“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. 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 InstagramCheck 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 NovelJoin Jessica's membership, The Writing Mastery Academy, and get $20 off your annual membership using code 'FWME'Interested in becoming a certified book coach who specializes in memoirs? Click here to check out Author Accelerator's memoir certification course and save $500 if you sign up before the end of February! Support the showIf you enjoyed this episode of the Fiction Writing Made Easy Podcast, please rate, review, and follow this show! Follow me on Instagram @savannah.gilbo