Save the Cat! Writes a Novel

Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody translates the popular "Save the Cat!" beat sheet — originally developed by Blake Snyder for screenwriters — into a structural framework for novelists.

Brody breaks a story down into 15 beats, from the opening image through the finale, and walks through how each beat functions using examples from well-known novels across ten genres, including "Monster in the House," "Whydunit," and "Dude with a Problem." The book is aimed at both aspiring and experienced novelists looking for a concrete structural checklist to diagnose pacing and plot problems in a manuscript.

Alongside the beat sheet itself, the book offers exercises and genre breakdowns intended to help writers apply the framework to their own work in progress.