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Save the Cat!
Save the Cat! Strikes Back: More Trouble for Screenwriters to Get Into� and Out Of
Blake Snyder, author of Save the Cat!® and Save the Cat!® Goes to the Movies , is back with the book countless readers and students have clamored for. Inspired by questions from his workshops, lectures, and emails, Blake listened and provides new tips, tactics, and techniques to solve your writing problems and create stories that resonate:
The 7 warning signs you might have a great idea or not
2 sure-fire templates for can t-miss loglines
The difference between structure and formula
The Transformation Machine that allows you to track your hero s growth step-by-step
The 5 questions to keep your story s spine straight
The 5-Point Finale to finish any story
The Save the Cat!® Greenlight Checklist that gets to the heart of every development issue
The right way to hear notes, deal with problematic producers, and dive into the rewrite with the right attitude
Why and when an agent will appear
How to discover the potential for greatness in any story
How to avoid panic, doubt, and self-recrimination... and what it takes to succeed and dare to achieve your dreams
Get ready to face trouble like a pro... and strike back!
The 7 warning signs you might have a great idea or not
2 sure-fire templates for can t-miss loglines
The difference between structure and formula
The Transformation Machine that allows you to track your hero s growth step-by-step
The 5 questions to keep your story s spine straight
The 5-Point Finale to finish any story
The Save the Cat!® Greenlight Checklist that gets to the heart of every development issue
The right way to hear notes, deal with problematic producers, and dive into the rewrite with the right attitude
Why and when an agent will appear
How to discover the potential for greatness in any story
How to avoid panic, doubt, and self-recrimination... and what it takes to succeed and dare to achieve your dreams
Get ready to face trouble like a pro... and strike back!
200 pages, Paperback
First published November 23, 2009
186 people are currently reading
1,196 people want to read
About the author
Blake Snyder
9Ìýbooks197ÌýfollowersIn his 20-year career as a screenwriter and producer, Blake Snyder has sold dozens of scripts, including co-writing Blank Check, which became a hit for Disney, and Nuclear Family for Steven Spielberg. His book, Save the Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need, was published in May, 2005, and is now in its eleventh printing. It has prompted "standing room only" appearances by Blake in New York, Los Angeles, London, San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago, Vancouver, Toronto, and Barcelona. Apparently it is not quite the last book on screenwriting youll ever need, as the eagerly awaited sequel, Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies: The Screenwriter's Guide to Every Story Ever Told, was published in October, 2007 shooting to #1 in the Screenwriting, Screenplay, and Movies History and Criticism categories on Amazon.com. Blake's method has become the "secret weapon" of many development executives, managers, and producers for its precise, easy, and honest appraisal of what it takes to write and develop stories that resonate. Save the Cat! The Last Story Structure Software You'll Ever Need has codified this method in an easy to use CD-Rom. Blake is a member of the Writers Guild of America, west. Please visit for more information.
With Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies Snyder is determined to set a collective new dialogue about the realities of professional screenwriting; this is exactly what his sincere and heartfelt books set out to do and accomplishes. Snyder once again takes his place as one of the most successful, visionary, accessible, pragmatic screenwriters who writes about the craft of all time.
"
With Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies Snyder is determined to set a collective new dialogue about the realities of professional screenwriting; this is exactly what his sincere and heartfelt books set out to do and accomplishes. Snyder once again takes his place as one of the most successful, visionary, accessible, pragmatic screenwriters who writes about the craft of all time.
"
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews
October 14, 2019
Save the Cat gets a a lot of of grief in some writing circles, with accusations of being formulaic and "ruining storytelling in Hollywood" (even if that were true, Hollywood seems perfectly capable of ruining storytelling all by its lonesome.) However the more novels I publish –Ìýten in print as I write this –Ìýthe more I can see merit in the method for those struggling with pacing and plot. It's not a method I use myself, but I periodically look back at it and think, "yeah, I guess I see where I put that 'All Is Lost' moment in there".
As for this particular book, it's a mixed bag. Most of it is made up of Blake Snyder's old blog posts, some of which advance his method significantly, others of which read as "rah-rah" posts about how wonderful agents and producers can be and the virtue of considering their notes. It's not that I disagree with any of this necessarily, only that it makes for an uneven book that's not quite about the writing process and not quite about the business but tilts back and forth in-between.
A lot of Snyder's development of his approach to writing was spread out in a variety of places, from the original book to blog posts to his courses. Hopefully one day those who've taken over his business since his death will put together a concrete and complete rendition of the Save The Cat method. Even if you don't follow it, sometimes it makes for a reassuring way of looking at your own work.
As for this particular book, it's a mixed bag. Most of it is made up of Blake Snyder's old blog posts, some of which advance his method significantly, others of which read as "rah-rah" posts about how wonderful agents and producers can be and the virtue of considering their notes. It's not that I disagree with any of this necessarily, only that it makes for an uneven book that's not quite about the writing process and not quite about the business but tilts back and forth in-between.
