Yay! But first, you need to recognize how to harness what’s valuable in Save The Cat!, while understanding the principles that make it so potentially destructive. ), Elizabeth Davis’s website no longer exists, but you can find. Double click on the project.scrivx file to import it into Scrivener. Your Logline Template for Each Save the Cat!® Genre Jose Silerio , July 1, 2016 4 min read 17488 Our workshops are always a great place to “test the waters” of an idea to see if there really is a story lurking in the shadows awaiting to be told – and told in the best way possible. We can input the target word counts for each beat from the Master Beat Sheet and then track our progress while we draft. Pen & Muse has a free, Scrivener template full of worksheets and other helpful tools. Mine are fairly simple subplots, however, usually to add humor. It allows you to plan, outline, and draft your next murder mystery all in one project file. Let me know at my Contact page if there are other worksheets you’d like me to create. Juggling Multiple Heroes and Multiple Beat Sheets + Free Beat Sheet Offer! Save as template is separate from the main ‘save as’ section, situated lower on the menu. ), In a romance, we have the external (plot) arc, at least two internal (character) arcs for the two (or more) protagonists, and the Romance Arcâthe growth of the relationship over the course of the story. Jami Gold’s Master Beat Sheet Scrivener Template: I designed this Scrivener template to go along with the beats from the Master Beat Sheet (a combination of the Save the Cat and Story Engineering Master Beat Sheet). * With the exception of the Save the Cat Beat Sheet, which was developed by Elizabeth Davis, all worksheets referenced above were created by Jami Gold. World-Building Leviathan Template. ; Belinda Crawford posted about an article Kitty Chandler at Kitty Space regarding a fantastic template she calls the World-building Leviathan Scrivener template.I mention Belinda because she posts great articles and info that I think other writers will find useful. I also have posts with tips on how to find your beats, how to know where to place them, and how pantsers can use beat sheets too. Scrivener template files can’t simply be “opened.”), Note: Click here for Scrivener import instructions. (See below for a matching Scrivener template. For more information, check out my post introducing this worksheet and sharing more beta reading tips. (Note: Follow that link for download and import instructions too. (Scrivener template files can’t simply be “opened,” If you know of any great templates, please feel free to … Sign up for my newsletter to receive my blog posts and hear about all additions I make to this page. For more information, check out my post introducing this worksheet and John Truby’s insights. We can input the target word counts for each beat from the Basic Beat Sheet and then track our progress while we draft. (To check multiple scenes, the Elements of a Good Scene Worksheet below might be more helpful.). Based on John Truby’s insights in The Anatomy of Story: 22 Steps to Becoming a Master Storyteller, this spreadsheet contains two tabs that cover four big-picture aspects of our planning and revision process: We can use the questions on this worksheet to develop our stories before drafting, or we can use the questions to more fully develop our stories, characters, and themes during revisions. Do you write by the seat of your pants? Scrivener and Save The Cat! You asked for it, and here it is - a video giving you an inside peek at how I'm setting up my Scrivener outline for NaNoWriMo this year!  I talk more about how to use the Story Structure spreadsheet here.  I talk about how to use this Master Spreadsheet here. I am a writer though, and was so inspired by the books "Save the Cat" and "Save the Cat Strikes Back" (which I read on my Kindle) that I immediately downloaded the trial version of the program hoping that the card method it uses would help me whip all of the scenes and notes I have on Scrivener into shape. The writing community is fortunate to have many great resources. This one is based on my own template that I've been using for my upcoming mystery series. Save The Cat! Don't know what beat sheets are or how to use them? storycrafting method. Once you’re ready to start writing, use Scrivener’s “composition mode” to keep from getting distracted. Scrivener Templates. Elizabeth Davis created this spreadsheet based on Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat writing craft book. Read my Privacy Policy! My next Scrivener template is now available for download: a murder mystery novel template. Most plotting techniques concentrate on the external plot points but don’t explain how