Desmond’s Drops: Blake Snyder’s SAVE THE CAT Genres, Part 3
By Desmond Hall | May 15, 2024 |
Welcome to a new edition of Desmond’s Drops!
This month, enjoy three new drops about Blake Snyder’s genres from his classic book, Save the Cat!
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Email subscribers, please click directly to staging-writerunboxed.kinsta.cloud to view, or visit all of Demond’s Drops on YouTube.
Look for more of Desmond’s Drops in JULY! And be sure to visit on JUNE 2nd to read a Take Five interview with Desmond and celebrate along with us as he launches his second novel, BETTER MUST COME!
Have your own bit of wisdom to share? Drop it in comments.
Desmond Hall, author of YOUR CORNER DARK, was born in Jamaica, West Indies and then moved to Jamaica, Queens. His second novel, BETTER MUST COME, a fiercely evocative, action-packed YA thriller that examines that darker side of light-filled Jamaica, released in May, 2024. He’s worked as both a high school biology teacher and English teacher, counseled at-risk teens, and served as Spike Lee’s creative director at SpikeDDB. He’s also written and directed the HBO movie, A DAY IN BLACK AND WHITE, which was nominated for the Gordon Parks Award. He’s written and directed the theater play, STOCKHOLM, BROOKLYN, which won the audience award at the Downtown Theater Festival at the Cherry Lane Theater. He’s also served on the board of the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, and was a judge for the Addys, and the Downtown Urban Arts Film Festival. Named one of Variety Magazine’s 50 creatives to watch.
Thanks, Desmond. It is interesting, that though I am writing Women’s Fiction, some of your same recommendations as to elements of plot DO reside in the flow of my novel. The process of discovery, and what the protagonist does about it to free herself from pain, can apply to every day life, as well as what super heroes deal with. Bottom line, ordinary struggles can produce super heroes.
Hi Elizabeth, I completely agree with your thought, and I love how you apply the “superhero life” to “every day life!”
Thanks for the drops, Desmond. My own stories seem based on a small-s superhero model. The confrontation may not be between two characters, but between the protagonist and his or her fear, prejudice, sense of security — or for that matter, the “institution” as defined by Blake.
Hi Christine, I think it’s cool how you reference the two genre types. Are you hinting that you might be mixing the two? Which I think it way cool. Just wondering.
It’s fun to see you boil it down, Desmond. I do recommend Jessica Brody’s “Writes a Novel” version. I think you’d enjoy it because although the categories, or story types, are the same, the examples and references concern famous novels more than famous movies–even if they’re both called “Frankenstein” or “The Color Purple.” As you know from your own work, different sets of skills are needed to pull off the two forms.
Hi Michael, Jessica Brody’s book is on my TBR. Thanks for the tip!
The Brody book gives a list of novels that employ the Superhero genre. Not a cape or funny costume in sight. :) Included are The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum, Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler, Matilda by Roald Dahl, and Cinder by Marissa Meyer.
These STC “genres” Desmond is sharing with us can be found in any kind of novel.