“Jane Austen, Agatha Christie, J.
Up to K. Rowling
“All the stories we’ve been passionate about are made up of 15 core stories!”
15 Rules for Turning Your Ideas into Novels

Completing a novel is not as easy as you might think.
Sometimes, you get so immersed in the main character that your character collapses in the middle of the story, or you get stuck on a certain plot point and just stamp your feet, or you don't even know what to write and can't even get started.
But what if there were 15 rules that could help you deal with all these problems?

From the works of great classic authors like Jane Austen and Charles Dickens to Agatha Christie, Stephen King, and J.
15 core stories commonly found in the works of world-renowned authors representing each genre, such as K. Rowling.
Through this templated 'beat sheet', we will look at everything from the main character setting to the story structure, genre, and 'how to introduce your book' to capture the hearts of readers and industry insiders.

Humans respond to storytelling elements in a specific order. Something deeply ingrained in our DNA compels us to do so.
It's been that way since our primitive ancestors drew pictures on cave walls and sat around campfires telling stories to their tribes.
The Save the Cat Beat Sheet provides a simple blueprint for identifying those codes and creating a successful story.
It's like there's no need to reinvent the wheel, which has been around since it was first invented.
---From "Starting"

Let's think about it.
What does my protagonist want? Saying "I want happiness" isn't enough.
This is a common answer in the workshops I run, but it is not specific at all.
The more specific and clear a character's goals or desires are, the more effective they are.
The reader must be able to clearly see whether the protagonist has achieved what he or she wants and when the goal is achieved.
If you want to aim for happiness, the writer must at least specify what happiness is for the protagonist.
It should be something the reader can identify with and root for, like a nice house, a nice car, a million Twitter followers, winning a national championship, living in a new land across the border, having magical powers, or escaping from prison.
---From "What Attracts Readers' Attention?"

The protagonist's desires may change as the story progresses.
In fact, that's often the case.
In Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein's first goal was to create life.
But later on, it changes to destroying the life forms it created.
Alice in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll wants to find the white rabbit, but later on, she just wants to go home.
In Jojo Moyes's Me Before You, Louisa takes a job to earn money, but later wants to save Will's life.


In this way, desire, whether it changes or not, advances the story and keeps the plot moving.
If there is nothing the protagonist wants, he will just sit around and wait for something to happen.
Desire moves the protagonist.
It gets you off your butt and into action.
That's what the reader wants!
---From "What Attracts Readers' Attention?"

The beat sheet is a map.
These are road signs we place for ourselves so that we don't wander aimlessly across the country.
Likewise, Save the Cat Beat Sheet breaks down the daunting task of writing a 300-, 400-, or 500-page novel into bite-sized, achievable goals.
Small goals help you stay on track and keep moving steadily toward your ultimate destination.
Towards a satisfying ending where the character changes satisfactorily.
---From "Save the Cat Beat Sheet"

B Story characters guide the protagonist through life lessons in various ways.
For example, it could be the embodiment of a theme, like Peeta Mellark, a B-story character in The Hunger Games.
Just before the Hunger Games officially begin, Peeta tells Katniss:
“I want to figure out a way to show the Capitol that I don’t own it.
“I am more than just a small part of the Hunger Games.” This is the lesson (theme) that Katniss ultimately learns.
Resisting the rules of the Capitol in order to survive.
It is B-story character Peeta Mellark who helps her approach the lesson.
---From "Save the Cat Beat Sheet"

Whoever or whatever the villain, this genre of novels gives readers a sense of satisfaction when the protagonist ultimately uses something of his or her own to outwit the enemy.
This is only possible if the compatibility between the protagonist and the problem is perfect.
Mitch McDirt of "So They Went to Sea" may not be able to survive on Mars, but he can survive in a corrupt law firm.
Because he is a smart and ambitious lawyer.
It is important to pre-establish the abilities your protagonist needs to solve problems.
It's an ability engraved in the character's DNA.
But the protagonist must not realize what potential he has and how to utilize it until the ultimate ordeal comes.
---From "The Fifth Genre: Problems that Face Ordinary People"

In summary, superhero novels must contain the following three elements:
*Power: The protagonist has special powers.
It could be a mission to do good.
*Enemy: A character who directly opposes the protagonist.
Although they have similar (or greater!) powers, they have earned them through their own efforts and do not believe in being the 'chosen ones'.
*Curse: The price the protagonist must pay for being special.
It allows ordinary readers to empathize with extraordinary protagonists.
---From "The Fourth Genre, Superhero"

A monster story in the house must have an enclosed space where the monster exists.
We call this home.
Houses come in all shapes and sizes: they can be real houses like in The Exorcist or Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House, entire towns like Salem's Lot, isolated deserts like Prey, creepy underwater laboratories like The Deep, or even entire countries.

A monster's wrath must be specific or targeted in some way.
For example, the monster in Frankenstein can roam freely anywhere, but it only attacks Victor Frankenstein's closest friends and family.
His resentment is directed only at his Creator.
Therefore, the 'home' in this novel is Victor's family.
---From "The Tenth Genre, The Monster in the House"

We fear that our writing or plot will be bad.
So let's give in to that fear and let the writing and plot be bad.
Make a crappy, crappy beat sheet.
And persevere! So that your future self will have something to fix! Don't be afraid of not being good at writing.
Embrace the things that are bad! I like to say that.
“Don’t be afraid to write shit.
“Dung is a great fertilizer.”

---From "Save the Writer!"