A lot of Snyder's development of his approach to writing was spread out in a variety of places, from the original book to blog posts to his courses. Hopefully one day those who've taken over his business since his death will put together a concrete and complete rendition of the Save The Cat method. Even if you don't follow it, sometimes it makes for a reassuring way of looking at your own work.
February 6, 2018
The best in the series!
September 19, 2018
I think about story structure a lot, and the Save the Cat books offer great perspective on storytelling from another angle - the Hollywood movie. This book fills in some gaps left by the first book in the series, and it expands on other parts. I especially appreciated the breakdown of the 'five point finale' since the first book was pretty loose on the elements of a typical finale. Also, the last chapter, about 'Discipline, focus, and positive energy' is inspiring. It motivates me to sit my butt down in the chair and write.
March 4, 2020
Quite pointless, liked the first one in the series but this one just has a lot of old ideas. But it can be helpful if you already had a script. Idk I just couldn't finish it
March 22, 2012
I think if you read Save the Cat, you should read Save the Cat! Strikes Back. A lot of great material in here expanding on concepts from the first book. A portion of the book is screenwriting specific. As a fiction writer, I skimmed through those portions.
May 18, 2019
Incredibly helpful. Man... I love this man. If only he was around to write a STC on TV specs in this new golden age. RIP Blake Snyder and thank you.
December 29, 2017
This is an excellent follow-up to the first "Save the Cat!" book, and fills in a lot of the blanks. Snyder's model of three-act structure is the most cogent I have yet found. His writing is also highly entertaining, making this an easy read and re-read.
April 9, 2021
More inspiration for script and story writers (this is third in the series), this time drilling down into some fundamental problems that start to occur after you've begun writing (largely taking the first Save the Cat book as read and you understand story and script structure/beats).
Blake has been forensic in his analysis of all the types of things that can go wrong at all stages of the process and even covers the "what after" aspect including agents, pitching, managers and living in Hollywood (or not). The final section is about life and inspiration in general and uplifting.
The book is well written and a valuable resource. Highly recommended (but to be read as a companion to the first book if you are having trouble, not instead of the first book).
Blake has been forensic in his analysis of all the types of things that can go wrong at all stages of the process and even covers the "what after" aspect including agents, pitching, managers and living in Hollywood (or not). The final section is about life and inspiration in general and uplifting.
The book is well written and a valuable resource. Highly recommended (but to be read as a companion to the first book if you are having trouble, not instead of the first book).
July 20, 2023
The later half of the book was more spiritual than it's mechanical predecessors. and I love that about this book.
August 12, 2018
This book expands on and fills the gaps the first Save the Cat title. Both are of great value in helping a writer to get to grips with making their story work in all its elements, whether it's a screenplay or a novel.
I've rushed through this one a bit, but highlighted the things I need to keep track of, and hopefully between books one and two I'll make better progress on the book I've been writing spasmodically over a year and have got stuck on more than once.
This second book has material in the last chapters that relates primarily to screenwriters, though as always with Snyder there are some useful gems for other kinds of writers. But the last chapter in which discusses the disciplines of being a writer is very valuable.
I've rushed through this one a bit, but highlighted the things I need to keep track of, and hopefully between books one and two I'll make better progress on the book I've been writing spasmodically over a year and have got stuck on more than once.
This second book has material in the last chapters that relates primarily to screenwriters, though as always with Snyder there are some useful gems for other kinds of writers. But the last chapter in which discusses the disciplines of being a writer is very valuable.
September 3, 2014
Blake Snyder's Save the Cat! Strikes Back is an absolute must read for writers. The book was written with screenwriters in mind, but the methods can easily be adapted to fiction. Snyder tells it like it is, and his mix of experience, expertise, spot-on advice, and humor make this one of the most enjoyable how-to books on writing you'll ever read. From getting story ideas to crafting loglines, from structure to character development to endings, Snyder presents his methods, complete with a beat sheet.
I highly recommend adding this book to your writing shelf.
I highly recommend adding this book to your writing shelf.
May 18, 2014
If you are working toward a career as a spec screenwriter, this is really the book where Blake fulfills his promise and delivers a second helping of detail on how to shape yourself in that industry. This is principally an extension of the "Hollywood how-to" portions of his original STC. It was not as relevant for me, because I'm a fiction writer, but very good for what it delivers.
February 6, 2014
Lots more useful stuff in here - mostly directed at screenwriters (with a good portion of the book directed at screenwriters and giving them specific career advice), but as with the first book, many of the rules are just as applicable to fiction writers.
January 31, 2016
Audiobook
August 10, 2016
A short and useful book of insider screenwriter tips.
July 6, 2016
Focus. Discipline. Positive energy!
