Save the Cat

Adopting a cat made perfect sense just as I was starting a new novel.

​Ok, absolutely not except Junebug was left for dead with her kittens in a state park and looked shy and afraid in her crate at Petsmart after all of the kittens were adopted. So, juggling the novel planning and a new cat felt manageable, particularly since I call this next section Save the Cat – literally.

I didn’t come up with this system. Save the Cat is a brilliant way to organize and plan based on careful study of popular films and stories by Blake Snyder. There are workshops but also templates online. I created my own template after reading the book which is also a great resource. Save the Cat tests the waters of a story. Translating my outline into this template addresses all the big questions I need answered before I commit to a project.

What picture does the opening create for the reader?
What is the catalyst that changes things for the protagonist?
What are the internal and external obstacles?
What are the stakes for the protagonist?
What are the side stories and how do they affect the primary narrative?
What leads up to the ending?
What does the resolution do for both the protagonist and reader?

Full disclosure, my end product will not fit perfectly into this template. Things change. Each story is its own beast. (As is Junebug who is now climbing up my pantleg.) But considering the movement of the story, understanding the working parts, and having this Rosetta Stone in hand lets me confidently – and finally – get to the fun part.

​Writing!