Results. That’s what we’re after.
We’ve had a lot of success stories from writers who subscribe to the Cat! method. And even the anecdotal evidence that our numbers are growing is remarkable! We are the under-cat, the little cat that could, the quiet, patient hunter stalking our goal on padded feet until we are ready to pounce!
And we’re having fun to boot.
I got a missive last night from one of our L.A. Cat! group members who was recovering nicely from the notes session Sunday after his fellow group members took apart his script. Having read that script , and given this writer notes myself (I am now writing Cat! 3, which will have a chapter on how to hear notes better) I can safely tell this writer that he’s got a good one there. Don’t give up!
I also got an email over the weekend from a writer in Florida who tells me he gave Save the Cat! to a pal who teaches third grade. The pal loved the book and enthusiastically explained what “save the cat” is to the third graders, who promptly began giving examples they had seen in the movies.
And then of course there is the movie star I overheard last week in the lobby of a Beverly Hills hotel explaining, and quite brilliantly I might add, the concept of “Monster in the House” to what looked like his agent. The star then walked out smiling with a copy of Cat! under his arm, before I could go after him and get him to sign an autograph. Believe it or not, it marked the first time I had ever seen anyone in public with the book. What a great first sighting!
The point is, we’re not just making sales, getting agents, getting into film schools, and placing higher in key screenwriting contests, we are using a method that works and applying it successfully.
We are doing it.
Just the fact that we have a Cat! group here in L.A. and elsewhere that gives writers a place where they can get their script vetted is huge to me. And the groups are growing every day. (Look for our report on the Seattle Cats soon; I couldn’t be more proud of their efforts.)
But in order to do my job better, I’d like to hear what’s stopping you from doing yours? Is it not having the right idea, not executing the story in a way that satisfies, lack of agent or manager, or is it the general problem of “the business” — the red tape that stops you from coming out of your fortress of solitidue and connecting with someone who can help make your dreams come true.
Now’s your chance.
The comments section beckons you to tell all of us the key stumbling blocks that are in the way of these positive affirmations you have posted on your work room wall:
I have sold my script to a major studio for six figures!
It is going into production and is destined to be a hit!!
I am a successful screenwriter at last!!!!
It feels great!!!!
Discipline. Focus. Positive Energy. That’s all it takes.
And a little help from your Cat!
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Storytelling, in a lot of ways, is a talent that really can’t be taught. It can be developed, surely, and some have more than others… but after you have the craft under your belt, what separates those who are successful (aside from maybe tenacity or connections or salesmanship) from those who constantly struggle to break through that first sale barrier is story. You can have all the beats in the right place, a great “All Is Lost” and an incredible Finale, but if the story sucks the story sucks. Like an ear for dialogue, a nose for comedy, or gift for character, a great storyteller is a lot like a great artist or a great musician. In a lot of cases it’s a born gift. A talent.
But of course, we all have a little talent. And those who feel compelled to write screenplays in the first place must already have some (otherwise they probably couldn’t finish that first one), and so the trick is developing whatever talent one has in the right way. And the best ways I can think of is going to see movies, reading screenplays, and writing screenplays. Writing is key. I know for myself I get better with every script.
But I also wouldn’t mind getting some insight (from your new book hopefully) on breaking into the Hollywood market from outside L.A.. I know for me it’s an issue I wrestle with every day.
Thanks Blake for all you’re doing for screenwriters everywhere!
Happy to talk to you any time about this Shane and really appreciate all your posts including this one! I believe, and have proof that, anyone anywhere can have a career. Keep writing, keep submitting your stuff via Hollywood Creative Directory and other sources, make friends who like to do the same, and plan a few visits per year to meet with those who might have liked a script you wrote. But I will keep this in mind for future blogs and DEFINITELY for Book #3, there will be a section devoted to this! Thank you!
First off, I’m one of the L.A. Cat group members who gave notes last Sunday to the screenwriter you mentioned. The kid’s good…real good. There was a lot of constructive critiques, comments and ideas flying around that evening, which only signifies a great idea in the works, not to be confused with a group bashing. Keep it up, kid. I want to see that one polished and sold. (Next time it’s my turn under the microscope. Wish me luck!)
