Friday, October 12, 2012

Quotes and Cookies: Don't be lazy!

I recently read SAVE THE CAT for the first time. Ohmygosh. I wish I would've known about this book 4 1/2 years ago when I first started writing! It is nothing short of brilliant. Blake Snyder's fifteen "beats" are one of those things that once you read them, you think Of course it needs to be that way! It just feels right. If you haven't read it, I'd definitely recommend it. I wrote a synopsis of my book 2 my usual way and sent it to my agent. Then I wrote a synopsis of the same book using the beat sheet to send to my editor, and it's about a billion times better! (Sorry, Sara, for sending you the crap one first.) I'll never write another synopsis (or another book!) without using the beat sheet. So, in honor of my new found love, today's quote comes straight from SAVE THE CAT. It's one of the paragraphs at the end, after he suggests all the things you should do to make your manuscript shine.


If you are having any nagging doubts about [your manuscript], you now know what to do. You have the tools to go back in and fix it. But will you? That's the rub. Here's a tip: When in doubt, do it. Don't be lazy! Don't say "Oh well, no one will notice" because... they will.

You only get the one shot at a first impression. Try to get over the love affair you have with yourself and your work and do what needs to be done. This is what separates the pros from the wannabes--- that nagging voice that says: "It sucks!" And the mature, adult, professional voice that quickly chimes in: "And I know how to fix it!"

~Blake Snyder


So I guess that means we need both the nagging voice and the professional voice to get us through it... And possibly a cookie.

By http://www.flickr.com/photos/rusvaplauke/ [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Have a fabulous weekend!

29 comments:

Anonymous said...

Can't I just be lazy for a few weeks before NaNo starts up?

Angela Brown said...

Instead of calling it lazy, I'd rather call it "body energy conservation." Yeah...that sounds better lol!!

Steph Sessa said...

LOVE Save the Cat. It really is a game-changer and quite eye-opening. I also love that quote and remember when I read it the first time. It's a good kick-in-the-pants to get yourself going!

Laura S. said...

I love the chapters about the beat sheet and the index card scenes. So helpful!

Possibly one cookie? I think you meant definitely a few cookies. :)

Jennie Bennett said...

I really need to read this, any chance I could borrow your copy? lol. Great quote!

Patti said...

I have this book sitting in my laptop bag and I'm about half way through.

Elana Johnson said...

YES! I can't pump my fist hard enough. I simply love SAVE THE CAT, for quotes like what you posted, and the completely invaluable information it has for plotting and structuring novels. Well said!

Rebecca Green Gasper said...

I love Save the Cat and especially Blake Snyder's beat sheets. Such a great way to do a quick outline and know where your new project is going. Thanks for the quote and the cookies!

VikLit said...

Great quote. Thanks for sharing this!

Jenny S. Morris said...

I have heard SO much about this book. I just ordered it from Amazon. ;0)

Anonymous said...

I've been reluctantly picking up my MS that needs a big overhaul. I need to read this book! Thanks for sharing. I love when someone finds a great read and enthusiastically endorses it.

Charlie N. Holmberg said...

I want this book soooooo bad! It's on my Christmas list, but now I wonder how much the Kindle version costs...

Jeigh said...

UGH, I hate that voice! I just want to be lazy sometimes :) But yeah, that book was a lifesaver for me, too.

Gabriel C. Taylor said...

This book looks amazing. Definitely going to add it my must-read list. Thanks! And while those cookies look awesome, I'll have to make due with my slice of cake.

Golden Eagle said...

Sounds like a motivational book! I've had this book in my TBR stack of writing books for a while; I'll have to bump it up the list a little.

Suzanne Furness said...

Sounds like a great book. Might have to get my hands on a copy!

I'll just have a cookie before I go they look yummy.

Annalisa Crawford said...

I've heard good things about this book - but I tend to disagree with how-to books, just because they're telling me what to do and I HATE that :-)

Great cookie photo!

Tracy Campbell said...

I can't wait to read the book.
The beat sheet concept intrigues me.
Thanks, Peggy
Tracy

Anonymous said...

I so need to get hold of this book.... am putting it on my Christmas pressie list.

Tammy Theriault said...

i've heard of the book. I need to get a copy!! and a cookie to go

Jennifer Joyce said...

I've never heard of Save the Cat before but it sounds really helpful. Great quote (and advice) too.

Susanna Leonard Hill said...

I have this book. I am going to read it. I'm just a little afraid after all the hype I've heard that it's not going to make sense to me the way it does to other people and I won't "get it". Here's hoping I do!

Christina Farley said...

Oh I just love how those cookies are displayed. I love pretty packages.

Unknown said...

Thanks so much for stopping by and following my blog. I was a bit surprised to get here and discover you're a real author - one with a book coming out from a big pubber. WOW! You are the dream the rest of us aspire to.
Wishing you the very best and putting you on my blog roll. :-)

Anne said...

Wow! Here I was, lazily hopping from one blog to the next then I read yours. I so needed to hear this. Now I'm trying to get back to what I really need to do... write. Thanks!

Coleen Patrick said...

I love Save the Cat! Although now I can't watch a movie without mentally noting all the beats. LOL :)

Angie said...

Save the Cat is on my list of books to read... although I think your post just moved it to the top of the list! Love your blog and those cookies look amazing :)

Ghenet Myrthil said...

I'm reading this book for the first time too and also wondering what took me so long! I'm doing NaNoWriMo next month so I am going to make sure I plot out my beats before I start writing. :)

Joylene Nowell Butler said...

I'm looking for the book! And the cookies! Actually, my DH was just diagnosed with Celiac Disease so I've been doing some baking. Let me tell you, if you can eat wheat--count your blessings. I've made two batches, and oooh, not so good. But I'll keep trying.

Oh, Peggy, I actually do write for cookies. Every 100 words, I treat myself. Haha, I know, I should probably cut it down to 50. Words are hard to come by.

Thanks for visiting my blog!