“Every time you write something hard, it changes you as a writer, and it makes you a better writer.” - Jessica Brody

Today I'm sharing a conversation with Jessica Brody where we talk about some of the most common mistakes writers make when outlining, writing, and editing their books using the “Save the Cat” method.

Read the blog post here!

Here's a preview of what's included:

[02:30] Jessica introduces herself and shares her experience writing fiction using the Save The Cat! plotting method.

[04:00] Savannah asks Jessica about marrying the external plot of a story to the protagonist's internal arc. Savannah sees a lot of writers focus solely on the external plot events and not enough on character growth and development. Jessica shares her thoughts on how to make sure you're balancing both plot and character as you write.

[11:45] Savannah asks Jessica to talk about two important multi-scene beats—the Fun and Games beat and the Bad Guys Close In beat. Jessica shares her thoughts on breaking these longer beats down into smaller, more manageable chunks.

[18:00] Savannah asks Jessica about being too rigid with the Save The Cat! structure. Specifically, what happens if your beats don't line up with the percentages recommended? Jessica shares her thoughts.

[21:50] Jessica talks about how she had a hard time with the All Is Lost beat and the Dark Night Of The Soul beat until she figured out a very important distinction.

[30:40] Jessica talks about some things to consider in terms of your first 25-50 pages when it comes time to query agents.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Learn more about Jessica Brody on her website or connect with her on Instagram
Check out Jessica's craft books to go deeper into the STC! method—Save the Cat! Writes a Novel and Save the Cat! Writes a YA Novel
Join Jessica's membership, The Writing Mastery Academy, and get $20 off your annual membership using code 'FWME'

Ready to make 2026 the year you finally finish your novel? Notes to Novel is my signature program that walks you through brainstorming, outlining, and writing a first draft that works—so you always know what to do next. Click here to get on the waitlist →

Support the show

👉 Looking for a transcript? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, scroll down below the episode player until you see the transcript.