
An introduction to this course and what you'll learn
A background about why I created this course and how it can benefit you
An overview of the 15 key story beats of the Save the Cat! Beat Sheet (aka the "novel road map")
An overview of how this course is structured and how you can get the most out of it.
Show the opening image as the first scene that reveals the flawed hero before transformation, establishing tone, mood, and the before snapshot of the hero's life in the status quo.
Analyze the opening image beat across films and novels, showing how Joy's happiness obsession, George's confidence, and Becky Bloomwood's life problem establish tone and conflict.
Join the writers room to turn lessons into a novel roadmap with beat sheets. Learn to pick a hero and flaw, use the randomizer, and craft a flexible 15-beat process.
Explore the setup beat that establishes the hero, their world, and the problems they face, revealing tangible wants, daily struggles, and a concise world-building snapshot across multiple scenes.
Learn to link the hero’s flaw to a life lesson by crafting a theme stated beat delivered by a secondary character, like a judge, which the hero initially ignores.
Explore how catalysts disrupt the status quo and push the hero into a new path, with examples from Legally Blonde, The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, and The Martian.
Explore how the debate beat follows the catalyst, revealing the hero's struggle to decide what to do next. Explain why this longer phase, resistant to change, is essential for realism.
Explore the debate beat as the hero reacts to a catalyst, resists change, and prepares for the break into two, illustrated through Brooklyn’s bad decisions, detention, and community-service arc.
Break into two marks the hero's proactive leap into the act two world, an upside down world, moving the plot forward into a brand-new world.
Introduce the B story character, the internal helper who guides the hero toward the theme in act two, a helper story that appears around 22% of the novel.
Dive into the fun and games beat of act two, where the hero enters a new world, pursues a tangible goal, and the upward or downward path tests the premise.
Anyone can write a successful novel.
You just need to understand what makes a novel successful…
Have you ever noticed that your favorite books and movies follow a similar pattern? Have you noticed that there’s something specific that happens about 25% of the way through the story that sends the story in a new direction? Or that huge plot twists tend to come right in the dead center of the story? Or that 75% of the way through there’s usually distinct “low point” or “rock bottom” where all seems lost for the main character?
If you have, then you’ve stumbled upon the secret storytelling code.
The secret storytelling code can be found in all great stories ever told. Movies, novels, novellas, plays, memoirs, short stories. Wherever there’s a narrative being told, the code is there, hidden beneath the surface.
This code (which inspired Blake Snyder’s famous Save the Cat! plotting method) is made up of 15 key story “beats,” or “plot points.” The beats are markers along the path of the story that are used to track a character’s journey and ultimate transformation. And strung together, in the right order, these 15 beats make up a blueprint that anyone can follow to write a successful novel.
Since discovering these 15 key story beats and harnessing their immeasurable power, bestselling author and award-winning writing instructor, Jessica Brody has sold more than 17 novels to major publishers like Simon and Schuster, Random House, and Macmillan. Her novels have been translated and published in over 23 countries and two are even in development as major motions pictures. Also, Jessica is repeatedly hired by Disney Press to develop and write novels based on popular Disney properties like the Disney Princess and the Disney Descendants franchises.
Jessica Brody is a certified instructor of the Save the Cat! plotting method and, in the past five years, has taught thousands of novelists from around the world how to harness the power of the 15 key story.
Now, in this one-of-a-kind online master class on plot and story structure, Jessica Brody shares her profound knowledge on the topic of novel writing and expertly guides writers (new and seasoned alike!) through the elements of plot, story structure, and character transformation, and ultimately helps them discover the secrets to what makes a novel really resonate with readers.
"This course is a must for anyone trying to write an amazing story." - CHLOE, UDEMY STUDENT
"Absolutely brilliant. So insightful..." - JAYNE, UDEMY STUDENT
"I now can see the weaknesses in my novel plots." - DEBRA, UDEMY STUDENT
Throughout this course, Jessica will:
Guide you step by step through the 15 key story beats that are found in all great stories ever told
Show you how the 15 key story beats form a novel blueprint (or road map) that any writer (of any level) can follow to craft their own successful novel
Analyze several examples (from both books and movies) of the 15 key story beats in action so you can firmly grasp the function and purpose of each beat and see how other successful writers have tackled them
Guide you through the process of brainstorming, crafting, and developing the 15 beats to outline, write, or revise your own bestseller
And by the end of this course you will have a complete “novel road map” (or outline) for a novel that you could begin working on immediately.
Or if you’re already working on a novel and need help structuring it or revising it, by the end of this course, you will have a full revision plan ready to go.
Check out the free preview lectures for a look at what to expect from this course, how this course is structured, and a free overview of the 15 key story beats that will be explored at length in this course.
Enroll now to get started on plotting, writing, or revising your bestselling novel today!
PRAISE FOR COURSES IN THE WRITING MASTERY SERIES:
10 writing courses
Over 50,000 students enrolled
Average Rating 4.7 stars!
"Jessica is truly a gifted teacher!" - Vicky
"Jessica is a LEGEND...Completely worth it." - Ras
"Superb. Clear and engaging - Dan
"Just, WOW! Jessica Brody provides much more than a boatload... try a cruise ship FULL of tips, tricks, resources, references, and actionable steps" - Tracy
"Thorough, accurate, and well-presented --I would recommend Jessica Brody’s courses to any writer eager to rise." - Mark
"Jessica Brody breaks down these concepts with clarity and amazing insight." - Mike
"Jessica Brody's courses are all thorough, entertaining, and extremely helpful." - Tricia
"As always, Jessica Brody delivers an insider's knowledge and the tools to move forward in the process, now!" - Sue
"Very informative and well worth the time and cost." - Noel
"Clear, concise, & well-narrated with an abundance of enthusiasm." - Christopher
"This course is worth far more than the price of admission!" - Talmage
"Jessica Brody has a gift for distilling lots of hard-earned information into concise and tasty bites." - Katherine
"If you write (or plan to write), get this course" - Scott