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Screenwriting guru Blake Snyder.
How strange it is to be typing that as the headline. And deeply unsettling.
Blake and I had just exchanged a few emails in response to my including a shout-out to his book “Save the Cat” in my Funny People review (he returned the favor in a blog entry). He was tickled over the mention and over the course of a few days, we chatted about writing, my forthcoming book and his love of radio: “My dream is to have a screenwriting show on the air hearing pitches/talking screenplays etc. Pitch Me Your Movie -- I mean why not?”
I never had the honor of meeting Blake in person but to read his “Save the Cat!” books, you felt like you’d known him forever. And if you’re asking yourself who the heck this guy is, I guess you’d have to be a screenwriter to understand. His books not only cracked the code to how films are developed and written but did so in a way that was encouraging and relatable.
Blake’s method had become the “secret weapon” of many development executives, managers, and producers. It was precise, easy to grasp, and provided a roadmap of what made a story that resonate. He saw a few of his scripts produced and had made a nice living as a successful spec script writer, but it was his first "Save the Cat!" book that made the biggest splash.
In a brief four years, “Save the Cat!” became nothing less than a movement among writers and studios, finally changing the ways scribes approach the process of creating.
STC is not a formula or a fill-in-the-blanks system, but a schematic of what a successful film would look like on paper, and that paradigm works with $200 million blockbusters and micro-budgeted indies alike. As someone steeped in film, I can honestly say that after reading his books, I never looked at movies the same way again.
I first learned of the book in 2007 when I attended a media event and bumped into an actress I’d worked with. Her husband told me about this amazing book that changed everything for him. Having bought and read thirty other screenwriting bibles, I wasn’t expecting much. But he was right. This Snyder guy had put clever names and phrases to things that were always so academic.
He argued that “westerns” and “comedy” were not genres. His genres included “Dude with a problem,” which could mean Die Hard or Schindler’s List; or “Monster in the House,” which showed how Jaws, Alien and The Exorcist are exactly the same film.
It was a refreshingly offbeat and accurate way to categorize films. He also broke them down internally with his BS2, the Blake Snyder Beat Sheet. He illustrated the power of opposing imagery and revealed exactly how to make a character compelling. It was good stuff. You know how you know the truth when you hear it? If you’re a writer or love movies, reading his two "Cat!" books are kind of like that.
If he had simply released the formula to the masses, that would have one thing. But Blake Snyder wanted you to become successful. Simply read his blog at his website and you’ll find it’s teeming with encouragement and great advice. If my experience with him, however brief, is any indication, he leaves a world filled with admirers and friends who saw him as a mentor, a comrade and voice of reason. He was all about people sharing their gifts with each other, which is not at all what you would expect from someone in the Hollywood trenches.
Just the day before he passed away, Blake wrote on his blog: “I love writers. And I especially enjoy helping young writers who email with the big question: When? When will I sell my first script? When will I “get on the boards”? My patient reply is always the same: Don’t worry about that right now. Have fun! The most important thing to do is to love what you’re doing. That way, getting better at it isn’t a struggle, it’s a pleasure.”
Blake Snyder died from cardiac arrest August 4, 2009. His life was very private (as it should be) but he leaves behind thousands of screenwriters inspired by his lessons and kindness. A private service will be held, followed by a public memorial to be announced on his website.
Now I think I’ll honor Blake the best way I can … by writing.
Comments
You've written a heart-felt article about a man with a heart and a heart for storytelling, and I thank you for it, Dennis.
Blake Snyder was a mentor and friend and touched many people through his life through storytelling through his Save the Cat book and his BS2 15 beat sequence method. I am one of them. I completed a 110 page screenplay the very same time of Blake's passing and on my birthday and I'd just like to say Blake made screenwriting accessable to everybody whoever you are and wherever you come from.. His light touched millions of souls and he won't be forgotten.. You could say that was his genius...
R.I.P Blake...
Kevan: I just broke down again after reading Auden's "Stop All The Clocks" which you posted on Blake's website. That did it for me. We have suffered a tremendous loss. My phone hasn't stopped ringing, and I've received a load of e-mails expressing disbelief. The New York City 'cats' are hurting--he was to visit with us in a weekend seminar scheduled for August 15, but that will never be. This is a sad evening in the screenwriting world.
Dennis: Thanks so much for your beautiful tribute to Blake, and I hope you won't mind my posting a thread to the article on Blake's STC Forum. You have captured Blake's spirit and joie de vivre in a way in which those of us who knew and loved him firsthand or just through his work will relate to and appreciate. Thank you for describing our friend, mentor, and now angel in such a lovely manner.
I had the pleasure to attend one of Blake's workshops. He was bright soul. His teachings will be with me forever.
