Since this one has articles from various authors on the same topics, there’s a lot of repetition in this one. I don’t remember what “recommended writing craft books” list I found this on, but it wasn’t my favorite.
Favorite Quote: “The further you stray from reader expectation, the more obligated you are to explain how you got there.”
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So I read Story by McKee and couldn’t really get into it, and unfortunately, I felt the same way about this one. A lot of these elements feel repetitive, and are illustrated through in-depth analysis of selected screenplays. Personally, I felt like it read like a super dry textbook without as many insightful nuggets as I would’ve hoped for. In general, the way the information is presented just didn’t really hit for me, but it could work for you!
Favorite Quote: “The more emotional people become, the shorter the words and sentences they use; the more rational people become, the longer the words and sentences they use.”
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Save the Cat writes a novel completely changed my writing process for the better. So I decided it was time for a reread and I wanted to get a hard copy instead of an ebook, so I figured I’d pick up the YA version (since I write almost exclusively YA.) While I still find the plotting and the beatsheets to be incredibly helpful, I preferred the non-YA version. (It just felt more universal with sharper examples.) But I was glad I reread it to brush up on plotting tools, archetypes, and devices.
Since it’s a craft book, no star rating for this one.
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Hayley Reese Chow 