How to Write a Novel
A step-by-step guide for novel writers
Are you a screenwriter? Learn how to write a screenplay.
Introduction
Save the Cat!® provides novelists the tools they need to craft novels that resonate.
Originally developed by screenwriter Blake Snyder (1957–2009), the Save the Cat! framework was adapted for fiction by best-selling author and educator Jessica Brody, whose books Save the Cat!® Writes a Novel and Save the Cat!® Writes a Young Adult Novel have become foundational guides for modern novelists.
Built on 10 genres/story types, 15 story beats (the Blake Snyder Beat Sheet), and a visual planning system known as The Board, the Save the Cat! approach offers fiction writers a clear and flexible structure for shaping plot, strengthening character arcs, and building emotionally satisfying narratives.
Through our books, workshops, story structure software, and coaching, novelists learn how to outline manuscripts, refine pacing, deepen transformation, and finish drafts with confidence—whether writing stand-alone novels or expansive series.
Blake Snyder coined “Save the Cat!” to remind us of something simple: before we follow a hero anywhere, we have to connect to them. Sometimes that means literally saving a cat. More often, it’s a small moment that makes the reader care.
Welcome to Save the Cat!
The Transformation Machine
At its heart, every novel is about change. Readers don’t turn pages simply for events. They turn pages to witness transformation.
We like to say that when a story begins, the writer and the reader are standing together on a train platform. Once the journey starts, we step on that train… and we don’t come back the same.
If the novel works, the protagonist cannot remain who they were on page one. Beliefs shift. Flaws are confronted. Identities evolve.
Change isn’t easy. It isn’t painless.
That’s why it matters.
If there is no real transformation, there is no lasting story.
So how do you track change across an entire manuscript?
Save the Cat! charts transformation through:
- The 15 beats of the Blake Snyder Beat Sheet
- The 40-card structure of The Board
- The Transformation Machine
The Transformation Machine shows how a character metaphorically sheds an old way of being and emerges altered. That evolution can be mapped across acts, chapters, and scenes—giving your novel a clear emotional through-line from beginning to end.
The Logline
The logline is a single sentence that captures the essence of your novel.
It’s a clarity tool, useful before drafting and invaluable during revision.
A strong logline includes four elements:
- A protagonist
- An antagonist or central obstacle
- A clear goal
- An open-ended question (what are the stakes?)
A great logline adds irony and creates a vivid mental image—one that communicates the promise of the story and makes readers want to turn the first page.
If your logline works, your novel has focus.
The 10 Genres
Genre and structure are the backbone of compelling fiction.
The Save the Cat! framework organizes narrative into 10 genres/story types—defined not by setting, but by the kind of transformation at the center of the story.
Identifying your novel’s story type clarifies tone, readers’ expectations, and emotional trajectory.
When a manuscript feels scattered, understanding its genre often reveals what’s missing.
Each genre has 3 essential components.
Buddy Love
The 3 elements of a Buddy Love story are:
- An incomplete hero who is missing something physical, ethical, or spiritual; (s)he needs another to be whole.
- A counterpart who makes that completion come about or has qualities the hero needs.
- A complication, be it a misunderstanding, personal or ethical viewpoint, epic historical event, or the prudish disapproval of society.
Dude with a Problem
The 3 elements of a Dude with a Problem story are:
- An innocent hero who is dragged into a mess without asking for it—or even aware of how he got involved.
- A sudden event that thrusts our innocent(s) into the world of hurt—and it comes without warning.
- A life or death battle is at stake—and the continued existence of an individual, family, group, or society is in question.
Fool Triumphant
The 3 elements of a Fool Triumphant story are:
- A fool whose innocence is his strength and whose gentle manner makes him likely to be ignored—by all but a jealous “Insider” who knows too well.
- An establishment, the people or group a fool comes up against, either within his midst, or after being sent to a new place in which he does not fit… at first.
- A transmutation in which the fool becomes someone or something new, often including a “name change” that’s taken on either by accident or as a disguise.
Golden Fleece
The 3 elements of a Golden Fleece story are:
- A road spanning oceans, time, or across the street—so long as it demarcates growth. It often includes a “Road Apple” that stops the trip cold.
- A team or a buddy the hero needs to be guided along the way. Usually, it’s those who represent the things the hero doesn’t have: skill, experience, or attitude.
- A prize that’s sought and is something primal: going home, securing a treasure, or re-gaining a birthright.
Institutionalized
The 3 elements of a Institutionalized story are:
- A group—a family, an organization, or a business that is unique and that the hero lives or works with, or must deal with.
- A choice, the ongoing conflict pitting a “Brando” or “Naif” vs. the system’s “Company Man.”