(Great inspiration for becoming a screenwriter)
(Great inspiration for becoming a screenwriter)
April 21, 2018
"Save the Cat " is fantastic. But it's one I've had to go back to over and over and read more than once. It's because they packed so much information in this book that it's hard to get it on one pass. But the deeper look into it, and read the follow up books, I'm learning so much more about structuring and thinking about the structure of my screenplays and television writing . If you are serious about writing screenplays, you should read this book and put it in your arsenal of tools to help you analyze your story and get to one that works.
One of the core concepts of this book is the Blake Snyder Beat Sheets ( BS2). These are the 15 points to the story that you would have in specific places throughout your script: from the opening image to the final image; the midpoint, the act 2 break, etc. These are guideposts that he is found in every movie that works. It's not a how to. It's a where to and why to.
Save the Cat! Strikes Back, is a second follow-up to that first book. It goes deeper into all of these areas. It also expands on questions from readers of the first book and helps them understand them. Once you go through the first book a couple times move onto book 2 to get some insights and additions to the information you learned in the first one
One of the core concepts of this book is the Blake Snyder Beat Sheets ( BS2). These are the 15 points to the story that you would have in specific places throughout your script: from the opening image to the final image; the midpoint, the act 2 break, etc. These are guideposts that he is found in every movie that works. It's not a how to. It's a where to and why to.
Save the Cat! Strikes Back, is a second follow-up to that first book. It goes deeper into all of these areas. It also expands on questions from readers of the first book and helps them understand them. Once you go through the first book a couple times move onto book 2 to get some insights and additions to the information you learned in the first one
July 2, 2023
I had a good chuckle when Blake described his experience with his idea for Twinkle and how it ended up being similar to Santa Clause 2.
It goes back to the whole "Hollywood is listening to my ideas" that I've been saying for years to my friends, after spending a year writing a story to find out once I crack it that someone already had that idea. It's a very frustrating experience.
It reminded me of a line that I read in another screenwriting book, "Cut To the Chase" from UCLA Extension Writer's Program professors "ideas for movies sometimes bubble up out of our collection unconscious, and different writers snatch these notions from the either at roughly the same time."
One of the points that I repeatedly have turned back to this book to reference has been the five-point finale definition. It was great to have definitions for problems I'm facing on the plotting side of things.
Was a cool book to read. I got a lot out of it. Worth having a hard copy around for reference like all the Save the Cat! series on screenwriting.
It goes back to the whole "Hollywood is listening to my ideas" that I've been saying for years to my friends, after spending a year writing a story to find out once I crack it that someone already had that idea. It's a very frustrating experience.
It reminded me of a line that I read in another screenwriting book, "Cut To the Chase" from UCLA Extension Writer's Program professors "ideas for movies sometimes bubble up out of our collection unconscious, and different writers snatch these notions from the either at roughly the same time."
One of the points that I repeatedly have turned back to this book to reference has been the five-point finale definition. It was great to have definitions for problems I'm facing on the plotting side of things.
Was a cool book to read. I got a lot out of it. Worth having a hard copy around for reference like all the Save the Cat! series on screenwriting.
June 29, 2023
I have mixed feelings about this book. I really liked the first Save the Cat, and since then, I've been analyzing movies and books using that framework, although not all follow it, I can see the structure on at least half of them.
I was excited about this book. I thought it was a deeper analysis of the structure, and part of me expected a way to break the rule and still make it work.
Unfortunately for me, this book is mostly a collection of blog posts organized in a way that kind of makes sense. Some of the chapters (blog posts) are great and give a lot of insights into the industry, something that the first book didn't. However, other chapters are just a repetition of the things we already know after reading the previous books.
To be honest, my rating may have been better if my expectations hadn't been so high.
I was excited about this book. I thought it was a deeper analysis of the structure, and part of me expected a way to break the rule and still make it work.
Unfortunately for me, this book is mostly a collection of blog posts organized in a way that kind of makes sense. Some of the chapters (blog posts) are great and give a lot of insights into the industry, something that the first book didn't. However, other chapters are just a repetition of the things we already know after reading the previous books.
To be honest, my rating may have been better if my expectations hadn't been so high.
June 18, 2018
Not as good as Save the Cat!, but still a fun read. I love the way Blake Snyder writes, something about it feels highly helpful for me. Something in his writing makes me very eager to learn and adapt the stuff, it is very tangible and calls for try the beats etc. in practice. I've been using his methods in my own writing and feel like adapting this is intuitive and easy.
There's a splash more business in this and less about writing.
There's also a bit of Snyder's own life in here, which adds a personal touch.
Overall I liked this one too and I will read Save the Cat Goes to the Movies next.
There's a splash more business in this and less about writing.
There's also a bit of Snyder's own life in here, which adds a personal touch.
