[Save the Cat!](http://www.amazon.com/dp/1932907009/?tag=johnaugustcom-20) is a popular screenwriting book (and [book series](http://www.amazon.com/dp/1932907351/?tag=johnaugustcom-20)) by Blake Snyder, which breaks down screenplays into 15 beats (and further into 40) that all screenplays should contain.
The title comes from the idea that a film’s hero should do something nice the first time we meet him — ie save a cat — that will make it easy for the audience to like and root for him.
### More from johnaugust.com
* [In which Stuart reads the Save the Cat! books and tells you what he thought](http://johnaugust.com/2012/in-which-stuart-reads-the-save-the-cat-books-and-tells-you-what-he-thought “In which Stuart reads the Save the Cat! books and tells you what he thought”)
* [First Person: So you’re moving to Hollywood](http://johnaugust.com/2010/moving-to-hollywoo “So you’re moving to Hollywood”)
* [Robert Mckee](http://johnaugust.com/2003/robert-mckee “Robert Mckee”)
* [In which Stuart reads the Save the Cat! books and tells you what he thought](http://johnaugust.com/2012/in-which-stuart-reads-the-save-the-cat-books-and-tells-you-what-he-thought “In which Stuart reads the Save the Cat! books and tells you what he thought”)
* [First Person: So you’re moving to Hollywood](http://johnaugust.com/2010/moving-to-hollywoo “So you’re moving to Hollywood”)
* [Robert Mckee](http://johnaugust.com/2003/robert-mckee “Robert Mckee”)