This week: do NOT Save The Cat and the importance of originality; an update on my writing; The Spike-related links; and the glory of Sigur Rós.
do_not_save_the_cat
Before I get trolled, I’m not suggesting you leave Tiddles stuck up that tree, even though he got himself up there and is probably evil like the lion’s share of felines.
I’m referring to the writing guide Save The Cat by Blake Snyder. First published in 2005, it gave a formula for writing screenplays that has become wildly popular amongst writers, and like anything successful nowadays, has since spun-off into different versions for novels, TV, and movies despite the original author’s passing.
I’m not going to claim Save The Cat isn’t helpful when learning how to write a story. I certainly read several craft books as I was finding my way, and I picked up useful tips from each of them.
My issue is also not just with Save The Cat, but with any book, website, YouTube channel, podcast etc that espouses a proven method for creating anything, whether that be a book, movie, poem, song, painting…
I’m not going to go into what the Save The Cat method is, firstly because looking behind the curtain can ruin the magic, and secondly because if you want to know, you should buy the book and give the creator their dues.
My issue is this:
If everyone follows a formula, all the results are too similar.
There’s a “rule” in songwriting that the vocals should begin as soon as possible. I’ve heard older musicians say it should be under 30 seconds; a search on Bing for “how long should a song intro be” returns a result of 8-12 seconds.
There are few bands as creative and willing to take risks as Radiohead. When they released an album, “OK Computer”, that was lauded as one of the best of all time, they abandoned the sound that defined it and went a completely different direction, birthing another album that’s rated one of the best, “Kid A”.
Amongst the most popular songs from “Kid A” is “The National Anthem”. It takes 90 seconds to introduce the vocals, but there’s a build of instrumentation that maintains interest.
The creativity and rule-breaking don’t stop there, though.
On the album version, about halfway through the track, jazz horns punch in unexpectedly to drive the song to a frantic finale.
When they play it live, the horns are absent; Jonny Greenwood punctuates the song with warped fragments of live radio from local stations he tuned in during the soundcheck. Every performance is unique.
Some of the most famous and well-regarded creations are rule-breakers too:
- Pop songs must not be more than 4 minutes – Bohemian Rhapsody
- Action blockbuster movies must not be complex – Inception
- Characters in TV shows don’t change – Walter White in Breaking Bad
- Follow the three-act structure – Pulp Fiction
To clarify, I have no issue with the writers of most craft books, websites, YouTube channels, podcasts etc. Sure, some are just trying to make a quick buck but you get that in every industry. Many can be entertaining and motivational, and are genuinely trying to be helpful.
And you do need to know the rules before you can break them.
My message is to the creatives: please, please stop following formulas. You are turning off the audience and boring them to apathy.
We need artists who ignore “the way things must be done” and break the rules, who create interesting and emotive pieces that last beyond so much of the throwaway popular culture.
We need artists who find new ways to make us feel.
And with AI capable of churning out unoriginal “art” because it’s been trained on so much formulaic content, it will be up to humans to advance us further.
It’s up to all of us to create.
So maybe don’t save the cat. Maybe let the cat die.
progress_report
Draft 2 of part 2 of Volume 2 of The Spike is complete!
I’d targeted the end of 2024 to finish it, and I typed the last sentence at 9:30PM on 30/12/24. A whole day to spare.
The thing about writing three books at once though, is there’s always something else to write.
I’ve returned to draft 2 of part 3, picking it up from chapter 19. My intention was to finish it by the end of February – I’m still hoping to do that, but the next 5 weeks will be pressurised at my day job as I’m involved in a system migration. Whilst I want to continue my streak of working on my writing every day – currently at 211 days – I may need to be kind to myself and take a little break.
I fully intend to keep up with this blog, but the progress_report might not report much progress!
status.vol2
The Spike Volume 2 will contain three separate books from the perspective of seven characters.
Part 1 – draft 2 complete; further chapters to add.
Part 2 – draft 2 complete!
Part 3 – draft 2 written up to chapter 18; forty-eight chapters to go.
The intention is to complete draft 2 for part 3 by the end of February.
Part 1 is currently much shorter than the others, and I want them to be closer in length, so I will need to decide how to tighten parts 2 and 3 slightly, and add more to part 1 – I have some exciting ideas to expand it.
Then a readthrough of all parts will determine how much revision is required.
The ultimate aim is to have Volume 2 finished by the end of 2025 for publication early 2026.
connecting_links
The Spike is set in our world, incorporating real events; the links below are relevant to the themes and overarching storyline, and may or may not provide clues to the direction of the series.
I do not necessarily agree with or endorse any of the views within.
Godfather of AI’ shortens odds of the technology wiping out humanity over next 30 years
The evolution of X: How Musk transformed the social media giant in 2024
‘We need dramatic social and technological changes’: is societal collapse inevitable?
weekly_inspiration
Every week I share something that’s inspired my creativity.
This week, another example of musical creativity and rule-breaking. Icelandic band Sigur Rós created a unique sound around playing an electric guitar with a bow, and it’s glorious. Their track Viðrar vel til loftárása waits a full five minutes before it introduces vocals, and the uplifting and powerful finale wouldn’t hit as hard without the gentle build-up. This live performance from Reykjavík in 2006 is special.
What’s inspired you this week? Please share in the comments.
See you next week.
Arrowmaker Books 