As the title suggests, I’ve come to my first bump in the road, my first mistake – or lesson learned if you’re an optimist. A setback, nothing more. And the penance for such an occurrence? Time.

It was bound to happen, I tell myself. It’s been twenty years since I wrote like this - going through the process of preparing a manuscript for publication. What was I expecting? But ego doesn’t reason, no matter the argument. For example, when you fail to get a job. You think you performed well in the interview, but there was a stronger candidate or hidden factors. Ultimately, though, you put yourself forward for scrutiny and got rejected, and that’s all your ego feels. Trying to be published involves a lot of that. Publishers and agents can only represent a few clients, so luck plays a significant role in getting noticed among the thousands of submissions authors send every day. But it doesn’t stop the feeling of inadequacy plaguing you, leading to self-doubt.

What did I do wrong then?

I read a book.

Or rather, I educated myself and realised how little I knew.

The book was ‘Effective Editing’ by Molly McCowan, and it began inauspiciously enough. I had finished my edits (developmental, line and copy edits) and was feeling confident in what I’d produced. I’d enjoyed the process for once, thanks mainly to ProWritingAid (as mentioned in a previous blog), and my world thrummed to an optimistic beat. One more edit (proofreading) and I was done. I was turning my attention to writing letters to agents.

Whilst in this state, I had concluded the latest book I was listening to (I like to have an audiobook for car journeys and a physical one for anywhere I might otherwise have to interact with a human). As my interest in editing was peaking, I downloaded the aforementioned book to pick up a few final tips before sending my work into the world. What could go wrong?

It had everything I expected: show Vs tell; character development; pacing; point of view; ‘dialogue that sparkles’; types of editing. I felt at ease with it. Confidence was high. The end of the writing phase of my journey was near. Until I read (listened to) Chapter 3…

The title of Chapter 3 was ‘Editing for plot and structure’. Already completed, I thought, hovering my finger over the circular arrow for skipping the chapter. Cause-and-effect: tick. What a character wants versus what they need: check. However, I let the book play, perhaps in a vein of smugness at having my knowledge affirmed, and I’m glad I did – although at the time I got a feeling of dread in my stomach.

It was a cat that ruined, but also saved me.

The cat in question was ‘Save the Cat!’, a structure/formula/code for writing fiction developed by Blake Snyder, described by Jessica Brody in ‘Save the Cat! Writes a Novel’, and explained to me by McCowan over the radio. Brody put forward an interesting argument that a story has ‘beats’ to drive the plot from one action to another, pushing the protagonist through their journey of self-discovery. Typically, a protagonist finds themselves in conflict in three acts (set goal; fail; resolution). However, according to this darn cat, a story can follow a fifteen-beat structure (although I counted fourteen in the framework).

Huh?

The premise will be uniquely yours. As will the plot. However, the structure must align with these fifteen beats that Snyder claims all great stories adhere to, filling missing beats to maintain cause-and-effect relationships and drive the character’s story.

What? I’d completed a developmental edit and was happy with the story!

McCowan promoted the ‘Save the Cat!’ beats theory as a great way to ensure the link between character and plot, and by using the framework she promised I’d find any steps that were missing for the reader to engage with and invest in my novel.

OK, said I, steadying my hands on the steering wheel. This is fine. My story is good. Upon returning home, I’ll upload my work into the frame and verify the presence of all the beats, to satisfy myself that the plot is strong as forever is a long time to have a novel in the Universe, especially if you can improve it. Think in beats, not chapters. Chunk the story into bullet points and… I had two missing beats.

No!

Infamy, infamy; they’ve all got it in for me.

A dark hour ensued, going through each stage of grief.

I could overlook this, but I liked the framework and the lady I’d listened to for thirty minutes, having not checked her credentials, sounded like she knew her stuff.

I could ignore it as I was content with my story and ready for the proofread, and this was like getting a bad review, nothing more. Except I was the one giving the review. I felt it had something missing. And I couldn’t move on. I had to solve it. Humans are perfectionists, and when they accept less, it’s often because they don’t care for what they are doing. I did care.

I would go back and write two extra chapters.

Then I would edit them – restarting the process.

This is a setback, nothing more.

And the penance? Time.

Frustrating, but it was bound to happen.

Ultimately, I’ll come out of this experience as a better writer.

Perhaps the cat came at precisely the right time to save me.

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‘Save the Cat!’ framework:

Act I

Opening Image (0%–1%): The first thing seen; think of it like a snapshot of the protagonist in their ordinary world. This will set the tone of the story and should be the opposite of the Final Image.

Setup (1%–10%): The introduction of the world and characters as well as what’s wrong in that world and/or character’s life. What does the character want, and what’s stopping them? The Theme Stated, a quick paragraph or sentence hinting at the truth the character needs to discover, should happen early in the Setup.

Catalyst (10%): The trigger that starts the plot. This is an event that permanently alters the protagonist’s ordinary world.

Debate (10%–20%): The protagonist resists change and ultimately decides whether or not to do whatever it is they need to do.

Act II

Break into Act II (20%): The protagonist has to choose to take action and move the story forward.

B Story (22%): Readers are introduced to a secondary character who either helps or hinders the protagonist. They should play a pivotal role in moving the protagonist forward in some way.

Fun and Games (20%–50%): The protagonist goes on a roller-coaster ride of wins and losses. They try to get what they want, they fail, and then they pivot and try again.

Midpoint (50%): The middle of the book is a single scene that resolves the Fun and Games arc with either a false victory or a false defeat. This scene raises the stakes as you head toward the climax.

Bad Guys Close In (50%–75%): Things start to fall apart for the protagonist.

All Is Lost (75%): The opposite of the Midpoint, this is a second false victory or defeat where, even in victory, the protagonist is brought to their lowest point.

Dark Night of the Soul (75%–80%): This is the deep soul-searching of the protagonist to find the solution to the problems facing them. The protagonist starts to realize what they actually need versus what they want.

Act III

Break into Act III (80%): The protagonist decides on the right course of action to reach their new goal.

Finale (80%–99%): The climax, where the protagonist takes that course of action and ultimately succeeds or fails in their quest.

Final Image (99%–100%): This is a single scene showing the plot’s outcome. It should be the opposite of the Opening Image, showing how much the protagonist has transformed.