- Finally, a sacrifice must be made leading to one of three endings: join, burn it down… or commit “suicide.”
Monster in the House
The 3 elements of a Monster in the House story are:
- A monster that is supernatural in its powers—even if its strength derives from insanity—and “evil” at its core.
- A house, meaning an enclosed space that can include a family unit, an entire town, or even “the world.”
- A sin. Someone is guilty of bringing the monster in the house… a transgression that can include ignorance.
Out of the Bottle
The 3 elements of a Out of the Bottle story are:
- A wish asked for by the hero or another, and the clearly seen need to be delivered from the ordinary.
- A spell, which we must make logical by upholding “The Rules.”
- A lesson: Be careful what you wish for! It’s the running theme in all OOTB’s. Life is good as it is.
Rites of Passage
The 3 elements of a Rites of Passage story are:
- A life problem: from puberty to midlife to death, there are universal passages we all understand.
- A wrong way to attack the mysterious problem, usually a diversion from confronting the pain.
- A solution that involves acceptance of a hard truth the hero has been fighting, and the knowledge it’s the hero that must change, not the world around him.
Superhero
The 3 elements of a Superhero story are:
- The hero of your tale must have a special power—even if it’s just a mission to be great or do good.
- The hero must be opposed by a nemesis of equal or greater force, who is the “self-made” version of the hero.
- There must be a curse for the hero that he either surmounts or succumbs to as the price for who he is.
Whydunit
The 3 elements of a Whydunit story are:
- The detective does not change, we do; yet he can be any kind of gumshoe—from pro to amateur to imaginary.
- The secret of the case is so strong it overwhelms the worldly lures of money, sex, power, or fame. We gots to know! And so does the Whydunit hero.
- Finally, the dark turn shows that in pursuit of the secret, the detective will break the rules, even his own—often ones he has relied on for years to keep him safe. The pull of the secret is too great.
A writer’s job is to master the basics of each story type, and learn to give them your own twist to make them ring true for your generation.
The Blake Snyder Beat Sheet
Genres reveal what kind of story you’re telling. The Beat Sheet reveals how it unfolds.
Blake Snyder identified 15 universal story beats that appear across successful narratives. For novelists, these beats serve as structural landmarks—guiding pacing, escalating stakes, and tracking character change across chapters.
In fiction, the beats are not rigid page counts but narrative markers that shape the reader’s experience from Opening Image to Final Image.
ACT 1: The Ordinary World — Thesis
Beat 1. Opening Image
0–1 %
A thematic or grabbing visual image, scene, or short sequence which sets the tone of your movie. It often serves as the “before” picture of your hero (or world) that will transform throughout the story.
Beat 2. Theme Stated
5 %
A line of dialogue that organically states what your story is all about. The theme is typically voiced by another character to your hero, calling out the hero’s deeper flaw or spiritual need for change.
Beat 3. Set-Up
1–10 %
Reveals your main character’s “ordinary life” or status quo. Takes time to demonstrate a character’s flaws that negatively impact the hero’s life. Describes the character’s familiar world when it comes to home, work, and play, and introduces the main characters who inhabit the hero’s life.
Beat 4. Catalyst
10 %
The life-changing moment that happens to the hero and sets the story in motion. Provides that initial shove onto the story roller coaster.
Beat 5. Debate
10–20 %
The reaction to the Catalyst, usually presented in the form of a question. (“Do I really have to go on this dangerous quest?”) Can be a sequence of doubt, denial, evasion, or even preparation. It lends weight to the life-changing bigger journey yet to come and foreshadows the new world as one that you do not enter lightly.
ACT 2: The Upside-Down World — Antithesis
Beat 6. Break into Two
20 %
The hero decides to take action and locks in to accomplish a goal, venturing into a new world, or choosing a new way of thinking. This is a no-turning-back decision that separates the old, ordinary world from the new world.
Beat 7. B Story
22 %
A thematic secondary story is kicked off. Often, this is a story about love or friendship or mentorship.
Beat 8. Fun & Games
20–50 %
The hero is in the new world. This beat delivers on the promise of the premise. It’s a large section of the story that essentially presents what is hinted at in the blurb on the back of the book.
Beat 9. Midpoint
50 %
The middle of the story and culmination of the Fun & Games. Usually, this beat is a false victory or a false defeat. The Midpoint raises the stakes on the hero, forcing them to narrow their focus on winning the day or surviving. Often, a ticking clock is introduced here, ratcheting up tension and boosting the urgency.
Beat 10. Bad Guys Close in
50–75 %
Stakes have raised and tension is higher. External Bad Guys may be literally closing in or psychological, internal Bad Guys may be causing more problems.