the internal conflict is resolved during the story. By signing up I agree to receiving DAILY creativity tips and promotional emails by Bela Lampert. has multiple folders, one overall, and one for each of the Acts. All those beats with odd names to fill in can be downright confusing. (Note: Follow that link for download and import instructions too. Beat Sheet or Outlining with Scrivener and Save the Cat. We understand the world through stories we tell ourselves, those others tell us, and those that entertain us, seeing ourselves in them even when they don’t contain people like us. Story Grid Novel Template. For more information, check out my post introducing this worksheet and sharing more tips on what we can include on our business plan. Detailed Novel Template. Easy. If you know of any great templates, please feel free to … â Guest: Siera London, Writing Conflict: Love, Work, and Office Romance â Guest: Angela Ackerman, Writing Process: Developing a Coherent Story â Guest: Jael R. Bakari, Lost Your Pants? If you’re interested in this level of planning, you may want to check out How to Outline Your Novel with the Save the Cat! The Story Premise Development tab (click to view full-size image): The Character & Plot Arc tab (click to view full-size image): Based on the contest scoresheets used to analyze stories, I created a “master list” of points to consider when we beta read or when we ask others to beta read for us. Save The Cat Template. We can input the target word counts for each beat from the Romance Beat Sheet and then track our progress while we draft. Claire O’Brien has a great post with Picture Book templates. Claire O’Brien has a great post with Picture Book templates.  His beat sheet is great for organizing a story during drafting or revisions, and this spreadsheet makes the process easier. John Castle posted some Save the Cat templates, and they look pretty good. *smile* Click here to download a zip file of the Scrivener template. Facing a decision and you’re not sure which choice to make? If we have all these elements, we likely have a storyâand not just any story, but a story thatâs already strong, has a purpose and arc, and can be made even stronger by bringing out the aspects that will create resonance within readers. I designed this Romance Scrivener template to go along with the beats from my Romance Beat Sheet. The Impatient Writer's Guide to Plotting a Story, Beat Sheet Basics: Know Your Story's Structure, A Newbie's Guide to Building a Self-Hosted Blog or Website, Develop a Free Author Website in 60 Minutes (or Less! I share MS Excel tips and explain how to read the columns and numbers. Grundsteingasse 22/209 | 1160 Vienna | +43 664 5478887 | writeme (at) belalampert.com, Privacy Policy | Datenschutzerklärung | Imprint | Impressum. Scrivener templates will open up a whole new world of writing and allow your creativity to come alive. I’m wondering if it’s because I have the newest Scrivener version. John Castle posted some Save the Cat templates, and they look pretty good. Most important points to take away from Save the Cat! Then, referring to the Save the Cat book, I set up each of those ‘scenes’ according to the beats expected within this structure. Learn romance-specific story structure to create more-compelling character arcs and a deeper romance arc. Don’t worry, follow these instructions exactly, and this template should work for you. Rate this: Share this: Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) About the Beats, Novel Writing. You can then easily open this in your own version of Scrivener for future use, or share it with others. Don’t let those other beat sheets intimidate you. 1 . And you should read it. If you’re familiar with beat sheets but aren’t sure what your word count should be, trying aiming for your genre’s average . That’s a lot of arcs and plot points to juggle on a standard beat sheet. By focusing strictly on the romance arc, and how the relationship develops between the characters, we can see our romance stories on a deeper level. (See below for a matching Scrivener template, and check out the workshop Between the Sheets: Create a Deeper Romance with the Romance Beat Sheet to learn more about how to use this tool.). What Kind of Marketing Plan Will Work for Us? Learn techniques and receive tools developed especially for pantsers. And the template is really just a starting point…the story can be more complex on top of the basic mystery, and the subplots can be complex, too. Pen & Muse has a free, Scrivener template full of worksheets and other helpful tools. I talked more about these scene elements and why we should pay attention here, and I shared more insight into how to evaluate these elements here. This video is