I read Save the Cat and thought it was great and provided a simplified breakdown for creating a compelling story. One of the issues I have is that I read a lot of books but retain a small amount. A good example, is the Blake Snyder Beat Sheet. I thought that was a great tool and I generally remember it. I remember lots of structure discussion in many of the books I’ve read but I don’t have it memorized. So I end up going back looking at the book, get distracted, and it feels like a waste of time. So I’ve been working on an idea of memorizing more of the core lessons from the books I’ve been reading.
For me memorization has to be done in a specific or systematic way. Usually I need a combination of flash cards and mnemonics. I think about those people who memorize huge volumes of information and they do it through systems like imagining rooms in a house. Or how doctors and lawyers have to memorize lots of information so they know it when they need it without looking a book.
So to start memorizing something simple, here is a ultra simple beat sheet, based on the Blake Snyder beat sheet, with percentages to remember where things should end up.
- Set up – first 9%
- Catalyst – 10-11%
- Break into Two – 22 %
- Midpoint – 50%
- All is Lost – 68%
- Break into Three – 85%
- Finale – 85-99%
- Final Image – 100%
A couple notes about this. First is that I think the first act and catalyst is most important because it should set up payoffs later. Also the Break into two should also pose the dramatic question. Will the protagonist save the day, win love, etc.
For a mnemonic, scbmabff – that’s the first first letters of each line and not very helpful on its own. So here is a lame sentence to hopefully remember the simple beat sheet. Some cats bite, most animals bite from fear.