Save the Cat! Writes a Young Adult Novel: The Ultimate Guide to Writing a YA Bestseller

Jessica Brody

Jul 2023 · Sold by Ten Speed Press

About this ebook

An indispensable guide in the bestselling Save the Cat! story structure series that reveals the 15 essential plot points needed to make any young adult novel a success, from an accomplished novelist and the author of Save the Cat! Writes a Novel.

In Save the Cat! Writes a Young Adult Novel, prolific author and story coach Jessica Brody presents a comprehensive story structure guide for anyone who wants to write a young adult novel by applying the famed Save the Cat! screenwriting methodology to the world of YA fiction. In this book, you will learn:
 
• The fifteen “beats” (or plot points) that are necessary for crafting a successful story with a compelling character arc—including the Opening Image, Catalyst, Fun and Games, Bad Guys Close In, Dark Night of the Soul, and Finale
• The ten universal story genres that will help you drill into what makes your type of story work, including those most commonly found in young adult novels like Rites of Passage, Superhero, Buddy Love, Institutionalized, and Golden Fleece
• Quirky, original insights and writing tips like “Save the Cat,” the “Shard of Glass,” and the “Dark Night Epiphany,” that help you craft a story that will thrill and captivate teen readers

Filled with practical advice, easy-to-follow templates, and “beat sheets” analyzing the structure of popular young adult novels such as Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows, John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars, and Lois Lowry’s The Giver, this book is the ultimate reference for anyone who’s ever dreamed of writing their own young adult bestseller.

Ratings and reviews

Great. I was waiting for this book for a long time. Save the Cat Writes a Novel was helpful to me. I have high expectation on this one. Time to read.

About the author

Jessica Brody is the author of Save the Cat! Writes a Novel and an internationally bestselling author of more than twenty novels for teens, tweens, and adults, including The Chaos of Standing Still, The Geography of Last Things, 52 Reasons to Hate My Father, I Speak Boy, A Week of Mondays, the Unremembered trilogy, and the System Divine trilogy. Her books have been translated and published in over twenty countries and several are in development as movies and TV shows. Previously, she worked for MGM Studios as manager of acquisitions and business development, and she now the founder of the Writing Mastery Academy. She lives near Portland, Oregon, with her husband and dogs.