Some wise person (probably several) once said that’s everyone’s life is a story. What are the traits of a good story? Drama, emotion, high points, low points, average days, bad days, great days. Unless you live a solitary existence in a cave where every day is exactly the same as the one before, I imagine your life is peppered with these ups and downs.
This year has been a year of change for me. At the end of February, I left my well-paid, secure job to follow my dream of becoming an indie author and freelance writer. In July, I got married, and at the end of last month, I published my first book.
When I look back at it, it’s been a roller coaster of a year. And it reminded me of one of my favourite books on writing: Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat!® It’s a screenwriting book, but the principles and structure outlined in Snyder’s beat sheet are equally applicable to novelists.
So, in homage to the great Mr Snyder, here’s my Save the Cat!® beat sheet for 2017.
(P.S. You can find out more about the original beat sheet and the Save the Cat!® books on the STC website.)
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