Save the Cat! books in order

Save the Cat! is a writing guide franchise spanning ten books about story structure and storytelling craft, originated by screenwriter Blake Snyder and continued by Jessica Brody and other authors.

Reading order

# Title Published Author Buy on Amazon
1 Save the Cat 2005 Jessica Brody Buy
2 Save the Cat Goes to the Movies 2007 Jessica Brody Buy
3 Save the Cat!® Beat Sheet Workbook 2009 Jessica Brody Buy
4 Save the Cat!® Strikes Back 2009 Jessica Brody Buy
5 Save the Cat!® Blake’s Blogs 2016 Jessica Brody Buy
6 Save the Cat!® Goes to the Indies 2017 Jessica Brody Buy
7 Save the Cat! Writes a Novel 2018 Jessica Brody Buy
8 Save the Cat! Writes for TV 2021 Jessica Brody Buy
9 Save the Cat! Writes a Young Adult Novel 2023 Jessica Brody Buy
10 Save the Cat! Writes Horror 2025 Jessica Brody Buy

“Save the Cat! started as Blake Snyder’s 2005 screenwriting guide and has grown into a ten-book franchise covering multiple forms of storytelling. Snyder wrote the original Save the Cat, Save the Cat Goes to the Movies, and Save the Cat! Strikes Back before his death in 2009. Jessica Brody continued the series with novel-focused adaptations starting in 2018.”

“The franchise now covers screenwriting, novel writing, TV writing, YA fiction, horror, and indie filmmaking. The core beat sheet method — breaking stories into fifteen structural points — has become one of the most widely used story structure tools in publishing and film. The workbooks and supplementary volumes give writers practical tools for applying the method to their own work.”

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the Save the Cat! series?

There are ten books in the Save the Cat! series, published between 2005 and 2025.

What is the first book in the Save the Cat! series?

The first book in the Save the Cat! series is Save the Cat, published in 2005.

What is the Save the Cat! beat sheet?

“The Save the Cat! beat sheet is a fifteen-point story structure template created by screenwriter Blake Snyder. It breaks a story into specific beats — Opening Image, Theme Stated, Catalyst, Break into Two, Midpoint, All Is Lost, and others — that guide writers through the arc of a narrative. Originally designed for screenplays, Jessica Brody adapted the method for novels, and the franchise has expanded to cover TV, YA, horror, and indie film.”

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