Reviews - Save the Cat!: The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need

506 reviews for:

Save the Cat!: The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need

The writer really needs to get over himself. I hate that “super cool” tone and hyped atitute, like he’s the last f*****g cookie of the package. It sounds like a guy who speaks way too loud and gets way too excited in order to make the content of his words more interesting and clever than it actually is.
Not that useful.

sarapittock's review against another edition

5.0

Despite all the screenwriters who argue with it, I found this book to be a very helpful framework for newbies. I only wish Snyder were still alive to answer my question in his email inbox as promised.

thewallflower00's review against another edition

4.0

I sought this book to learn more about the monomyth and a "formula" for a winning story. This book has that, but it's important to be a filter and not a sponge when reading it.

I heard of this book from an Imgur post when Blake Snyder died. It laid out the steps of every top-grossing Hollywood movie. (This poster applied it to Frozen.) I'm always up for anything that makes writing easier so I kept it favorited until I had a chance to really break it down.

But there's more to this book than just "the formula". It's also making sure that you have everything needed to sell a script. Like log lines, a catchy title, and things that don't matter so much in the book-writing world.

And the biggest reason you need to be a filter is that this guy makes claims that he's made hundreds of thousands in residuals, been in the industry long enough to know the keys failures and successes, like he's Ron Popeil selling a juicemaster. He's been called "Hollywood's most successful spec screenwriter". The problem? Check out this guy's IMDb page. His claim to fame is Blank Check which was harshly lampooned by The Nostalgia Critic. Second place? Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot. Occasionally he uses, as examples, older movies and movies I've never heard of. I would think if you want to be successful, you want to keep your case studies as current and outstanding as possible.

So this makes you think "why should we listen?" The answer is because, sometimes, people are better at teaching than doing. And while there are flaws in the technique, the content is solid. Well, I don't know if it works or not, but if you're wise, there's things inside that I believe can help you with writing.

kasey_cross's review against another edition

3.0

3.5 ⭐️

I waffled a lot on whether or not to even buy this book, but after about the hundredth time googling “STC Beat Sheet” I decided it was time.

On one hand: Blake has just about this biggest man ego one can have.

On the other hand: he definitely knows his shit, which is strange considering how few movies of his have been made, but I suppose those who can’t do, teach.

I wouldn’t say this book will make or break you as a writer, but it will challenge you, change your perspective, and force you to look at your manuscript and say “ohhhhh….”

STC saved my second draft of my novel by forcing me to look at things a little differently, and for that I greatly appreciate its existence.

Good luck though, for the younger writers. With each passing year the movie references get less and less useful as the examples they were intended to be.

shellyflowers's review against another edition

4.0

I originally bought this book for NaNoWriMo, not realizing that I had purchased the wrong version. However, as someone who already struggles with narrative structure, I figured I’d give this a shot. I’m glad I did! I found the chapters helpful when thinking about the major beats I want my novel to hit, as well as how I’d like to revise and edit my work once I’m done with my manuscript. Overall, I highly recommend!