Overall I liked this one too and I will read Save the Cat Goes to the Movies next.
May 4, 2019
Unlike its namesake, Save the Cat! Strikes Back is not better than its predecessor. It falls just a bit short of the admittedly high standard set by the original Save the Cat! book. While the first half of this book is excellent, I personally found the latter half of the book a bit confusing and unhelpful. That's primarily because I was reading primarily for generic storytelling advice for use in my novelling, short story writing, etc, rather than actually writing and selling screenplays, though. So this book does its job reasonably well. No major bombshells, but worth the read if you're interested in story troubleshooting or selling screenplays, and/or if you loved the original.
March 15, 2022
I didn’t want to read these books because I thought they were too “formulaic� but now I see the universality in their approach. You don’t have to treat it as gospel but if a story isn’t working there’s a good chance it’s because they are missing something that this book talks about. The end of the book gets a little in the weeds for me though. I don’t need to know how to navigate my manager and producer and agent and lawyer quite yet. Maybe I will revisit one day when those chapters seem relevant but I really did enjoy the first 3/4 of this book and the lessons are way more valuable than I expected them to be.
December 24, 2017
This book has saved my behind more than once. Think of it as an advanced supplement to the first STC book. If you've studied and learned that one inside out, you're likely to find this to be the reference book you turn to, when you get stuck at different stages in the process. The audiobook too is a treat for revision.
The full series sits on my shelf as reference books that I revisit when working on new projects. Blake's passion and enthusiasm were clearly apparent in his three books, through his conversational tone and bursting need to inspire. A great asset, for sure. (RIP.)
The full series sits on my shelf as reference books that I revisit when working on new projects. Blake's passion and enthusiasm were clearly apparent in his three books, through his conversational tone and bursting need to inspire. A great asset, for sure. (RIP.)
January 20, 2018
I didn't love this book QUITE as much as the other two "Save the Cats," but in this one, Snyder gives a more in-depth explanation of how to get through the finale, which he admittedly neglected to do in the first book. And I REALLY needed that explanation, so for that reason, this book gets five stars, too. Each book in this series has a slightly different focus and each of them has been life changing for me.
I also liked that this book included comments in memoriam of Blake Snyder. His is a tragic loss and he has left an incredible legacy behind in his understanding of story and structure.
I also liked that this book included comments in memoriam of Blake Snyder. His is a tragic loss and he has left an incredible legacy behind in his understanding of story and structure.
August 13, 2020
3,5/5.
Compared with the first book, this one is just fine. It extends some of the concepts a bit further and talks deeper about how to sell to Hollywood and work with agents, which is not much my turf, I just wanted to improve my storytelling skills. My reason to not give a better rating is that at some moments it kind of feels that the book is talking TOO MUCH about the online courses and its kind of an off feeling... Still, Snyder had this charismatic element which always makes you like his writing.
Compared with the first book, this one is just fine. It extends some of the concepts a bit further and talks deeper about how to sell to Hollywood and work with agents, which is not much my turf, I just wanted to improve my storytelling skills. My reason to not give a better rating is that at some moments it kind of feels that the book is talking TOO MUCH about the online courses and its kind of an off feeling... Still, Snyder had this charismatic element which always makes you like his writing.
April 21, 2019
Expands on the beats from the first book to offer more rules. Roughly one half of this book is on selling and rewriting yoru screenplay within the studio system, therefore this book is only about 80 pages of useful material and some of that is review of the first book. If you want to add more formula to your notes from the original Save the Cat, then this is for you. If the beat sheet is serving you fine, then you can probably pass on this.
July 15, 2021
Expands the Save the Cat approach by expanding 15 key plot points into 40 scenes. This system sounds great for prototyping a story. Another great book feature is the greenlight list of questions to answer about your story. There's a lot that's geared specifically to movies, but other types of writers can still get something out of this book. Although, there is a Save the Cat book geared towards novels that I'll be reading next.
July 4, 2023
Even though you might not agree with Snyder and his story structure, this book is very inspiration, especially for the aspiring writers who are still grappling the seeds of the business and sometimes feel a bit lost and disenchanted during the process of their writing and dealing with the people in the business. Highly recommended if not for the humour and the positive energy he uses to fuel this book. You’ll need both if you want to break into the writing business.
April 5, 2021
Blake Synder changed my life - and writing. I was going to write to thank him personally to discover he’s no longer he is no longer with us. Devastated. His ability to hit the nail on the head, so perfectly, with humour and compassion, has no equal. Save the Cat Strikes Back. Not read it? Do. It’s genius.
February 4, 2022
Review 2: 4.5 stars rounded down--I love the Save the Cat approach to story and Blake Snyder's positivity. There's a lot of (maybe not yet totally outdated) discussion of Hollywood practices in here, that I personally don't connect with or care about, but the discussion of story rocks here. Take what you can, when you can.
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