Save the Cat

A storytelling structure, 15 beats

Cheat Sheet

The name comes from the idea that the hero should do something likeable early on - like saving a cat - to make the audience root for them.

Since Snyder’s sheet was originally created for screenwriting, the bracketed number by each beat is the page or pages that it would take up of a standard 110-page screenplay. The beats are as follows:

Opening Image [1]: An opening snapshot.
Theme Stated [5]: We are introduced to the central theme or lesson of the story.
Set Up [1-10]: The hero and the 'ordinary world' are introduced.
Catalyst [12]: Something happens that sets the story in motion.
Debate [12-25]: The hero is hesitant to take action.
Break Into Two [25]: The hero takes up the challenge.
B Story [30]: The subplot kicks in, introducing a character who helps the hero in their transformation.
Fun and Games [30-55]: The hero in the throes of their challenge or journey.
Midpoint [55]: The stakes are raised.
Bad Guys Close In [55-75]: Things start going downhill for the hero.
All is Lost [75]: Things go from bad to worse. The hero hits rock bottom.
Dark Night of the Soul [75-85]: Faced with defeat, the hero must reckon with their loss and how they got there.
Break Into Three [85]: The hero realizes a truth that’s been evading them all this time.
Finale [85-110]: Putting their new awareness into action, the hero conquers the bad guys.
Final Image [110]: A snapshot that mirrors or contrasts the opening image.

The writer should be able to describe each beat with just one or two sentences.

Example Outlines

PKD (hypothetical)

Title: "The Memory Merchant"

Opening Image: A man wakes up in a sterile room, unsure of his identity.
Theme Stated: A nurse tells him, "Memories make us who we are."
Set-Up: We learn the protagonist is in a facility where memories are bought and sold.
Catalyst: He discovers he's sold most of his own memories.
Debate: Should he try to recover his past or start anew?
Break into Two: He decides to leave the facility to search for his lost memories.
B Story: He meets a woman who claims to know him from his past.
Fun and Games: He navigates a world where reality shifts based on memory transactions.
Midpoint: He recovers a crucial memory that suggests he was once someone important.
Bad Guys Close In: The memory facility sends agents to bring him back.
All Is Lost: He's captured and about to have his remaining memories wiped.
Dark Night of the Soul: He questions if his quest for identity is worth the pain.
Break into Three: He realizes his true self exists in the present, not just in memories.
Finale: He escapes, exposing the facility's unethical practices.
Final Image: He stands at a crossroads, ready to create new memories.

This outline incorporates themes and elements common in Philip K. Dick's work, such as questioning reality and identity, without directly copying any specific story. It demonstrates how the Save the Cat structure can be applied to a science fiction narrative exploring philosophical questions about the nature of self and memory.

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