loosely Based off of Antony Johnston’s Article, Scrivening Comics, using his comic script template which is included with Scrivener.. Note: These tools are available only to attendees of Jami’s workshop: Lost Your Pants? or click to jump to the one you want…. Don’t let those other beat sheets intimidate you. (See below for a matching Scrivener template, and check out the workshop Beat Sheet Basics: Know Your Story’s Structure to learn more about how to use this tool.). Even artists such as writers can benefit from creating a business plan. Weiland’s Story Structure Database breaks movies and books down to their basic beats. No confusion. No Comments on Scrivener Templates While starting prep for NaNoWriMo this year I decided to check up on different plotting styles and landed upon two different ones to try. File / Save as Template. Scrivener Template (zip) Never fearâlearn the terminology, uses, and ways to adapt beat sheets to our writing methods. Use this same form and select “New Blog Posts” to receive copies of Jami’s writing-focused blog posts in your email too. How to Modify Scrivener Templates This is what I used to create the Scrivener Templates. Writes a Novel and also the Save the Cat! Dec 6, 2019 - Here's a Scrivener template for my Master Beat Sheet, which combines the Save the Cat Beat Sheet and my Story Engineering Beat Sheet. As promised, here are some templates which you should find helpful when using Scrivener with the Save The Cat! A Writer’s Notebook Template. View and download save-the-cat-by-blake-snyder.pdf on DocDroid One way to use Scrivener to write comics. Click to download the zip file of Jami Gold’s Master Beat Sheet Scrivener template, Click here for Scrivener import instructions. Save the Cat! General Novel Project Template. Picturebook Template. If you have a killer logline then you probably have the bones for a killer story. Click to download Jami Gold’s Basic Beat Sheet – MS Excel ’07/10 version (.xlsx), Click to download Jami Gold’s Basic Beat Sheet – MS Excel earlier version (.xls), Beat Sheet Basics: Know Your Story’s Structure, Click to download the zip file of Jami Gold’s Basic Scrivener template, a framework for strong romances (or love interests), combine that inner journey with the external plot, Click to download the Six Stage Plot Structure – MS Excel ’07/10 version (.xlsx), Click to download the Six Stage Plot Structure – MS Excel earlier version (.xls), how the relationship develops between the characters, Click to download Jami Gold’s Romance Beat Sheet – MS Excel ’07/10 version (.xlsx), Click to download Jami Gold’s Romance Beat Sheet – MS Excel earlier version (.xls), Between the Sheets: Create a Deeper Romance with the Romance Beat Sheet, Click to download the zip file of Jami Gold’s Romance Scrivener template, scene elements and why we should pay attention here, Click to download the Elements of a Good Scene Overview – MS Word ’07/10 Version (.docx), Click to download the Elements of a Scene Overview – MS Word earlier version (.doc), Click to download the Scene Elements Worksheet – MS Excel ’07/10 version (.xlsx), Click to download the Scene Elements Worksheet – MS Excel earlier version (.xls), Click to download the Essential Elements of a Story Worksheet – MS Excel ’07/10 version (.xlsx), Click to download the Essential Elements of a Story Worksheet – MS Excel earlier versions (.xls), check out my post introducing this worksheet and John Truby’s insights, Click to download the Story Development and Revision Worksheet – MS Excel ’07/10 version (.xlsx), Click to download the Story Development and Revision Worksheet – MS Excel earlier versions (.xls), check out my post introducing this worksheet and sharing more beta reading tips, Click to download the Beta Reading Worksheet – MS Word ’07/10 version (.docx), Click to download the Beta Reading Worksheet – MS Word earlier versions (.doc), check out my post introducing this worksheet and sharing more tips on what we can include on our business plan, Click to download the Business Plan for Writers Worksheet â MS Word ’07/10 version (.docx), Click to download the Business Plan for Writers Worksheet â MS Word earlier version (.doc), check out my post introducing this worksheet and sharing more tips on how we can use it to help us figure out our priorities, Click to download the Paired Comparison Analysis Worksheet – MS Excel ’07/10 version (.xlsx), Click to download the Paired Comparison Analysis Worksheet – MS Excel earlier versions (.xls), How to Make the Most of Our Story’s Tropes. ... Save The Cat! Do you want to write faster? We can use the questions on this worksheet to organize our thoughts, prompt discussions, or self-edit our work. He has written several screenplays and uses the