and at play, which increases your opportunities to create resonance with your readers.

    Pro Tip: Don’t get hung up on “at home, at work, at play.” What’s important is to show how the hero’s problem affects their family relationships, their success at work (or school), and their friendships.

    Failing to establish these early beats is like trying to change a light bulb while standing on a cardboard box. You’re more likely to crash through the box than brighten your room.    

    -Ali Cross

    Examples of the Beats    

    In the opening scenes of The Hunger Games, Katniss struggles to do all the things under the worst circumstances. Poverty, oppression, and hopelessness are familiar conditions everyone fears. No wonder the book was so universally loved.

    In The Lion King, young Simba wants his father to teach him how to be a leader and a warrior, but his father never has time—another relatable problem. None of us have ever been lion cubs, but we’ve all experienced the sting of an absent or distracted parent.

    As we move into Beat 4, Catalyst, and Beat 5, Debate, we’ll be grateful we put hard work into those first three beats. I promise it’ll be worth it, whether you’re a Plotter or Pantser or something in between.

    See you next time as we explore “Fireballs, House Fires, and Other Disasters That Move You”—otherwise known as Catalyst, Debate, and Break into Act 2.

        

    A headshot of Ali Cross.

    Ali Cross

    Ali Cross is a USA Today bestselling author, motivational speaker, and story development coach who loves to help writers level up both professionally and personally. A happiness enthusiast and believer in hope and magic, Ali’s a sucker for underdogs, redemption stories, and happily-ever-afters. She explores the concept of joy and where it can be found in her YouTube show and podcast, Write4Joy. She lives in Utah with her hacker husband where they collaborate on stories, artificial intelligence, and their plan for virtual world domination.
    Find Ali at her website or @thealicross online.

      How “Save the Cat” Can Save Your Story – Part One

      By Leave a Comment

      If you’re a Plotter—a writer who habitually outlines and pre-plans your books—you’ve likely heard of something called “Save the Cat.” But if you’re a Pantser—a writer who prefers to write intuitively and without a plan—I hope you will stop and take a look at this article because I believe “Save the Cat” method, or STC, is the perfect tool for every writer, even if you’re a Plantser—a writer who does a little of both.

      Origin of the “Save the Cat” Method

      Save the Cat: The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need by screenwriter Blake Snyder came out in 2005. The term “save the cat” relates to the moment when the unlikeable main character does something heroic, like saving a cat from a tree. This signals to movie-goers that there is a good side to him, so it’s okay to root for him.

      When we refer to “Save the Cat,” though, we’re most often speaking about the 15-point “beat sheet” Snyder presents in the book. The method caught on for novelists because Snyder’s analysis of a 150-page screenplay can also be applied to writing a novel of 250 pages or more. You can compare the novel-writing process to a road trip. The method breaks the process down into manageable parts like pausing at rest stops along the way as opposed to traveling on a never-ending highway where you have no idea where the next rest stop will be.

      With more readers these days wanting a movie-like experience when they read, the proven blockbuster movie formula is hard to ignore. It’s worked for hundreds of thousands of authors in the nearly two decades since the book’s release, and it’s a staple in many writers’ toolboxes—including my own.

      Road Trips and “Save the Cat”

      The STC Beat Sheet consists of fifteen “beats,” or story points. You can think of them as guideposts on a mapped road trip. You know where you’re starting, you know your destination, and you’ve planned some specific stops along the way. That’s the Beat Sheet. You wouldn’t want to go on a road trip without some sort of plan. Otherwise, you wouldn’t know how much time to take off work or where to stop for gas.

      But what if you prefer go-with-the-flow road trips where you’re free to wander from the main highway when something catches your interest? You still know how to get back to the main road, and you still know where you need to turn back—you just get to enjoy a little adventure on your way there.

      That’s “Save the Cat” too.

      Over a series of six articles, we’ll explore the meaning and purpose of the STC Beat Sheet and discover how it’s the best tool for all writers—Plotters, Pantsers, and Plantsers alike.

      Acts and Beats in “Save the Cat”

      The STC Beat Sheet is comprised of three acts and the following beats:

      Act 1: Opening Image, Theme, Setup, Catalyst, Debate, Break into Act Two    
      Act 2: B-Story, Fun & Games, Midpoint, Bad Guys Close In, All Is Lost, Dark Night of the Soul, Break into Act Three
      Act 3: Finale, Closing Image 

      Each act has a purpose, which helps us understand the beats within it. 

      Act 1 is your “thesis” world. It’s a statement of how things are. Each beat within Act 1 is a study of your protagonist’s regular life and how they interact with it. Even the Catalyst and Debate—the “invitation”—deal more with the life that is rather than the one beyond the horizon. Knowing you’re in the thesis world helps you focus your story and avoid rushing your reader.

      Act 2 is your “antithesis” world or the upside-down world. Just as the phrase “upside-down world” implies, nothing should feel commonplace or “normal” in this act. When you’re unsure what to write, write about what’s uncomfortable because it’s only when life pushes us out of our comfort zone that we truly learn and grow.

      Act 3 is your “synthesis” world. If Act 1 was one slice of bread and Act 2 was all the yummy stuff you put on a sandwich, Act 3 is the second slice of bread. Without it, you don’t have a complete story. Act 3 brings the hero from Act 1, who is a changed person due to everything they learned in Act 2, into a new world where they can save the day, get the girl, live happily ever after, etc.

      Examples of the Method in Action

      What “Save the Cat” does, above all else, is craft a story of transformation. It’s still about the plot, or story, but it guides you to create flawed, fallible characters who are challenged by the plot until they become changed people. Take Luke in Star Wars as an example. Anxious for adventure, he leaves the only world he’s ever known without a second glance (Act 1). Despite being told he has a gift for the Force, he can’t control it. He struggles with authority, eventually choosing technology over the Force (Act 2). But in the end, tools fail him, and he must trust the Force to accomplish what must be done (Act 3).

      In Iron Man, Tony Stark is unwilling to acknowledge any responsibility for the damage done by the weapons he sells to the enemy (Act 1). But through his humbling experience at the hands of those enemies (Act 2), he begins the arc that will transform him into a hero (Act 3).

      Gracie Hart from Miss Congeniality is a tough-as-nails cop who purposefully downplays her feminine side because she believes she can’t be both a successful cop and a beautiful woman (Act 1). But as she works undercover in a beauty pageant, she discovers she’s been wrong all along (Act 2). She learns to embrace who she is and what she is—woman, cop, friend—and in doing so, she finds she’s a happier version of herself (Act 3).

      Plotters, Pantsers, Plantsers, and “Save the Cat”

      A Plotter can take Act 1’s purpose and flesh out all the scenes that will demonstrate a character’s flaw.

      A Pantser can take Act 1’s purpose and let it guide them as they write.

      And a Plantser can do whatever they please—plotting when it’s helpful, and free writing when it’s not.

      As long as you keep the purpose in mind, any of these modalities will help you write your best novel yet.

      I hope this brief overview has been helpful. Stay tuned for the next article, where we’ll dive into the beats!

      A headshot of Ali Cross.

      Ali Cross

      Ali Cross is a USA Today bestselling author, motivational speaker, and story development coach who loves to help writers level up both professionally and personally. A happiness enthusiast and believer in hope and magic, Ali’s a sucker for underdogs, redemption stories, and happily-ever-afters. She explores the concept of joy and where it can be found in her YouTube show and podcast, Write4Joy. She lives in Utah with her hacker husband where they collaborate on stories, artificial intelligence, and their plan for virtual world domination.
      Find Ali at her website or @thealicross online.