Tags
Blake Snyder, BOLT, Jose Siliero, Save the Cat!, Story, Transformation Machine, Walt Disney Pictures
If you’re lucky, at least once in your life you meet a teacher who explains things in way that no one else could … and you finally “get it”. Blake Snyder was that teacher for me.
Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat! books and Beat Sheet Workshops on story structure transformed my writing career. He helped hundreds of other writers–screenwriters and novelists alike. Yes, hundreds. The truth is you can have the most eloquent writing style on the planet, but without a compelling story you won’t engage readers.
Blake Snyder passed away on August 4, 2009, but his spirit lives on in the stories Save The Cat! continues to influence.
Why Save The Cat?
I rewrote my first novel three times, and still didn’t get the story right. 
Worse, I didn’t have a clue how to fix it. A little internet intervention changed all that.
Amazon recommended “Save The Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need” based on past books I’d ordered about (real) cats. I’d never read a book on screenwriting, but since Save the Cat! was the last book I’d ever need, I thought, “Why not?”
Save the Cat! is the term Blake uses to describe the scene–usually early in a story–where the hero does something nice that makes us sympathize with him/her…like saving a cat.
Guidelines for story structure are a lot like the principles of music theory you’d follow to compose a song or symphony. Certain patterns are intrinsically more pleasant, they resonate deeper and are more satisfying.
Save The Cat! explains the basic story types, then breaks each story into the 15 beats (plot points) that will make it satisfying. Following these story sign posts allows me more creative license when it comes to the actual writing. Who knew?
The Transformation Machine
Blake often talked about The Transformation Machine in relation to the hero’s character arc. Every satisfying story is about change, and the Transformation Machine forces the hero to do just that. On the hero’s journey, two stories are told: the external/physical and the internal/emotional. As Blake Snyder put it…
All stories are about transformation. And seeing this as a good thing is the starting point of writing a successful story of any kind. Something has to happen, change has got to occur. That’s why the opening image (the snapshot of the world BEFORE) of a movie script has to be the opposite of the final image (the snapshot of the world AFTER.)
You can hear the Blake himself talk about the Transformation Machine in the following video clip:
Blake – the Pigeon – in “Bolt”
Blake Snyder and Jose Silerio worked as a team, consulting on a number of Hollywood A-List movies. BOLT, the feature animation by Walt Disney Pictures, was one of those films. The following scene is a testament to their contribution. Blake, the screenwriting pigeon, and his writing partner pitch their movie idea. When I saw BOLT in the theater, I almost jumped out of my seat and yelled, “I know Blake!” Simply priceless!
Elizabeth Fais 
What a timely post for me – I just bought Save the Cat last night and have been pouring over it. Kicking myself for not buying it sooner. How lucky for you to have taken classes with him! I’ll bet his classes were amazing.
Glad his book is resonating with you too. I’ll let the winner(s) choose which of his books they want. 😉
Blake’s classes were life transforming! Jose Siliero, who worked with Blake for 2 years (as his right-hand man), still gives the Beat Sheet Workshops. He’s insightful and knowledgeable about story, just like Blake. Jessica Brody, a very well published author in the young adult genre, now gives Novel-Writing Beat Sheet Workshops that are especially tailored for fiction writers. Both workshops apply the same principles, it just depends which approach you feel comfortable with. The workshops are held over a weekend, so they’re easy to fit into your schedule. 😉
Any book about cats belongs on my shelf. And now a book about cats and writing…wow! Gotta read this.
Funny you should say that. Amazon “recommended” this book to me because it had “cat” in the title. I’d just been to a conference too, where I talked with a screenwriter who seemed to understand story structure in a way that I didn’t (and desperately needed to). So it was total serendipity! Just what I needed for my writing, just when I needed it.
I’ve heard so many great things about this book, I may have to get a copy. Even though I don’t write a lot of fiction, my NF WIP is being structured like a novel, so this would probably be a huge help.
Lately, my WIP is the poor, neglected part of my soul that sits in the corner and whimpers. 😦
Blake told us at one Beat Sheet Workshop that a Realtor used his 15 beats to pitch and close clients! I think it’s just good storytelling, no matter what the topic or genre.
Love your blog Elizabeth, as you know I am also blessed to have known Blake, and totally agree with you about how Blake’s vision of teaching screenwriting (and storytelling for that matter) has opened up the world of screenwriting that I could finally understand! I will always be in debited to Blake Snyder. Best Regards gal! Jeri Cain Rossi
Yes, you and I met at Blake’s Beat Sheet Workshop in San Francisco, and then went on to take his Master Board Class down in LA. And the fact that you and I and other members of those workshops are still in contact with one another and still friends is a testament to Blake’s ability to forge a writing community of trust and support. Happy writing Jeri! Stay in touch!
Don’t include this comment in competition for the book; I just wanted to post. Blake was one of my most cherished friends for two and a half years. He’s one of the most truly joyful and generous people I’ve ever known. He reminded me of Santa Claus– how did he respond to all those emails in a single day and still have time to work and sleep and meet me for coffee? He was one of a kind and we are still only beginning to comprehend the legacy that he has left behind. Not merely a legacy of great movies or better understanding story or inspiring screenwriters, but a legacy of lives changed through his friendship. Thank you for remembering him today.
Thank you for your comment Mike. It’s such a warm reminder of the spirit Blake brought to everything he did, and to everyone he interacted with. You didn’t have to be a Hollywood hotshot for Blake to respond to your emails. He was interested in improving our stories. I only knew Blake through attending several of his Beat Sheet and Master Board classes, and exchanging the occasional email. What I loved about him though, was even at that, he cared about my stories and honestly wanted me to succeed. And he was like that with everyone in his classes. He inspired a community of support and trust. You put it so aptly, “a legacy of lives changed through his friendship.” Maybe next year we she all try to gather in one place and throw a heck-of-a celebration in his honor. Something to think about. 😀