#126: Save The Cat! Troubleshooting Common Plot Problems With Jessica Brody

Fiction Writing Made Easy

Savannah Gilbo

Education, Fiction, Writing Tips, Arts, Bestseller, Writing, How To, Author, Writing Community, Books, Novel, How To Write Fiction, Writing Fiction, Writer, How To Write A Book

4.9 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 23 January 2024

⏱️ 42 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

“Every time you write something hard, it changes you as a writer, and it makes you a better writer.” - Jessica Brody

Today I'm sharing a conversation with Jessica Brody where we talk about some of the most common mistakes writers make when outlining, writing, and editing their books using the “Save the Cat” method. Here's a preview of what's included:

[02:30] Jessica introduces herself and shares her experience writing fiction using the Save The Cat! plotting method.

[04:00] Savannah asks Jessica about marrying the external plot of a story to the protagonist's internal arc. Savannah sees a lot of writers focus solely on the external plot events and not enough on character growth and development. Jessica shares her thoughts on how to make sure you're balancing both plot and character as you write.

[11:45] Savannah asks Jessica to talk about two important multi-scene beats—the Fun and Games beat and the Bad Guys Close In beat. Jessica shares her thoughts on breaking these longer beats down into smaller, more manageable chunks.

[18:00] Savannah asks Jessica about being too rigid with the Save The Cat! structure. Specifically, what happens if your beats don't line up with the percentages recommended? Jessica shares her thoughts.

[21:50] Jessica talks about how she had a hard time with the All Is Lost beat and the Dark Night Of The Soul beat until she figured out a very important distinction.

[30:40] Jessica talks about some things to consider in terms of your first 25-50 pages when it comes time to query agents.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Learn more about Jessica Brody on her website or connect with her on Instagram
Check out Jessica's craft books to go deeper into the STC! method—Save the Cat! Writes a Novel and Save the Cat! Writes a YA Novel
Join Jessica's membership, The Writing Mastery Academy, and get $20 off your annual membership using code 'FWME'

My Notes to Novel course is officially OPEN for enrollment until January 24th at midnight PT! Click here to learn more and to join me for this LIVE 8-week experience!

Support the show

If you enjoyed this episode of the Fiction Writing Made Easy Podcast, please rate, review, and follow this show!

Follow me on Instagram @savannah.gilbo

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Hey there, I wanted to take a quick second to let you know that my notes to novel course is officially open for enrollment right now.
0:06.3	I've taken everything I've learned from coaching hundreds of authors across all genres and channeled it into this comprehensive step-by-step implementation program
0:14.4	that not only teaches you the high-level theory behind writing a story that works,
0:18.1	but how to execute what you're learning to. This enrollment period closes on
0:22.2	January 24th at 1159 Pacific time.
0:25.5	If you've been waiting for an online writing course that meets you where you're at,
0:28.8	gives you a community of like-minded writers to share the experience with
0:32.7	and lets you write your novel in real time as you learn,
0:35.6	then head over to Notesto Novel.com
0:38.0	to learn more or enroll before doors close on January 24th.
0:42.3	One more time, that's Notes to Novel.com.
0:44.7	Hope to see you there.
0:47.8	I think it's just about challenging yourself to,
0:50.2	I can do this.
0:50.9	I can write a harder scene. Every time you write a scene you don't think you can write, even if it doesn't turn out the way you want it to.
0:57.0	Every time you write something hard, it changes you as a writer and it makes you a better writer.
1:02.0	Because I guarantee no matter how it turns out,
1:04.6	you will learn something about yourself
1:07.1	and about how you write.
1:08.7	Welcome to the Fiction Writing Made Easy podcast. My name is Savannah Gilboe and I'm here to help you write a story that works.
1:18.0	I want to prove to you that writing a novel doesn't have to be overwhelming.
1:21.0	So each week I'll bring you a brand new episode with
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Savannah Gilbo, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Savannah Gilbo and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.