My Story Can Beat Up Your Story: Ten Ways to Toughen Up Your Screenplay from Opening Hook to Knockout Punch

by Jeffrey Schechter

My Story Can Beat Up Your Story! is the same powerful, easy-to-learn system that industry insiders have used to generate millions of dollars in script sales and ?assignments. In a clear, step-by-step fashion, this book is a fun, eye-opening, ?brain-expanding, and often irreverent guide to writing stories that sell. Covering everything from Heroes to Villains, from Theme to Plot Points, from cooking up good ideas to a business plan for smart writers, this book forever eliminates that horrible feeling every writer goes through — staring at the blank page and wondering “what comes next?”

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Crafts, Film, Media Tie In

200 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2011

Reviews

[Rakshit Shetty · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best and simplest screenwriting books I have come across

I keep referring to this book again and again every time I start writing a new screenplay. And every read has given me a better understanding. I strongly recommend this book to everyone

[Supreeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This could totally beat up save the cat

[Sarah Iozzio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though intended for screenwriters, this book has done the best job I've encountered explaining what makes a good story structure (I'm a novelist). The author concisely breaks down the three act structure into a coherent progression of plot points to move the story along. He also weaves in other concepts, such as theme and the hero's progression, and he breaks down the roles of supporting characters in the story. The language is accessible and practical- you don't need a Master's Degree to decipher what he's saying. He also gives excellent examples from well-known movies across a variety of genres.

If you aren't writing a movie script, you can still get use out of this- just ignore the specifics on page length and number of try-fail cycles. I go back to this book repeatedly whenever I'm working on a manuscript. I've even created a Scrivener template based on the book which is my starting document whenever I begin a new project.

[Jaq Greenspon · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I really enjoy about this book, as opposed to other good books like Save the Cat is that it's much more practical in terms of actually writing. Cat is great for theory, but MSCBUYS gives practical knowledge for actually writing.

[Roni Loren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of writing craft books. And in particular, I'm in love with books on screenwriting because I find that those techniques have clicked with my pantser brain more than anything else. I'm practically religious about Save the Cat. So anytime, I pick up a new screenwriting book, I'm hopeful, but usually am not expecting to find anything as helpful as Cat. But this time I was pleasantly surprised.

This is one of those books that has so many great nuggets of information that I feel like I can't hold it all in my head at once. I'm now going back through it and making notes and worksheets from the information so that I can add it to my pre-writing routine. (This is the point where I delude myself into thinking I'll one day be able to plot before I write the book.) But whether you're a pantser like me or a seasoned plotter, I think this book has a lot to offer.

[Emma Sea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yup. Good stuff. Thanks, Schechter. Even more thanks to Anyta for reccing it :)

[Austin Malone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant! A must-have for any fiction author. While the book is ostensibly written for screenwriters, its content is applicable any storytelling medium. Fans of Campbell's Monomyth Theory will see some familiar faces here, but Schechter goes further and not only dissects each of the presented character archetypes, but shows how they interact with each other, and even shows where they appear in the timeline of a well-spun plot. His ideas are well-referenced with deconstructed examples of multiple popular movies. He's not bound by genre boundaries either, demonstrating that these techniques apply to everything from Sleepless in Seattle to Star Wars.

[Kevin Ikenberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

At the recommendation of a friend, I picked up this book while outlining and beginning to write my latest novel. This book is simply fantastic. I cannot say enough about what I learned from this exceptionally easy to read guide to story structure and plot.

Schechter writes with the passion of someone who knows his craft and wants others to succeed.

Believable characters? Check. Solid plot and structure? Check. Fun to read? Check.

Simply one of the best books I've read for writers. Very highly recommended.

[Erica Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely a must-read for writers! This and Save the Cat are my two favorites and I think this one edges that out of my top slot. I've never read a book that so easily explained structure and it wasn't boring or long! I highly recommend this one!

[Emily Pote · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I really liked about this book is how it gives you a structure to start with. Writing scenes is not my problem--it's finding a reason why anyone would ever want to read those scenes.

Well done

[Jared Millet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, concise, and revelatory. I've been using Randy Ingermanson's Snowflake Method of story plotting for years, but Schechter takes the development of a main character's (and therefore the story's) journey to the next level. The approach Schechter takes may not be as universal as he claims (some of his examples, particularly his analysis of The Dark Knight, seem a little shoehorned-in), but I'm definitely going to give this outlining and planning method a try for my next project. Schechter specifically speaks to the interests of screenplay writers, but I don't see why this book shouldn't apply to other long forms of fiction as well.

[Debra Scacciaferro · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best books on dramatic structure I have read. And it works for novels, not just screenplays.

Have read this book many times. It has helped me figure out how to sustain the middle of my novels, and make the book build towards the ending. I used to start a book, know the ending, but get bogged down in the middle. The author really gives you a method for structuring any story. The section on understanding the dynamics of character relationships is well worth the price.

[Juliana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up up this book after a writer friend suggested it. It's great! I loved Save the Cat! but I'm starting to think I like this one more ...

[Thekelburrows · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating. I am here for any formulaic breakdown of Liar Liar.

[Tami Morning · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book guided me through my last novel. I loved it. I used his process on a young adult sci-fi. Very successful process for me.

[Lukas Sarnow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yeah, this is it.

[Ellie (Ellie About Town) · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were a lot of good things, but any person who purports to be an expert on story and tries to argue that Rose is not the main character of Titanic? I question your experience.

