— This post is the third in a series of five in which I discuss the five books that helped me the most in 2014. At the conclusion of this series, I will be giving away copies of these books, plus a few others, to folks selected at random from our email community list. You can join by filling out the short pop-up coupon. Thanks for reading! —
I stumbled upon this book while seeking to improve my writing skills. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve grown to understand the power of story. It’s not only our greatest source of entertainment, but it is the most powerful teaching tool available. Save The Cat! is a successful screenwriter’s effort to share with other writers how to effectively tell, or in his case, write, a story.
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The title of the book is one of the scriptwriting secrets the author shares. I’ll not ruin the whole thing for those who want to read the book and discover it for themselves, but it has something to do with making your audience bond with the characters you create.
While there is a bit more involved in preaching than simply telling stories, any sermon can be improved by adding an appropriate story. Some sermons might be more effective, or at least more memorable, if they were presented in the form of a story. Creating that story can be hard work, but is usually worth the effort. The principles that become the Save The Cat! method can multiply the effectiveness of the story.
Blake Snyder wrote several other books before his early death, and his friends have continued his work by creating software and other resources to assist aspiring writers. Although most of these are aimed at screenwriters, the principles are easily adapted to any form of story telling.
If you read this book, be aware that it is about Hollywood and movies so some of the content may stray into areas that you would not include in a Sunday School lesson. However, any serious story teller will benefit from time spent with this easy to read book.
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