I’m excited to write this book review for Save the Cat! Writes for TV by Jamie Nash. As a writer, I’m familiar with other Save the Cat! books based on methods created by Blake Snyder and was curious to know if writing for TV was anything like writing a book. I learned that, as with writing a novel or memoir, a writer for TV must have a good handle on their target audience, theme, and character development. And many of the same elements apply, for example, the story’s hero needs to have a flaw or problem, a want/goal, and a need or life lesson to be learned. The story, whether from a book or TV show, uncovers the hero’s journey toward discovery and change. It is relatable, having a plot or theme the audience can identify with.

This book is fun reading even for non-writers. Steeped in humor and loaded with information about structure, plot, character and more, it offers witty and revealing insights into the world of TV-writing. Television fanatics will have a new appreciation for their favorite shows once they have a peek behind the scenes and all that goes into creating them. Before reading this book, I had no idea the extensive planning that goes into TV shows having different franchise types, formats, and platforms. 

Readers who are serious about writing for TV will find a step-by-step guide to creating ideas for a show, writing a captivating pilot or first episode, and bringing viewers fresh material that keeps them coming back for more. Nash provides a look into different worlds through examples of popular TV shows. For example, workplaces (The Office), family matters (This is Us), growing pains or life-phases (Parenthood), blasts from the past (Happy Days), and my personal favorite, lifestyles (Sex in the City). Make-Believe is another world with far-fetched stories created by writers with a wild imagination. 

This book is chock-full of tips and tricks for hooking the audience, building suspense, and keeping them engaged throughout an entire series. Each chapter includes exercises to challenge the reader and checkpoints to test our understanding of the concepts presented.

Pilot Beat Sheets and templates for the television pitch provide valuable guidance for those wanting to write for TV. And Nash keeps it fun with his conversational style and humor throughout. I highly recommend this book for any writer and/or lover of television. 

About the Author: Jamie Nash has written and sold almost every type of story under the sun. He teaches screenwriting at Johns Hopkins University and MICA and co-hosts the podcast Writers/Blockbusters. Jamie lives in Maryland with his wife, son, and a talking dog.

Check out this website for more information about Save the Cat!: https://savethecat.com/ and Purchase a copy of this book on Amazon or Barnes and Noble.