[Steven Brandt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lou Anders (editor of Pyr books) recommended the book “My Story Can Beat Up Your Story” at a writer’s workshop I attended. It took me a while to get to it, because I’ve read a number of books/articles on story structure and I wasn’t eager to hear the same old thing again. However, it turns out that this isn’t the same old thing. In fact, I’ve just promoted this book on my mental shelves to the number one position for story structure.

I should mention that this book is technically a book on screen writing, not novel writing (which is my main interest). However, story structure for movies and books tends to be quite similar. This book provides a number of fairly intuitive lists, e.g. the four questions to ask about your hero, the three goals regarding the Central Question, the twelve plot point of act one, etc. These lists, in turn, are applied to various movies to provide a solid understanding of how each of these lists work. The detail is such that I almost believe one can write a story by filling in the blanks–of course, those blanks are all interconnected and so filling in those blanks is a bit like solving a crossword or Sudoku.

It is a great book. Anyone looking to improve their knowledge of writing should read it.

[Marshall Dotson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Schechter has created a comprehensive reference book that outlines the creative process from inception to finished product. He offers several original concepts, such as using the central conflict to shape the theme by putting the protagonist and antagonist on opposing sides of a thematic question and having other characters in the story represent contrasting viewpoints on the theme for the protagonist to consider.

I also liked his notion of the protagonist’s progression through the four archetypes; Orphan, Wanderer, Warrior, Martyr, as a means of structuring character arc.

His tone is colloquial, and unlike many other craft books I’ve read, he uses more recent film examples to illustrate his points.

All in all, MSCBUYS is a must read if you’re just cutting your teeth in novel or screenplay writing, or if your looking to add a few more weapons to your writer's arsenal.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast easy read with good structural help but the ebook formatting is very poor and My Story Can Beat Up Your Story reads as though it was written by someone who was emotionally still in High School.

But if you are new to writing screenplays, or want to beef up your structural take on storytelling, this would be a good place start...but many of the sentences in this book are emotionally very young and cringe-worthy.

Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars

Recommended for those new to the world of screenwriting and those wanting to tightening up their story structure.

[Debra Scacciaferro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book and reread it once a year. It has helped me write novels When I wrote my psychological thriller State of Innocence” I used it to keep my plot and chapters advancing the tension. And it worked. Mt rewaders tell me they couldnt put my thriller down.

[Chancellor Fangirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Going through my literal book shelves, and I just realized I never rated or reviewed my favorite writing book. This is the one we refer to the most often, and the one that really made all the difference in our outlining process.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this book. I read it all the way through in a day, then went back and took detailed notes, then went back again and made a cheat sheet that I can use in my own plotting and outlining. I very nearly went back and redid a bunch of outlines I’d already worked on, but stopped myself at the last minute. I know that technically this is a screenwriting book and not a novel-outlining book, but the ideas transfer over and they absolutely jive with how my brain works.

I loved the idea of the triple-goal (physical, emotional, spiritual). I love the idea of thematic question / argument / synthesis. I loved the “four questions.” I loved dividing up the acts into the “four archetypes” (orphan, wanderer, warrior, martyr). I loved the “unity of opposites” framework. All absolutely fantastic stuff.

I was a little less sold on the “44 plot points,” admittedly. I was never entirely certain how long a “plot point” was supposed to be (some of them he describes in as a single sentence, some a full paragraph with many beats), and I found that sometimes he tried to shoehorn in movie beats to his framework in a way that didn’t quite work. I preferred his 12-point “guide” as an outlining tool, but even then I’m not sure entirely how much I’ll use it. (I do like it, though. And it might come in more useful as I move beyond 1000-word outlines to the more detailed outlining stuff.)

Still, well worth the $17 I paid for it. Would buy again, 5 stars.

[Robin Wiesneth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is specific to screenplays but also offerd a great approach to building the skeleton of a novel.
I enjoyed the author’s take on the hero’s journey and the use of archetypes.
The numerated plot points were a little constrictive, but I think you would find them flexible when applied.
The deep dive into 4 movies at the end wrapped tjings up nicely.
Many links to documents in the exercises did not wotk.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

How have I not heard of this book before? I think I've read at least two dozen books on writing and this one is easily in the top five. SO MUCH GOOD information here. It's geared towards screenwriters, but novelist don't skip this one. His system of plotting is organized and very well explained. My only complaint is that he references worksheets throughout that you can get on his website, but there is no longer a website. Very disappointing because I was ready to go all in on this!

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to have a clear, basic yet insightful understanding of the key elements of a screenplay then this is the book for you. I watched the movies that the author discusses in the book and it helped me tremendously. This is also a good book to read while writing a screenplay (as I am currently doing while now re-reading the book).

[Erin Winters · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book and wish I had found it sooner! I am re-reading it now as I put together my next book, and expect to come back to it again and again. Schechter is succinct, funny, experienced, and wise - what better combination could there be? Add in some fantastic challenges/writing exercises and a little snark, and you've got yourself the best $10 you ever spent on your writing career.

[Jeremy Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been on a lucky streak with writing books lately. I really loved how Jeffrey Schechter assigns archetypes through the stages of the protagonist's story; its a great tool to visualize the character's growth in the journey. I also loved the idea of using supporting characters to bring out different perspectives and arguments regarding the story theme.

[Ally A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bad title, excellent content!

[Billy Curry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice book about how to enhance (or challenge) your own story.