Save the Cat! Strikes Back: More Trouble For... (27 page)

FORCED CONFLICT
► Why do so many movie scenes involve two characters shouting at each other? Why do strange encumbrances occur to “force” those characters to even be there — trapped… and screaming? It's because the screenwriter needs to amp up the conflict of EVERY scene, because conflict is why we came. If it's not in every scene, the audience will…
zzzzzz
…

“FORCE IT!”
► This is the handy phrase I use in class and in working with writers to get them to “hit their marks” as dramatists. We don't care if you the writer think it's obvious or overly simple or clichéd or any number of excuses… hit your marks! When you feel you can't, try harder. We the audience expect drama, we expect to see transformation, we expect a story!

“HERE'S THE BAD WAY TO DO THIS”
► The other handy phrase that goes along with “Force it!” is the one that lets reluctant writers off the hook. Are you stalled, mired in not having a solution to a story point, character arc, or way to tell the theme? Give yourself an excuse to present a solution that might sound lame with “Here's the bad way to do this.” It might even be great!

IN PLAY
► The heady cry that goes out along Agency Row that some hot bit of talent may actually be open to new representation. Let the wining and dining begin! If you're a writer, a milder form of this frenetic buzz may also be heard. Normally agents don't poach another agent's roster, but a well-placed rumor or an out-and-out phone call from the talent's other reps (lawyer, manager, personal trainer) may mean the pursuit can begin.

MOMENT OF CLARITY, THE
► Every hero has a period of collapse around All Is Lost. Boom. He's done. And in Dark Night of the Soul, since we've got his attention and he has nowhere else to go anyway, this is the moment where the “penny drops” and he says: “I get it!” This beat reveals all the hero's flaws in his own eyes, and though it looks like he will never get a chance to capitalize on this… we know better, don't we boys and girls?

ON THE VERGE OF…
► The “Hamburger Helper” for loglines kicks off any one-line plot with a sense of where the hero is, and what he wants from life when this movie starts. It also implies that the ending will be 180 degrees opposite by the time the story's over — because changing one's goal, and ideas, is the point of any tale we tell.

OPEN ASSIGNMENTS BOOK
► It's a binder really, three-hole punched and constantly updated by assistants at most talent agencies and management companies to track which studios are looking for which writers for which projects that need fixing. Sometimes it's a polish, sometimes a “Page One,” and sometimes dozens, yes, dozens of writers will apply for the assignment.

PACKAGE
► This is kind of an ’80s or ’90s phrase, very Mike Ovitz, very CAA, but it still applies. Usually a management firm or agency doubles or triples its fees by tacking on other elements to a project they represent. Having inside knowledge and a relationship with producers and studios helps create packages.

PITCHES, REWRITES, AND GET-TO-KNOW YA'S
► There are three different types of meetings a writer will be sent out on by an agent. If you have a movie
pitch
, but no script yet, the writer will be matched up with a producer who will “take it in” to a studio, hopefully for a sale.
Rewrites
are projects that may not be in the Open Assignments book, and
Get-to-Know Ya's
are casual get-togethers that can lead to business, and get serious fast, if the parties involved click.

SELLING PAST THE CLOSE
► When you've finished your pitch, and said everything you need and planned to say when you prepared it, shut up. Smile. Sit down. Think about stuff you have to buy at Whole Foods. Think of anything but adding to the pitch you just made. If you've done your job, you're done. The ball is in their court. If you make a peep now you are… making a mistake.

SHARD OF GLASS, THE
► A blind spot or flaw the hero is not aware of, that sharp-edged incident, bad behavior, tough truth, or wrong done that the hero swallowed a long time ago. By the end of your tale, your hero must look at this flaw and deal with it in order to transform… and become something glorious!

SMELL OF THE RAIN ON THE ROAD AT DAWN, THE
► I can be driving down the street and see a guy with a t-shirt and think “
That's
a movie!!” Is it? Doubtful. It may be the start of an idea, the story you tell on
Letterman
about how you
got
the idea, but for now it's that thing all creative people get — if they're lucky — the beginning of art, but in and of itself, only interesting to you.

SPIDERING, HALF-STEPPING, AND BLURRY BEATS
► The “beating out” process can include some missteps. These terms describe three different ways to
not
tell your story. If you are suddenly telling a soap opera, that's
Spidering
. If you are moving your plot forward an inch at a time, that's
Half-Stepping
. And if you are making your plot points so slight we can't see them, especially at Midpoint and the major Breaks, that's
Blurry Beats
. All three revolve around fear. Trust your story and your skills!

SPINE OF THE STORY, THE
► How the hero begins, changes, and grows throughout a story — that's the spine, the thing writers and audiences track to make sure they are witness to a well-structured tale. The five questions to ask to straighten any spine are: Who's the hero? What's the problem? How does the story begin and end? What are the tangible and spiritual goals? What is the story “about,” what is its theme? Answer these and win.

