It’s been a busy few weeks here at Save the Cat! Industries.
And the evidence is piling up of how well we’re doing in our efforts to bring the Cat! method to writers, and to have that method prove time and again to be successful.
We are a juggernaut, we are venerable, we are solid state!
Last week I spoke to 500 writers who had gathered for the Book Expo. I’d been asked by Chuck Sambuchino of Writer’s Digest to give the keynote address and it was one of the best experiences I’ve had interacting with writers of all kinds. Non-fiction and fiction writers, journalists and memoirists were there, seeking tips about focusing their work and their marketing efforts. And my talk, about how the movie industry has taught me tremendous lessons in these areas, was apparently a hit if the line to buy Save the Cat! is any indication. I got to meet Chuck and thank him for inviting me, along with Robin Mizell, who wrote one of the most interesting articles about us that will be published next year in Writer’s Digest books Screenwriters and Playwrights Guide 2009. Thank you one and all!
This past weekend in Vancouver was another joyous experience. Both the Beat Sheet Weekend and the Master Class I conduct make me giddy with excitement every time, especially when the class is as good as this one. We even had a drop-in visit from Bill Allman, who is organizing our Vancouver Cat! writing group. Bill is great! And I especially liked his parting rallying cry: “Let’s beat the LA Cats!” That sense of competition is what it’s all about!
As predicted, the post-strike boom is still in progress and I couldn’t be happier about that. Lots of spec scripts are selling, 15 a week according to an industry person I spoke to last week. The biggest sales are high-concept comedies at the moment but it’s the “high-concept” part that is key. I hear from agents, managers, and producers all the time — give me more scripts like the ones you talk about in Cat! Every time another writer buys a Cat! book or software, I feel like he or she is armed in new ways to go out and get the job done.
And if THAT all weren’t enough, every time I am on the road and get pinged on my iPhone that another entry was made in our “Title-ating” contest, I get excited. I know as I race to the Comments section to see the latest contestant’s brilliance, I am guaranteed a laugh! Over 97 entries at last count, and all of them so creative and funny! We will be announcing the winners on Thursday.
So, keep at it, keep up the great work, and let’s make this your best year ever. There is every indication that it will be big one for you all!
Blake Snyder
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Oh man, if I win it would mean validation for a lot of talent I HOPE I have. Thank you, Blake. Thank you for giving aspiring writers a chance to show you what we can really do. =]
—Shannon D.
(I wrote 2 loglines. ‘Designated Driver’ and ‘Without a net’!)
As always, an inspiring post. Your giddiness in infectious! In fact I hope to become a statistic in the post-strike spec sale boom this fall. My Cat inspired high-concept action blockbuster is progressing nicely!
Hey Blake, I live in Vancouver. Can you pass along Bill’s email or some more info on the Vancouver Cat Group? Mucho appreciated.
Sounds like you’re having a great start to the summer.
I can’t wait until you visit in Toronto, and/or get your seminars/classes on video!
Anyone interested in getting in touch with Bill Allman who runs our Vancouver Cats! group, please contact him at [email protected]
It was great fun chatting with you, Christina Katz, and Matthew Frederick at dinner after the writer’s conference on May 28. BookExpo gave all of us a chance to meet people we’d normally only correspond with or speak to on the phone (or via comment forms).
As Christina and I mentioned, the methods used for creative storytelling differ drastically from the techniques we were once taught in order to analyze stories. I’ll be relying on your tips each time I work with a manuscript, and I’ll be recommending Save the Cat! Thanks for being, as always, so generous with your time and advice.
Was great having you there, Blake. Everything went well, and I posted a few pictures of you talking up on my blog: http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog.