Save The Cat or How to be a Hollywood Hack

EJ Pennypacker said:
So let me get this straight, just to be crystal clear.

The only reason you actually came on here and made my day was because he wrote "poo poo MEMENTO?", and on the cover of the book, you took *literally* that it was indeed, the last book you'll ever need again on screenwriting?
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I didn't expect it would be the last book, but he sure as hell does, and it's not. And yeah, if he hadn't said "F*ck Memento", I probably wouldn't have felt the need to post, but I would still feel that same way about the rest of the book. His overall approach is just too schematic and reductive.
 
the last post on this subject you'll ever need to read is right here.... f*ck save the cat and f*ck memento.
 
Batutta said:
I didn't expect it would be the last book, but he sure as hell does, and it's not. And yeah, if he hadn't said "F*ck Memento", I probably wouldn't have felt the need to post, but I would still feel that same way about the rest of the book. His overall approach is just too schematic and reductive.
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Generally, speaking, I would blame the whole "last book you'll ever need" thing on the author. That usually comes from the marketing department of the publisher.
 
My 2 cents about structure:

Established story-structures are fine and well to help beginning writers get their heads around the concept of story-telling, but ultimately they are a crutch and lead to formulaic "Hollywood" storytelling.

Each story has within itself its own structure, and it's the writer's task to find that structure and illuminate it. Sometimes the structure may match one already described any of the vast numbers of structure-theorists, but maybe nothing fits and you will have to come up with a structure of your own to best tell the story.

I think the turning-point for a writer is when they can throw away their guides and come up with their own reasoning for structure in their story.
 
pmark23 said:
I think the turning-point for a writer is when they can throw away their guides and come up with their own reasoning for structure in their story.
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Unfortunately this is also the beginning point for umpteen zillion wannabe screenwriters/filmmakers whose naivete passes in their own minds for originality. All too often, thus are born films that no one ever will, or should, see.
 
Ted Spencer said:
Unfortunately this is also the beginning point for umpteen zillion wannabe screenwriters/filmmakers whose naivete passes in their own minds for originality. All too often, thus are born films that no one ever will, or should, see.
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I'm not talking about structureless films (if that's what you're talking about). I'm talking about films that are very structured -- just not conventionally.

I doubt that a beginner could wrangle out their own structure without a very firm grasp of what structures are. As they say, you have to know the rules before you break them.
 
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