What stops me? Where do you want me to start? I’ll bet the list of things that compete for my time and attention matches item for item with my fellow writers out there, so I’m going to spare you the task of reading that long list. Maybe the best thing to do is not get all wrapped up in what stops us and remain focussed on the goal, whether it be to scribble one more line of dialog or finish that big Golden Fleece epic that’s sitting there on your C: drive. Do something. Go back and re-read Blake’s books for some inspiration.
Just don’t quit. Some days you’re plodding, other days you’re on fire and pages fly. But if you quit you deserve to be dope-slapped across the forehead Stooges style. Me? I’m just stubborn, that’s all. I just don’t know when to quit. Sometimes it’s a virtue to be stubborn. I use my powers for good now and keep hacking away at the keyboard. Something’s bound to hit pay dirt sooner or later.
First of all, I’ve enjoyed the comments so far.
As for my problem? I suppose it’s my strive for perfection, with a few other personality ticks sprinkled in.
I must admit that in my life I haven’t put my mind to much. Most things (be it sports or school) came so easily throughout my earlier years I didn’t dedicate myself to them. I wound up being a bit of a Renaissance Man. A jack of all trades, and master of none.
There were a few things I found to challenge me, and those things I dove headfirst into. Anything my twin brother and I found interesting, provocative, engaging, etc., we devoted ourselves to. That’s just part of our personality. And for those few things we did take seriously, we really did try to master. Though mastery is hard to achieve, we would attempt it.
That’s where I am now, at 24, with screenwriting. I’ve always been a good writer, at least that’s what teachers and family members said, but I didn’t take it seriously until about 19 or 20.
I wrote a novel, for better or worse, and it was rejected.
After that, I left school due to financial reasons. I’ve always loved movies. I even worked at The Bridge – one of the more popular theaters in Los Angeles – for a couple of years. That’s when I got the idea to write a screenplay, and I’ve been writing them ever since.
So, two years and six screenplays later, I’m still sitting on my work. Some people might think I’m crazy. Some might think I’m scared. I’m just waiting for the right moment to send something out.
If I send a screenplay out and it wasn’t perfect, I’d never forgive myself. If someone reads it and they find one thing wrong, even if it’s a spelling error, I wouldn’t forgive myself. If there is one continuity issue with any story I’ve written, and it’s caught by anyone but myself, I wouldn’t forgive myself.
My pursuit of perfection is relentless. It’s also a battle I can’t win. No one is perfect, and even Chinatown has problems with it (I can’t tell you what they are, but there has to be some. Maybe someone else can find them lol.)
At any rate, I must get over my phobia’s and send something out eventually. Because you’ll never know whether or not you’re a winner if you’re too afraid to lose.
So one day I’ll send them out. And someone else will read something I wrote, other than my twin brother (who collaborated with me on the stories of everything I’ve writting) because I need to get over my fears.
As an aside, has anyone here ever sent their work out using the HCD? I’m thinking about that method, but the majority of studios and prod. companies state they don’t want any unsolicited submissions.
It’s finding the right balance between playing the Hollywood game (having an image, getting an agent, etc.) and forging new roads outside of the box. My best successes have come when I find a new way to do something. But even though I’ve been able to reinvent networking as someone who is still an outsider in many regards, there are certain things you really can’t do efficiently without an agent or manager.
The other thing is simply financial. It takes money to make money and I should have had more money starting out to really make a go of things. I can’t believe how much I spend on parking in this town.
Still, I’m pretty sure any talented writer– even if they’re not in LA– can be successful by acquiring allies in the right places and simply never giving up under any circumstances.
I’m stuck, Blake. I have 78 pages and can’t seem to move forward. I’ve been stuck here for months. I know what the structure is; I know what the beats are. I just can’t seem to come up with the plot details that bring my hero into those beats in a satisfactory way. And the ending! Man, I’m not sure how it should end. My logline feels right: An underachiever from the barrio moves to an ideal high school with motivated and well-behaved students and struggles to prove they are under secret surveillance and mind control. But I’m not giving up.
