Hubby and I finished listening to the audiobook of Save the Cat: The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need by Blake Snyder, published back in 2005. (I wrote about the “beats” of this book last Saturday.)
I play at writing. My hubby doesn’t. Neither of us has ANY interest in writing a screenplay. However, we both found George Newbern‘s narration of the audiobook extremely entertaining! (Thanks Hoopla Digital!)
Is this book for EVERY writer? Of course not! But we’ve been talking about this book around yonder Hoffman Haus for DAYS! I felt like we’d returned the old days of radio programming, listening to this audiobook and laughing away! We’ve been cracking jokes about various movies—and books. If nothing else, we were able to get a good 4½ hours of entertainment value and we learned a little something, too!
As a writer, I think this book has great outlining advice. However, if you just like a quippy book full of great one-liners, I think it’s worth listening for the jokes.
Blake Snyder died in 2009. None of his information is “new.” But if you’re looking for another way to outline a novel, this is another “tool” you can use. And even if you’re more of a “pantser,” Chapter 7 has some illuminating reasons why your writing is falling flat…and how to fix it. In my case, I had an “inactive hero.” Whoops!
Rest in peace, Blake Snyder. Thank you!!!
xo Juli
JULI HOFFMAN 