power of Yoga to connect to his natural creativity and happiness. We can use the sections on this worksheet to recognize whatâs important to us, brainstorm our goals, and design a plan to get from Point A to Point B while avoiding distractions. Originally created for screenwriters, bestselling author Jessica Brody has successfully adapted the method for novelists with her #1 bestselling book, Save the Cat! Posted on 2013/10/12 by John Castle 8 comments. website (which is awesome) contains a template logline. Blake Snyder’s Save The Cat! I discussed these elements here and here. Each beat / dot is in a separate text doc under a plot folder. Inspired by Elizabeth’s spreadsheet, I decided to do the same with Larry Brooks’s story structure from Story Engineering, using turning points (plot points and “pinch points”) in the proper location to make the strongest story. Time for Good 2020 News: A Holiday Giveaway! This is a simple checklist of the breakdown of potential elements by level of importance (as Janice Hardy explains here). Want to hear when Jami adds a worksheet to this list? No clutter. We can input the target word counts for each beat from the Master Beat Sheet and then track our progress while we draft. One Page Novel Template. Under Research there is the description from the top of the Google Doc and the image. I designed this basic Scrivener template to go along with the beats from the Basic Beat Sheet (4 major beats and 4 minor beats). Here are the ones I haven’t been able to upload: 30 Chapter Novel, blog template, NaNoWriMo Novel, Novel with 4 parts, Romaning the Beat, Seven Point Story Structure, The One Page Novel, and the Story Grid. If we’ve ever wondered whether one of our completed stories contained all the essential elements or had the “bones” of a good story, this worksheet might help. Sean Williams posted the Vertigo Scrivener template (comic template). To get the template to show up in Scrivener as an option the next time you start a new project, you’ll need to save it as a template (File/Save As Template). Check this post for instructions on using this template with your story and word count targets. Not sure how to use Jami's popular Romance Beat Sheet? SFWA Short Story Template. I then saved the project as a template. You Qualify for Jami's Friends & Readers Discount, Jami Gold’s Story Planning Tool and Beat Sheet, Jami Gold’s Elements of a Good Scene Checklist, Jami Gold’s Elements of a Good Scene Worksheet, Jami Gold’s Essential Elements of a Story Worksheet, Jami Gold’s Story Development & Revision Worksheet, Jami Gold’s Business Plan for Writers Worksheet, Jami Gold’s Paired Comparison Analysis Worksheet, Develop a Beat Sheet into an Outline charts, Weaving Stories with The Four Thread Method chart, Write More Diversely with Diversity Double Check, Find Balance with the Life Bank Worksheet, Bullet Journaling Layouts for Productivity, the .xls version of her beat sheet mirrored here, the .xlsx version of her beat sheet mirrored here, how to use the Story Structure spreadsheet here, Click to download the Story Structure Spreadsheet – MS Excel ’07/10 version (.xlsx), Click to download the Story Structure Spreadsheet – MS Excel earlier version (.xls), Click to download the Master Spreadsheet – MS Excel ’07/10 version (.xlsx), Click to download the Master Spreadsheet – MS Excel earlier version (.xls). Otherwise, the program won’t recognize the template has been installed. Mystery Novel Template. He has written several screenplays and uses the power of Yoga to connect to his natural creativity and happiness. That does help with a template. This spreadsheet covers the same scene elements as the checklist above but formats the information so we can work on multiple scenes at once. Bela Lampert is an optioned Screenwriter and certified Yoga Instructor. If you’re not, this post may be a little confusing and I recommend reading Jami Gold’s Beat Sheets 101 post, or Blake Snyder’s book Save the Cat. just might be the most dangerous book out there for writers. Mac Users: Those instructions are focused on Windows, but check this comment and this comment with tips from my readers for Mac-specific advice. Michael Hauge’s workshop, “Using Inner Conflict to Create Powerful Love Stories,” provides us a framework for strong romances (or love interests), a way to show that strong relationship, and a method to combine that inner journey with the external plot as described here. Next time I select File / NewProject, this template is available to me. Scrivener template files can’t simply be “opened”—the zip file must first be extracted and then you have to import the template file into Scrivener. ), I designed this Scrivener template to go along with the beats from the Master