I think it’s the last part of this pitch that confuses me, Victor, I think you have too much stuff going on. So funny, I am right in the middle of writing my Save the Cat! book on troubleshooting, and it’s like you’re reading over my shoulder. This is a hero problem: Who is he? What does he want? What’s the problem? And how is it solved by this story? Some sensible answers to these questions might eliminate all the things that don’t fit, and allow you to find the things the hero needs to solve in Act Three. Think of Act Three as the hero’s “final exam.” What he learns in Act Two he is tested on in Three — and either passes or fails! Hope this helps! And please share this with other writers in the Forum, I’m sure they feel your pain as I do!
Ideas, ideas, ideas! I actually use much of what I learned from STC for the novels I write. One thing that is the same in publishing as it is in film is the imporant of a knockout idea. A great logline to put in a query letter or to rattle off at the bar during a conference is the best way to get an agent to read your manuscript. But, man, do I have a hard time comming up with ideas that can be nailed down with a good logline. I need help, Blake. :)
Also…only 40 scenes? Really? Honestly? Since I’m writing novels, I can put in more, right? :)
Hi Blake,
I’ve been at screenwriting for awhile. Two scripts optioned, but the past year I’ve become discouraged. Manager who seemed more into seminars than pushing scripts. Just lost my way. I’m getting back to it each day, but not with the same joy and optimism as before — never suffered that before — and another obstacle are things like the Internet (for distraction of time), and DVR (all those shows and movies to catch up on), not to mention newspapers and books! Yikes. Anyway, back to the computer to work… enjoyed your class in NYC last year!
Ha ha! Rob, my problem is the exact opposite! I have so many ideas vying for attenton all at the same time that I have touble picking which ones to write first! Which idea do I love most? Well, it’s whichever characters are talking to me at the moment. Just this morning I was musing on a book I’d read a week ago, and voila! Up popped another character, completely unattached, at this point, to any other story I’ve got going. And I’ve got a feeling she’s going to be a pushy one. So, do I write her, or do I keep plugging away at the one mystery novel and one screenplay I’ve currently got in the works?
But I hear you with the loglines. Man, do I have a problem with loglines! Rob, Victor, Garrett, you all should cruise into the forum. All the cats here are ready and willing to help. (Rob, there’s one whole section devoted to beat sheets and loglines. And yes! You want more than 40 scenes. Try and find Kevan’s response for that, it’s well worth it.) Hope we see you guys in there!
Janet, this is just simple discouragement! So easy to fix! If you had two scripts optioned, you can do this job. Someone took a chance on what you wrote and now it’s just a matter of what script will take your career to the next level. I wrote 20 — count ’em 20 — scripts early in my career with some options and some jobs won, then I had a breakthrough, an ah-ha! moment. You will too. If it takes looking for a new manager, or a new partner, or a co-venturer to make these projects come alive, seek them out. Half our time is spent creating material, the other half finding other people who like us have a burning desire to succeed. Mostly, have fun! We are very lucky to know what we want, and have the skills, attitude and energy to go get it!
YOU DESERVE IT….. YOU’RE A GREAT GUY AND I’M GLAD TO KNOW YOU….. BREAK A LEG!!!!!
I hear what everyone is saying here, and I totally understand. I went through years of not enough money, or not enough people that could get my work out. That does, I hope for all of you, go away someday. But alas for me it’s not the key. For me now at the end of the day the thing that is stopping me is myself. It’s something I just try to fight one day at a time by sitting down and doing the work. Blake, you remind me of the other important thing from time to time I forget, and that’s why I started writing in the first place, to have fun. Words can not fully express my thanks, for this blog, the books, workshops, and how you really listen and care. We’re all lucky to have you, indeed.
What’s stopping me is lack of time…my regular 9-5 job and life’s little chores. But I always have a note pad with me. I write in the car, at lunch, waiting in any line, evenings, and before I fall asleep. It may take a while to get my 1st screenplay done but nothing will stop me. There is a fire in the brain, heart and fingers and Blake keeps fanning the flames. Thank you Blake!!!
