Save the Cat! plot structure and beat sheet PDF template
Have you heard of the Save the Cat! storytelling method? Many authors, screenwriters and other storytellers have used Save the Cat! beats to plot their story. Should you? And what’s the best way to use Save the Cat! while making your story fresh and original?
Jessica Brody based her book Save the Cat! Writes a Novel on the plotting guidelines of screenwriter Blake Snyder. While originally used in the film industry, Save the Cat! features storytelling beats that translate across many mediums, including novels. You’ll realize that most stories touch on these fifteen essential plot points, from classic novels to modern romance books, fantasy films to bingeworthy tv shows.
Why is it called Save the Cat?
What’s all this about cats? Blake Snyder’s original Save the Cat! book coined a tip with this name. The gist: Have your main character save a cat (literally or figuratively) early on to win over the audience. But this book is about so much more than heroics in the face of feline kerfuffles.
What is the Save the Cat! method for plotting a novel?
Save the Cat! breaks down a novel into fifteen narrative beats. Some represent a single scene, while others comprise a sizable chunk of the story. Here’s a quick summary of the fifteen Save the Cat! beats.
Act 1: The Status Quo World
1. Opening Image (0-1%): Shows an active “before” snapshot of the main character (MC) in their status quo world.
2. Theme Stated (within first 10%): Subtly hints at the MC’s flaws and life lesson they need to learn—and their resistance to it. A nod to what the story will be about.
3. Setup (1% to 10%): Sets up the MC’s life in the status quo world. Clues in the reader that, if something doesn’t change soon for the MC, bad things will happen.
4. Catalyst (10%): A big, life-changing event pushes the MC through a one-way door, away from their status quo life. Change is coming, whether they like it or not.
5. Debate (10% to 20%): Your MC reacts to the catalyst. They often resist it and try to return to the status quo world but find they can’t. They question their options and debate their choices. What now? The MC prepares for the journey ahead as you prepare your reader for Act 2.
Act 2: Fixing Things the Wrong Way
6. Break into Act 2 (20%): The MC enters the upside-down world (opposite of the status-quo world), where they will first try to fix the problem the wrong way.
7. B Story (22%): Introduces B story character(s) who will help your MC learn the theme. They could include a love interest, nemesis, new friend, or mentor.
8. Fun and Games (20% to 50%): Delivers on the promise of the premise. Action, adventure, intrigue, romance, high-speed chases! The MC is either having a ball or getting theirs busted. They’re thriving or barely surviving, loving it or hating it.
9. Midpoint (50%): Features a false victory. It’s false because your MC hasn’t learned the theme yet; they haven’t changed in the right way. The stakes rise, making it harder for the MC to return to the status quo.
10. Bad Guys Close In (50% to 75%): The MC rebounds after a false defeat or falls after a false victory. The “bad guys” (internal flaws or external antagonists) regroup and come back stronger.
11. All Is Lost (75%): The MC hits rock bottom, and it’s likely their fault. This event is worse and bigger than the catalyst; they can’t turn back. Adding a whiff of death (characters die or almost die) raises the stakes.
12. Dark Night of the Soul (70% to 80%): The MC reacts, ponders, processes, or wallows. Something causes the MC to see things in a new light, and they finally resolve to change in the right way.
Act 3: Fixing Things the Right Way
13. Break Into Act 3 (80%): The MC blends their Act 1 and Act 2 selves to create their new Act 3 self. They finally figure out how to fix things the right way. They realize they needed to change to fix things.
14. Finale (80% to 99%): Storming the castle! Resolves the problems created in Act 2 and proves the MC has learned the theme, completing their change arc.
15. Final Image (99% to 100%): This “after” snapshot contrasts with the Opening Image and shows how the MC has changed.
You might like the Save the Cat! plot structure for…
Save the Cat! provides insights for both the plotter and the pantser alike (even the ones with a clinical allergy to outlines). If you’re a pantser, being aware of these beats can help you build them in more instinctually. You may also use the Save the Cat! beat sheet after you’ve written a first draft to see how your story compares. If you’re a plotter, you could use the beat sheet to inspire your outline.
You might find the Save the Cat! helpful for:
Plotting before writing: You’re the person with a plan, and you like it that way.
Filling in plot holes partway: You’ve written some of your manuscript but feel it’s missing something.
Self-editing a complete manuscript: You want to evaluate your complete manuscript from a fresh point of view. What key scenes or plot points could your novel be missing?
Writing is creative. It’s art. And being aware of plotting principles can help the art of the novel resonate with readers. However, there are many ways to write a novel. And Save the Cat! offers guidelines, not rigid rules. Use these beats to open up possibilities in your book. You’re the sovereign ruler of your literary kingdom.
Is Save the Cat! a good plot structure?
But wait, will following a beat sheet make your novel too formulaic? I don’t think so. Think of it this way: Many people have sewn pants with the same pattern, to many a satisfied tush. You can use that knowledge and even break from tradition in delightful ways—Oh! An embroidered pocket design—while being mindful of what might turn people off—A zipper between the back pockets? That’s weird…
So many great stories use Save the Cat! beats. And others have taken left turns to break from tradition. Originality is in the execution. You have a unique voice and imagination; only you can tell your story. And you might be able to tell it a little better with the help of these narrative beats.
Using the Save the Cat! beat sheet can help authors:
Demystify and break down story beats. There is a method to the madness, and you can use it. Save the Cat! beats create empathy with characters and establish a clear theme.
Tie plot points to rough percentages for pacing. Is the intro going on too long? How can you tell if the middle is muddled? Is there enough falling action at the end of the book? Each plot point gives you a target percentage to understand the general location and length of each beat to keep readers turning the page.
Transform characters fully. Interweave theme, characters and plot to reach a satisfying conclusion that transforms your main character.
There are many well-known story structures out there, and some might fit your story better than others. I find that, while each offers a distinct way to break down story plot, they have a lot in common. The catalyst can be the inciting incident, call to adventure, or plot point one. All stories build toward a climax where the main conflict comes to a head. Exploring plot structures gives you options. More experienced writers may even layer elements of story structure.
Save the Cat! beat sheet PDF template
Download the Save the Cat! beat sheet to plot out your book alongside the main beats in this plot structure. It includes:
Beat names and descriptions
Key moments or opportunities in each beat
Where each beat goes in your novel (percentage guidelines)
Space for you to jot plot notes or brainstorm (digital or printed)
My favorite quotes from Save the Cat!
Here are a few nuggets I underlined while reading Brody’s Save the Cat! Writes a Novel:
“Perfect heroes without any flaws or problems are bo-o-oring…Don’t let the problem stay contained to just one area of your hero’s life. Let the problem(s) manifest and spread and infect!”
“…not all characters actually get what they want…Heroes are often wrong about what will inevitably lead to their own happiness.”
“The A story is the external story…The B story is the internal story…What plays out on the surface—what the hero wants—is only half the story. The true story of a novel lies in the hero’s need, which can also be called the internal goal, the life lesson, or the spiritual lesson [that leads] them to the answer they never expected.”
Become a stronger storyteller
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