Save the Cat!® Strikes Back: More Trouble for Screenwriters to Get into ... and Out of [Paperback]

Blake Snyder (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 23, 2009

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!

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A dazzling expansion on Blake's original insights, this essential screenwriting tool is practical and profound." --Mark Hentemann, Writer/Executive Producer, Family Guy

"Save the Cat!® Strikes Back is Blake's best yet. It expands on his principles of storytelling in a breezy, colloquial style and gives us a deeper personal insight to the relentlessly positive mindset that powered his great success and his generous spirit. Blake's life was far, far too short, but his work and his inspiring legacy will remain timeless." --Rick Drew, movieScope Magazine

"Written in his signature witty, conversational style, Blake Snyder has given us another gem. As relevant to the novelist as it is to the screenwriter, this is a book no writer should be without. I've read all of Blake's books, and never begin a story without his insanely useful Beat Sheet by my side, but this time, Snyder goes one step further, sharing his own personal transformation from struggling writer to one who's seen great success. From the most generous and genuine writer/teacher of our time, this book will inspire the reader to scale all of those seemingly insurmountable brick walls and keep going to choose getting better over getting bitter. This book is a must read!" --Alyson Noel, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author, Evermore, Blue Moon, Shadowland,Dark Flame

About the Author

In his 20-year career as a screenwriter and producer, Blake Snyder 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 23rd printing. The sequel, "Save the Cat!® Goes to the Movies: The Screenwriter's Guide to Every Story Ever Told," and software, "Save the Cat!® The Last Story Structure Software You ll Ever Need," are also bestsellers. Along with guiding screenwriters, novelists, and other creative thinkers, 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 in any media. Blake was a proud member of the Writers Guild of America, west. He passed away suddenly on August 4, 2009, but he lives on in his films and his books, in the advice that will never grow old, with the spirit that will continue to thrive and inspire. His story resonates with all who loved him, and your stories will resonate thanks to his love for you. Blake's vision continues on his website.

Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: Save the Cat! Press (November 23, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0984157603
• ISBN-13: 978-0984157600
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 0.4 x 6.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #67,395 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #57 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Movies > Screenwriting

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars What makes the third book valuable December 10, 2009

By Markus Lofstrom

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I had my doubts about this third book in the series and expected a lot of rehashing. Plus it comes out 3 months after Blake's death, so.... But, to my pleasant surprise, this is a great book. Number one, Blake writes about his own journey and this stuff is great. The decisions we make that either get us where we want to go or not. What is more important: Doing it your way or succeeding? Secondly, there is a bunch of new stuff, I am especially happy about the five new finale beats. Very useful.

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Save the Cat strikes again December 26, 2009

By Busy Film Writer

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Blake Snyder's recent death is a terrible loss to the script writing community. Somehow he had the knowledge and insight to explain in simple terms the basic elements of dramatic structure. Fortunately he left this last book and it is a legacy to his memory. Again, Blake simply lays down further elements of writing a good script and deals with more advanced problems writers may get themselves into. Anyone who wants to write commercial scripts that have a chance of being sold should read all three of his books. I'm a screenwriter with 25 years experience of writing and selling scripts. Blake elucidates the techniques that many of us follow, either unconsciously or through a study of story structure. The point I'm making is that his books, and this one in particular, are not just for the beginner. Even with all my experience in writing scripts I learned a great deal from Blake's books. Every script seems to have its unique problems and Blake's books provide a guidepost for solving them. Some people may argue that he provides a formula for producing a hack script. That is untrue. Dramatic structure is just that -- structure. It's what forms the bones of every story. Yes, you can write a hack script by using a formula. But it is the writer's talent that raises an ordinary script from hackdom into art. Remember, Hamlet is based on a hack story created by some other writer. It was Shakespeare's talent that raised it from hackdom to art. Without knowledge of story structure you will end up with a mess, gauranteed. If you don't believe me watch the Sundance channel. You can see mis-conceived, poorly structured films all day long. Blake's guidlines will prevent you from creating a similar mess. I think every writer should own and use all three of his books. I do.

27 of 35 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Indispensable. If there's a 'writing' equivalent of THE SECRET, this is it. November 26, 2009

By Critical Mass

Format:Paperback

I just received this book directly from the publisher by ordering from their website. And it is indeed brilliant. Along with SAVE THE CAT GOES TO THE MOVIES and ANATOMY OF STORYTELLING, this ranks up there as one of the three essential screenwriting books. Throw away all the rest. This is the real deal. Read it cover to cover. Truly, one of the only screenwriting books you will ever need. What's great is that Blake Snyder gives you a simple way of 'thinking' about storytelling - it's not a formula but a well-analyzed breakdown of how to 'frame' your story to yourself and to others. It offers a simple structural guide to help you along the way when you're writing - and in this new book, Snyder offers an even more detailed breakdown of that beat-by-beat structure including a brilliant analysis of Act 3 you won't find anywhere else. FULL DISCLOSURE: My bombastic praise is real. I am in no way affiliated with the publisher or Mr. Snyder - I'm just someone who has received ridiculous acclaim for my writing in Hollywood and I felt like it was time to share THE SECRET. Along with the other two books I mentioned, here it is.