For me it’s been a combination of things, discipline being one of them and also not having the right story. I mean I’ve had the idea to write for 18 years, had the subject, but didn’t know how to proceed and didn’t have the exact format. I think I can compare myself to the addict who will only change when she’s ready. Older, wiser, lot more material to work with, I now know the time is right with what I know is one helluva story. Thanks to STC it all seems that more possible and not so intimidating…. Rem
A few days ago I presented my new script to some friends. They evaluated my fine work of art and gave me lots of reasons why I should change what I have written. This “stopped” me. I am now licking my wounds and have come to some conclusions about friends who are critics. If one friend gives you advice on what is wrong with your script, take notes. If two friends give you advice on your script, ask them questions. If three friends criticize your work, get new friends. After a few days in a cooling off period, I can get out of the “blocked mode” and get back to work. They’re still my friends and I’m not stopped any more but . . . Bob
Well, I’ve been at it since the early-80’s, and most of my stuff is socially relevant but not so marketable. To make matters worse, some of my best ideas have been used already to the point where my stuff now seems outdated. I’m getting old and I’m freaked about the future.
For years I wrote stuff that I imagined would change the world and have some social impact. But I didn’t have hooks and I didn’t understand the marketing game. And I’ve never had any savvy at all for networking.
After reading Cat quite some time ago, I feel like I have a much better understanding of what it takes, but at the same time I no longer have the willingness to just write for the sake of writing. I’ve spun wheels for 30 years doing that.
I find myself stuck in the idea phase, unable to come up with fresh hooks and/or provocative situations that would fuel a marketable Hollywood script. To complicate matters, I tend not to like extravagant ideas. I mean, I prefer stories that are closer to human reality, while it seems like Hollywood prefers unusual to the point of ridiculous.
My newfound Cat knowledge has sort of clarified why my stories were not marketable, but at the same time the new knowledge has made it MUCH harder to find something worth writing at all.
Okay, so you want to know why I’m not writing yet, well to tell you the truth it’s you. Now before you take it the wrong way, remember you said not to write before the story is developed. So I took a look at the feeble beginnings of two scripts I had been stumbling along on for a while and decided they would be great to start a fire with. I’m talking a huge conflagration with heavy black smoke. Back to square one.
The story ideas are sound and I believe that with some hard work they will work out. But my characters where flat, single dimension clones of each other. In order to avoid this I have created a character development sheet via principles of the cat. So now when I make a character I write the following on a separate sheet of paper and tack it below the board. Name, age, sex, voice, limp and eye patch and personal arc. Now I have a handy place to help me refocus on a character when I hit a rut.
Blake! I absolutely loved your book, and I really need your help!
What is stopping me is that I can’t seem to figure out if my catalyst is my main character’s quarter life crisis, or if it’s a song that gets released about her, that embarrasses and humiliates her?
Logline: A self conscious, want-to-be songwriter is trying to move on after breaking up with her boyfriend, only to have him release a number 1 hit song revealing embarrassing secrets from her relationship.
Other info: The protagonist goes through a quarter-life-crisis, before quitting her job and breaking up with her boyfriend in her search for love and truth. I would love her to have the embarrassing song released about her after the ‘fun and games’ beat, where she is beginning to fall in love with her new flat mate, but can’t decide if this needs to come earlier – before the break into Act 2.
Thank you!!!
Al
Blake,
I’ve been keenly interested in screenwriting the last 6 years and I’m working hard to teach myself. I recently purchased “Save The Cat” and I’m pleased with it so far. After reading the first 4 chapters, I know I will revisit my screenplays (Which I’ve written 7 so far). I have a lot of plot ideas for new stories and I refuse to start flushing out the scripts until I have finished your book. Your genres and rules and little tricks are awesome. They already taugh me more than I would have imagined.
Thank you for such an informative, yet comprehensible experience. This is a book I’d recommend for anyone in screenwriting. Hopefully, I’ll be able to thank you someday (In the credits, should I ever make a film of my own).
Kind Regards,
Felix