Screenplay structure
Save the Cat Beat Sheet
Fifteen screenplay beats mapped as connected story events, with mirrors between the opening, theme, midpoint, and final image.
View templateStory templates
Visual story structure templates for novels and screenplays
Start with a familiar structure, then turn it into a map you can test. These templates show the beats, the pressure points, and the relationships a flat outline usually hides.
Core structure
Three-Act Structure
A flexible setup, confrontation, and resolution map for writers who want structure without a rigid formula.
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Transformation arc
Hero's Journey
A transformation arc that moves the protagonist from the known world through ordeal and return.
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Novel planning
Novel Outline
A book-planning template for turning a premise into acts, chapters, character turns, and subplot checkpoints.
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Screenwriting
Screenplay Outline
A film-outline template for logline, act turns, sequences, beats, and scene-level pressure.
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Character development
Character Arc
A template for tracking how a character changes under pressure, scene by scene and choice by choice.
View templateHow to use them
Treat templates as scaffolding, not rules
Map the load-bearing beats
Start with the turning points that change the story: inciting incident, midpoint, low point, climax, and final image.
Connect cause and effect
Draw links only where one event changes the next. Weak links usually reveal weak structure.
Adapt the shape to your story
Skip beats that do not serve the premise. Add nodes where your genre, character, or subplot needs more pressure.