 What is a beat sheet, and what is it used for? In his screenwriting book Save the Cat, Blake Snyder lays out fifteen essential plot points and images that appear in (almost) all three-act movies. These plot points, or beats, are major events that build the setting, push the plot forward, and force the characters to change or take action. They can apply to any genre and can be used for middle grade and YA novels as well as adult fiction. Can you use a beat sheet if you're a pantser rather than a plotter? Definitely. The beat sheet lays out the major plot points. It doesn't mean you have to fill in all the details of what happens in every scene. Think of your book as a road trip. The beat sheet is a map that shows the start, finish, and the major points of interest along the way. You can label one, two, or more of those beats depending on how much of your novel you like to plan before you start writing. When you're ready to query, your beat sheet can also be a great reference for writing your synopsis. Snyder's major beats, from start to finish, are:
If you're not sure how the beats might apply to your own book, see how they apply to a book or movie you're already familiar with. One book that follows a 15-point beat sheet really well is Divergent by Veronica Roth. For example: Opening image: Sixteen-year-old Beatrice Prior describes her life in the Abnegation faction, part of the faction system of futuristic Chicago. Theme stated: Beatrice must choose which faction she will join for the rest of her life, and unlike most of her peers, she isn't sure where she belongs. Set-up: She and her classmates will all take a test to learn their faction aptitude. Catalyst: The test doesn't give Beatrice a clear answer as to which faction she should join. Debate: With only one day to decide, Beatrice doesn't know if she should follow her heart or stay with her family. Break into two: At her Choosing Ceremony, Beatrice chooses to join the Dauntless faction and start a new life. While we won't go into all fifteen beats in this post, you can see how each develops the plot and leads to character action and growth. If you prefer to add more detail to the beat, you can make notes for yourself about characters' emotions and motivations or go deeper into the plot. The Catalyst point could say something like Catalyst: The test doesn't give Beatrice a clear answer as to which faction she should join. She also learns that not fitting into one faction is called Divergent, and it's considered dangerous. You can also think of beats as scenes, and use the beat sheet to outline more details of what will happen in each scene. If we were writing this beat sheet for Divergent, we could think of the entire scene where Beatrice takes her aptitude test, the Catalyst, and describe smaller events as beats within the scene: Beatrice's test shows she has aptitude for Abnegation, Erudite, and Dauntless factions. Her test administrator calls this result Divergent and says Beatrice must keep it a secret because those with the result are considered dangerous. Beatrice was sure the test would tell her where she belonged, but she now feels more uncertain and stressed about her decision. For a deep dive into using a beat sheet and more writing wisdom from Save the Cat, you can read Save the Cat Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody and visit savethecat.com.  Pitch Agents at a Writers Conference in 2026-2027:
This post was written by Carlie Webber, a certified professional editor and former literary agent who holds an MBA from Pepperdine University's Graziadio Business School. She works with new and established authors of fiction (all genres), YA, middle grade, and memoir. She can be reached at [email protected]. Check Out Other Great WDW Articles & Resources:
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