fbpx

Save the Cat!® Goes to the Movies: The Screenwriter’s Guide to Every Story Ever Told

In the long-awaited sequel to his surprise bestseller, Save the Cat!, author and screenwriter Blake Snyder returns to form in a fast-paced follow-up that proves why his is the most talked-about approach to screenwriting in years.

In the perfect companion piece to his first book, Snyder delivers even more insider’s information gleaned from a 20-year track record as “one of Hollywood’s most successful spec screenwriters,” giving you the clues to write your movie.

Designed for screenwriters, novelists, and movie fans, this book gives readers the key breakdowns of the 50 most instructional movies from the past 30 years. From M*A*S*H to Crash, from Alien to Saw, from 10 to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Snyder reveals how screenwriters who came before you tackled the same challenges you are facing with the film you want to write — or the one you are currently working on.

Category

Writing a “rom-com”? Check out the “Buddy Love” chapter for a “beat for beat” dissection of When Harry Met Sally… plus references to 10 other great romantic comedies that will make your story sing.

Scripting a horror film? Read the “Monster in the House” section and discover how Alien and Jaws are the same movie—and what you need to do to write a scary story that resonates.

Want to execute a great mystery? Go to the “Whydunit” chapter and learn about the “dark turn” that’s essential to the heroes of All the President’s Men, Blade Runner, Fargo, Mystic River, and hip noir Brick—and see why ALL good stories, whether a Hollywood blockbuster or a Sundance award winner, follow the same rules of structure outlined in Snyder’s breakthrough method.

By seeing movies in this way, and having STC! 2 as a reference, you can now think up a movie idea, figure out what type it is, turn right to that chapter, and see what other writers did with this story type. Snyder even provides readers with a list of 500 “Cousins,” movies you can watch that will help you figure out what’s essential in your story… and what isn’t.

If you want to create a movie that pleases most audiences most of the time, the odds increase if you reference Blake’s checklists and see what makes 50 films tick. After all, both executives and audiences respond to the same elements good writers seek to master. They want to know the type of story they signed on for, and whether it’s structured in a way that satisfies everyone. That’s what they’re looking for. And with Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies, that’s what you can deliver.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This