STEALTH PRODUCERS
► Often a manager will put up his “shingle” (a company brand that says you're open for business in Hollywood) and attract writers to manage their careers. Not so fast! Many times these managers want more, including being “attached” as a producer to any script or project you're working on. All well and good. And very helpful. Just make sure it's okaywith you.

STORMING THE CASTLE
► You're in Act Three and you don't know how to finish your story. This five-point plan can help sketch out any ending. Ever since posting this on my blog, I get emails from screenwriters asking: “What's my castle?” and “Who's my princess?” They may not be actual places or people, but the objective of every hero and every Finale is the same. And identifying the objectives is key to figuring out how to sum up any story.

STORY SCOLIOSIS
► If you have extra scenes in your screenplay that don't seem to fit; if you have D, E, and F Stories that are really interesting, but not quite germane; if you have a hero who only changes a little tiny bit in the course of your story; or if you're still going back and forth about your theme, blending three or four together… you have a crooked story spine that needs to be put up on the rack and stretched into shape. So do it.

TANGIBLE AND THE SPIRITUAL, THE
► There are two stories in every story: the thing that's happening on the surface, known as “plot,” and the thing happening below the surface, known as “theme.” The surface world is all material,
tangible
with concrete goals, obstacles, and consequences. The goals are all specific too, such as winning a trophy, a girl, or a legal case. The below-the-surface world is the
spiritual
part; it is the lesson the hero learns from the plot — and the real story. Remember: A Story = plot = wants = tangible. And B Story = theme = needs = spiritual.

THROWING IT OVER THE WALL
► This is my buddy Jim Haggin's term to describe getting a script to a studio so they can buy it, the idea being so good that if you “throw it over the wall” surrounding the studio, someone in charge will come across it and buy it. Not always true — especially in the 21st century — for while “concept is king” and always will be, the number of scripts and the changes in the business dictate every script that goes up for sale now be as “ready to shoot” as possible.

TOO PLAIN, TOO COMPLICATED, AND HIDING THE BALL
► This is the cry of development execs — and we the public — when a concept fails to fire our imaginations. As writers we are forever pitching, from initial query letters and email queries, to in-the-room presentations, to the poster and trailer used to tell the public about
our brilliant notion. But if you don't excite, your pitch is
too plain
. If you confuse, instead of inspire, your concept is
too complicated
, and if you are not telling us the whole story (for fear of “giving it away”), you are
hiding the ball
. Try to avoid these common pitfalls.

TRANSFORMATION MACHINE, THE
► Story is the ultimate transformer, and the machine that we put our heroes through to force the change makes it easier for us because it allows us to break the story down and put it back together — even while blindfolded. Each section of the story machine, from its Opening Image to Midpoint to “Moment of Clarity” to “Final Exam” to Final Image, demands change. And we must bend our stories to make sure each of these sections is being satisfied, so our hero, and our audience, are wrung out by the end.

In his 20-year career as a screenwriter and producer, BLAKE SNYDER sold dozens of scripts, including co-writing
Blank Check
, which became a hit for Disney, and
Nuclear Family
for Steven Spielberg. His book,
Save the Cat!® The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need
, was published in May 2005, and is now in its eighteenth printing. The sequel,
Save the Cat!® Goes to the Movies: The Screenwriter's Guide to Every Story Ever Told
, and software,
Save the Cat!® The Last Story Structure Software You'll Ever Need
, are also bestsellers. Along with guiding screenwriters, novelists, and other creative thinkers, Blake's method has become the secret weapon of many development executives, managers, and producers for its precise, easy, and honest appraisal of what it takes to write and develop stories in any media. Blake was a proud member of the Writers Guild of America, west. He passed away suddenly on August 4, 2009, but he lives on in his films and his books, in the advice that will never grow old, with the spirit that will continue to thrive and inspire. His story resonates with all who loved him, and your stories will resonate thanks to his love for you. Blake's vision continues on
www.blakesnyder.com
.

When Blake passed away unexpectedly on August 4, 2009, the announcement of his death on
www.blakesnyder.com
brought a storm of heartfelt comments. Here are some excerpts.

Blake was an unstoppable force of love and inspiration.

Blake's words were golden. He was simply the best when it came to story and teaching. His books will live on forever and inspire many great writers for decades to come.

It's unlikely a day of my writing life will go by without me thinking of Blake. His contributions to understanding the nature and power of story are immeasurable. His generous nature and lively spirit will not be forgotten. The creative spark he ignited in thousands of writers will never be extinguished.

Blake had nothing but joy to offer his readers and students. He could barely contain how excited he was to share the wonders of good storytelling. Blake will not only live on as a guru who shaped countless writers, but also as a sterling example of how finding your true purpose and doing it with all your heart is the only way to live.