Another Lifeline to Save the Cat. Forget the Beats. Go for Goals
Writers may be familiar with a creative writing design tool called Save the Cat, which I’ve found is great for episodic novels. Especially helps with adaptions from novel to screenplay.
However great the tool is, it’s not always ideal for standalone and long-running sagas that aren’t linear. And the format caters more for screenwriting. When it comes to novel writing, it can be quite cumbersome to keep up with.
At least, for me. My brain is small, and I’m only one person writing and publishing my novels. As such, my works tend to go on hiatus for long periods of time. There’s only so much time and space I can dedicate to creative writing.
To counter my time-poor life, I’ve devised a method loosely based off the Save the Cat Beat Sheet, to aid me in the finish of a work over irregular periods.
Tick Off the Story Goals
So, I like to keep it simple when it comes to story planning. I rarely go into deep outlining. Writing the content is for that.
I’ll make the story’s acts into master goals, which are the Outline Goals. The outline goals are usually three; one per act. And summed up in one or two sentences or paragraphs.
To expand this sparse plot overview, I’ll use more story goals as a base for the chapters.
What is a Story Goal?
A goal is just one activity, moment or scene that satisfies a piece of the Outline Goal (e.g. Main Act 1 goal). So a handful of story goals could be required to complete one outline goal.
A goal detail is usually one sentence or paragraph at most.
The story goal is usually something short and basic. Example:
“The antagonist convinces the protagonist to buy the shit-box car that is imprisoning the incubus demon.”
Time periods can also be set to a story goal. Example:
“Sometime in present-day June, the antagonist convinces the protagonist to buy the shit-box car that is imprisoning the incubus demon.”
I’ll continue to write out goals to the story goal sheet. Once completed, I’ll apply this to my drafting tool and allow the magic to happen.
The main reasons why I write to Story Goals:
— I don’t have to think too hard of where I’m up to or what I need to do next. I just need to worry about the how and getting the content down.
— I can easily track where I left off from long periods of hiatus.
— It helps me with story consistency and progress. If the story isn’t shaping up right, I’ll revise the goal plan.
Tracking the Goals
I have a tool that allows me to monitor. Regardless of tool, once a goal is done, I’ll cross it off the list. It’s really that simple. Tracking goals can also be simply done via a spreadsheet.
Story Goal Method Good and Bad
Pros
— Content can be written out of sequence and progress is flexible.
— Simpler way to tick off story moments or scenes.
— More goals can be added as the story takes shape.
— The story shows visible progress.
Cons
— There are typically lots of goals to tick off.
— If not tracked properly, it can require some hefty revision time to get back on track if returning from hiatus.
— Writing to goals can make the process rigid for some writers.
— Like any goal, they need to have an objective and be explicit.
Example:
The antagonist convinces the protagonist to buy the shit-box car, imprisoning the incubus demon.
This goal is explicit to the antagonist and protagonist, with the objective having the protagonist buy the demon possessed car.
So, what’s this method good for again?
Sagas. Story goal mapping and tracking are great for long-running sagas, such as web-novels and light novel series.
It can also help with ensuring character motivations are written as intended. At least for me, as it helps me track the characters’ wants and needs, and whether I’ve written them or not. Especially, if any need to be revised.
That’s my method. As stated before, it might be too rigid for some or most writers, but it works for me.
