Welcome to the last website on screenwriting you’ll ever need. I say that with tongue planted firmly in cheek. But as the author of a book titled Save the Cat! The Last Book on Screeenwriting You’ll Ever Need, I come by this irony honestly. What you are viewing here is designed to be a clearing house for the best information available on how to create, write and sell your screenplay.

It’s about movies.

It’s also about storytelling.

Like you, I have wanted to be a writer all my life, writing is my passion and the best fun I’ve ever had. I have made my best discoveries about this through many writing partnerships. Talking to each other about what we discover is the only way to learn. I want this website to be that for you — a place to come to get a dissection of the latest hit movie, news on what’s selling and why, and to learn the tricks of the trade, little storytelling lessons like “save the cat” and “the pope in the pool” that make learning the craft of writing as fun as the result.

My name is Blake Snyder. I am your humble servant. Let me know what I can do for you. Ask me anything. And if I don’t know the answer, I’ll find out for you. I am an “expert” in this business only in that I can admit that as much experience as I’ve had, every day offers the possibility of learning something new. We all have something to share. I hope that you will bring to this website only that which is positive, helpful to others, and encouraging because that’s the only way we’re all going to get ahead. It has always been my motto, “There is plenty for everybody!” — meaning that there is enough success to go around. By helping you win, I win too. We all do. And that is the only way to become not only a better writer, but to make the world a better place. I am putting this website up because I want your writing experience to be as rewarding and as fun as mine has been.

So let’s get going.

On this site you will find tools that are FREE! like my handy beat sheet outline. Download it, print it out, and use it to work out your movies — or to see how any movie you’re watching fits the structure exactly!

Also FREE! a downloadable Excel spreadsheet that is a working demo of The Board, the device found in Chapter 5 of my book, for seeing your movie before you write it.

And COMING SOON is a commercial that one of my summer seminar students directed, in which he used some of the primal storytelling techniques and the beat sheet that he learned about in my class. It’s primal. It’s hilarious. And it works! You’ll see why.

Also on this site coming up will be reviews of King Kong — but from a storytelling perspective. Is King Kong a “Monster in the House” movie or a “Buddy Love” — we shall see. And I will also be discussing some of the scripts and ideas you’ve been sending me, and some of the beat outlines of other movies that I’ve received from you as you try to work out the beats of your own story. All that and me! The sparkling wit and wisdom of the nicest screenwriter in the 310 area code! I’m off to get ready for this weekend’s seminar class. Good luck and once again, Welcome! I hope you feel right at home and come back often.