Beat Sheet (a combination of the Save the Cat and Story Engineering Master Beat Sheet). That’s where the Basic Beat Sheet can help. After you have saved your project as a template, you will have a file in the format.scrivtemplate. Scrivener template files can’t simply be “opened.”), Our characters must go through an internal journey that should mesh with the external plot. It isn’t in the original Save the Cat! (Click each image to view larger version.). Some Scrivener templates are available directly through the Scrivener software, while others are created independently and must be imported.. ), Beat sheets can be intimidating for those who write by the seat of their pants or those new to beat sheets. When I first came across Blake Synder’s Beat Sheet (BS2), I was half-way through the Over the image we hear Trinity and Cypher, on the “other end” of the cursor. Check this post for instructions on using this template with your story and word count targets. so scroll to the bottom of the link for step-by-step help. (Janice Hardy explains how this same method can apply to non-romance stories here. This story-development process establishes the big picture for our storyâand especially helps those who write by the seat of their pants make “fast drafting” techniques work for them.  This spreadsheet includes both the beats from the Save the Cat beat sheet and the parts and milestones from Story Engineering. For those who can’t decide how to approach story planning, check out the spreadsheet I made to combine Elizabeth’s Save the Cat spreadsheet with Larry’s story structure from Story Engineering. Again, this worksheet combines information from my post here and Janice Hardy’s post here, and more insights can be found here. Check this post for instructions on using this template with your story and word count targets. Bela Lampert is an optioned Screenwriter and certified Yoga Instructor. Join us for the very first Save the Cat!® Storytelling Masterclass, presented LIVE, by the best-selling author of Save the Cat! Offered as an OnDemand Workshop for a Limited Time! You can get four templates here for $2.99. Need examples? K.M. For more information, check out my post introducing this worksheet and sharing more tips on how we can use it to help us figure out our priorities. First was Save The Cat! Your information is 100% safe! How to Use Your Free Scrivener Template Based on things I learned from phenomenal teachers like Larry Brooks, Michael Hauge, and Martha Alderson, I developed these worksheets* to help all writers, from plotters to pantsers (those who write by the seat of their pants). The importance of the logline. Use this same form and select “New Blog Posts” to receive copies of Jami’s blog posts in your email too. The Impatient Writerâs Guide to Plotting a Story. BJ Markel, April 28, 2020 0 1 min read . This tool helps us make decisions by ranking which options are most important to usâespecially helpful for figuring out our goals and priorities. If you’re not familiar with beat sheets or how to use them, check out my Beat Sheets 101 post. The templates are presented in alphabetical order. Check this post for instructions on using this template with your story and word count targets. (Note: Follow that link for download and import instructions too. The Save the Cat beat sheet template calls for an opening image that speaks volumes The film is about a hacker named Neo (Keanu Reeves) who realizes his life is a computer-simulated reality (The Matrix). To ensure our scenes aren’t too heavy with info dump or backstory, we should include at least three major elements in each scene. Select “New Releases and Freebies” in the form below. Scrivener template files can’t simply be “opened.”). There’s variance in cozy, too, but there are some elements that really just *have* to be in there. He designs yoga classes especially for the needs and challenges of professional writers. Jami created these worksheets to help writers build their story up from essential “need to know” plot points and character development steps. Writes a Novel, Jessica Brody! Want to hear when Jami’s books come out and get pre-order sale prices? This video will walk you through it. Blake Snyder isn’t dangerous because he is wrong. Novels. I’ve turned my advanced 24-chapter novel writing cheatsheet into a free, downloadable Scrivener template you can use for your own writing projects. Having trouble getting some of the templates to upload to Scrivener.  I talk more about how to use the Save the Cat spreadsheet for revisions here. Use Scrivener for the Drafting Stage. Scroll down to see all my worksheets, Either way, you will be able to find a lot of Scrivener templates that will help you through any writing project.