Thanks for crafting this tribute, Dennis. Your last line is he best thing we all can do to honor Blake.
I am deeply saddened and shocked about the passing of Blake.
I had the honor of meeting Blake out one night in West Hollywood. We had a really nice time talking about his book and my current screenplay (among other topics).
I relayed to him from my heart how much I admired him and how much I learned from his book. He was the one who taught me how to write screenplays. I use his book as some use the bible. He was a great man and unlike traditional Hollywood folk, he opened himself up to those of us who are still in the "trying to make it" phase. He was so real and kind. Blake will be VERY sadly missed. I'm still in shock!
Rest in Peace, my friend and muse, Blake!
I'm in shock. It is devastating news to hear that this great man has passed away. He made screenwriting fun again for me. I bought his books and software and even had the privilege of attending one of his workshops. His enthusiasm and joy for life will live on. Thank you for this tribute.
I had just exchanged a few emails with him on LinkedIn last week. I am sooooo sad. What a loss for us all
Dennis, thank you. Blake was a great teacher, but I learned from him as much about generosity and kindness as I did about narrative. Blake was a man who did whatever he could to support his friends. Thanks for reflecting this in your article.
I didn't know Blake Snyder but when I read Save the Cat! it inspired me to continue writing screenplays. Actually, it inspired me to continue writing. I was shocked to hear that he had passed away. R.I.P., Mr. Snyder and I regret that I never had a chance to take one of your seminars.
Very nice article. Thanks for writing this.
Thanks for writing this. Nice article.
:(
Touching tribute to a man who certainly deserved it.
He inspired me to write again. He convinced me that I could succeed. And now, unfortunately, he reminds me that time is finite.
I grieve for his family, and all the writers who lose such a compelling mentor.
Blake just sent me a gift about 4 days ago and our last email on his private email cuz he and I were praying for each other. I didn't understand why my last email was answered so short.
I love that guy. So many big losses this year. I can see his beautiful smile. Ihope he is in peace along withthe others I've known that left this year.
Blessings to his family and closer friends. I was too dependenton him. I'm feeling alone even more. /shit, This isn't about me. He's the one who passed. He gave so muchhis heart wore out.
blessings to all he touched.
Maya Fisher
This is a fantastic article about Blake! I was fortunate to have taken his last Beat Sheet Workshop in July. You have captured the essence of who this incredible, generous, gifted, humorous and caring man was. No one or their questions or concerns were too insignificant for Blake to care about them and give them his full attention. He had a way of making you believe that you would be successful. In fact, he wouldn't settle for less. He even convinced me I had a best-selling idea for a script and that he had someone who would be interested in it. He will definitely be missed, but Blake would want us to continue the work and SAVE THE CAT!!
Rest In Peace, Blake. I'll be writing.
My great-aunt died last week and I didn't shed a tear. Hearing about Blake this morning, I am devastated and bawling. I did his Beat Sheet Workshop in LA end of June 08 and fell in love with him, the way he encouraged and enjoyed everyone in our class, all his dead-on advice and ideas for improvement that somehow never came off as criticism. This is an amazing article that really captures the essence of Save the Cat, a book my manager hounded me to read for years. I am so glad I finally gave in. My heart goes out to everyone who feels this loss on any level. Family, co-workers and friends must be devastated but anyone who met him even briefly or only met him through his writing felt like family and I know it was mutual. I am crushed, but it is totally selfish on my part. After being so generously given to my Blake, I still wanted more.
I discovered Save The Cat just before Blake's death, and have been using it and the iPhone app since then. The thing that gets me over and over is how (after I've been in and around the business for 10 years) I've come up with my own conclusions and realizations on how things work and what agencies want in screenplays, etc., and that Save The Cat is the first book on screenwriting that confirms what takes years of experience to realize in this business... agents want ready scripts easy to package.
Blake understood how the biz works. His advice is dead on accurate, and I think many of his detractors simply don't like him, because he was so dead on honest and accurate. It threatens their own pay for classes and books, because unlike most people writing screenwriting books, Blake actually sold a lot of his writings and had his screenplays made into films.
Weak people generally dislike strong people, and weak people cannot be happy for others... thus some people speak ill of S.T.C
What a beautifully written, heartfelt tribute this article is. I just finished Blake's Save the Cat and noticed he had a site listed in the back of the book. You can imagine how shocked I am to learn of his death nearly two years on. What a terrible loss for the screenwriting community, Hollywood and the world. Further proof that only the good die young. Blake, you are and will remain an inspiration to me and I'm sure to countless other aspiring and accomplished scribes. Thank you for your generosity, kind sir. I promise to pay it forward.
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