Beat 11. All Is Lost
75 %
The moment the hero most feared actually happens. Now it looks like the hero will lose. Usually contains a whiff of death where someone has died or the threat of real death is in the air. This is the hero’s rock-bottom moment.
Beat 12. Dark Night of the Soul
75–80 %
A reaction to the All Is Lost where the hero wallows in sadness, mourning what was lost and lamenting that they are now worse off than before the story began. This is an opportunity to take stock, where meaningful learning happens on the way to transformation.
ACT 3: Merged World — Synthesis
Beat 13. Break into Three
80 %
A new piece of information is discovered and the hero realizes what they must do to solve all the problems that have been created in Act 2.
Beat 14. Finale
80–99 %
The big showdown where the hero finally proves they’ve learned the lesson that was taught via their struggles in Act 2. The quest is won, the dragon is slain, and when the smoke clears, the hero has changed. Their flaw is repaired and the world is indeed a better place.
Beat 12. Final Image
99–100 %
The “after photo” of the hero and the world. This mirror of the Opening Image shows how far the world and the hero have transformed.
The craftsmanship, the patient work, the magic of storytelling, all come together in how the writer executes and realizes structure. It’s a skill you must know.
The Board
Once your Beat Sheet is complete, it’s time for The Board.
The Board allows novelists to visualize the entire story before—or during—drafting. Using 3″ × 5″ cards (or a digital equivalent), you can map chapters, scenes, character turns, and plot developments in one clear view.
It’s where you test pacing, refine structure, and strengthen narrative flow before committing fully to prose.
The Board contains 4 rows, 10 cards each:
- Row #1 is Act One; the last card in that row, the Break into Two, is your first major turn.
- Row #2 is the first half of Act Two up to the Midpoint. This is where your B Story and Fun and Games cards will appear.
- Row #3 includes your Bad Guys Close In and All Is Lost cards leading to the final major turn, the Break into Three.
- Row #4 concludes your story with the Finale and Final Image cards.
Each card tracks 2 elements:
>< < to indicate Conflict
+/- +/- to indicate Emotional Change
Because every strong scene must move the plot forward and deepen character transformation.
Fill in all 40 cards honestly, and you’ll have an iron-clad structural foundation before… or while writing… your manuscript.
And yes, our Story Suite software provides a virtual Board built specifically for novelists.
NOVEL F.A.Q.
1. How do you structure a novel?
A novel is structured around key turning points that guide the reader through the story. In Save the Cat!, these are organized into 15 beats that track plot, pacing, and character transformation across chapters, helping you build a story that works from beginning to end.
2. What is Save the Cat! Writes a Novel?
Save the Cat! Writes a Novel is a book by Jessica Brody which adapts Blake Snyder’s storytelling framework for fiction. It applies the same 15-beat structure to novels, helping writers develop stronger plots, clearer character arcs, and better pacing across a manuscript.
3. Do I need to outline my novel before writing?
Outlining helps you stay focused and finish your draft. By mapping your story beats ahead of time, you can see how the story unfolds and make sure each major turning point builds toward meaningful change.
4. How long should a novel be?
Most novels range from 70,000 to 100,000 words, depending on genre. More important than length is whether the story maintains momentum and delivers a clear transformation of the protagonist from beginning to end.
5. What is a character arc in a novel?
A character arc is the internal change your protagonist experiences. In Save the Cat!, that change is tracked across the beats—from the set-up of the character’s flaw, through the Midpoint shift, to the crisis at All Is Lost, and finally the resolution in the Finale. The arc works when the character becomes someone new.
6. How do I start writing a novel?
Start with a clear protagonist, a goal, and an obstacle. From there, you can shape your story into beats or chapters that guide the reader through escalating conflict and toward transformation.
7. What makes a novel engaging?
An engaging novel builds momentum through clear stakes, conflict, and character change. In Save the Cat!, each beat adds pressure or reveals new information, keeping the reader invested in what happens next.
8. How do I organize chapters in a novel?
Each chapter should move the story forward by introducing conflict, raising stakes, or shifting the character’s situation. Well-structured chapters align with key story beats and build toward major turning points.
9. What is the difference between plotting and pantsing?
Plotting means planning your story in advance using structure or beats. Pantsing means writing more freely without a set plan. Many novelists combine both—using structure as a guide while allowing room for discovery.
10. How do I know if my novel is working?
A novel works when the story builds toward meaningful change. In Save the Cat!, you can test this through the beats: the Midpoint shifts the story, All Is Lost creates a true low point, and the Finale delivers transformation. If those moments land, the story holds together.
Ready to Become a Better Storyteller?
The Save the Cat!® method and Software gives you a clear path from idea to finished story — one step at a time.
