Save the Cat Deep Dive: Catalyst [CC]

In the fourth installment of this Save the Cat deep dive series, I discuss the catalyst, also known as the inciting incident.
Timestamps
00:00 - 02:00 Introduction
02:00 - 05:11 Research Catalysts
05:11 - 10:14 The Intersection of Character and Catalyst
10:14 - 15:51 Workshop Your Catalyst
15:51 - 18:09 Final Thoughts
🎥 VIDEOS I MENTIONED
Save the Cat Deep Dive Playlist: • WRITING - Save the Cat...
How to Craft Compelling Characters: • Writing Craft: How to ...
📘 BOOKS I MENTIONED
Save the Cat by Blake Synder: www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...
Save the Cat Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody: www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas: www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo: www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
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[@akossiwak]

I find that figuring out the catalyst event for my story is often a good indicator of whether or not a story idea is worth pursuing for me.
Thanks for another great video. 💜

[@mishthemaverick8607]

I love that you used The Hate You Give as an example. A nice departure from the same old Hunger Games and Harry Potter examples that are usually trotted out in these kinds of videos.

[@LiselleSambury]

That was funny enough just the first one that came to mind haha but I do try and switch up examples if I can. And I loved THUG

[@PonderingPenNames]

I've been really enjoying your personal take on the beats!

[@LiselleSambury]

Thank you!! Happy to hear that!

[@WriterMarkusRegius]

As usual, you put into words things that I've known but not been able to analyze, so thank you! I love the distinction of "not being able to go back to status quo" versus "not being able to live the way they lived before," that's very helpful :)

[@LiselleSambury]

Glad it’s helpful! Haha and yes it’s a process for me when I make these videos of figuring out how to express in words some of the things I already know but don’t always say aloud so I get that. And yes, I love that distinction because I feel like it definitely makes a difference in the story

[@selina4587]

Awesome

[@EmmaBennetAuthor]

This story structure is so helpful!

[@LiselleSambury]

Glad it’s helpful for you! I’m a big fan of save the cat

[@hollyriordan2186]

This was super helpful! Thank you!

[@LiselleSambury]

Glad it was!!

[@cassandra.andresky]

Hi Liselle! Thank you for doing these videos. I find every video you post so useful! I had a question that I didn’t want to ask on IG (also idk if you take questions over IG. My question is about the story you posted today. It looked like you drafted a whole chapter in an hour! How do you do that? Write so swiftly? Thank you!

[@LiselleSambury]

No problem! Oh yeah, I do draft pretty fast. Though it was about 1700 words in the end, so also not a long chapter. But I basically plan out the chapter ahead of time which helps me know exactly what I’m going to write so I don’t waste as much time thinking. I also don’t self-edit as I go. And sometimes, as in the case of today, I had already kind of mentally visualized/thought about what I wanted the scene to be. But I’m also pretty familiar with these characters at this point which also helps, so it’s easy to write in how they would react in the scene.
So I guess my biggest tips are planning ahead of time and not self-editing while drafting. I hope that helps!

[@cassandra.andresky]

@@LiselleSambury Thank you!

[@Neil-writer-author]

Can a character have more than one inciting incident?

[@LiselleSambury]

That’s an interesting question! I think there’s always room to play around in your work and be experimental, so if you want to, I would say go for it and see how it works.
For me personally, within a single book, I would only have one inciting incident because it’s this moment that changes their whole status quo world and sets them on that journey. So if later another one of these happens, then it would feel like I was just restarting the journey again. Which makes sense when starting a new book like a sequel because it’s a separate journey. But less sense to me in one story because it feels like a lot to pack two separate journeys into one book if that makes sense.
I think what I would do instead is maybe have a twist or a reversal that can really upend and interfere with that character’s journey but it would still be the same journey. And they would still be contending with the same inner conflict. That way the reader gets the satisfaction of seeing the main journey completed in some way instead of being interrupted by a new journey

[@Neil-writer-author]

Thanks for clarifying that. I liked the video.