Story Club Returns!

Let's Save Some Cats

Tomorrow begins round 2 of the Stop Writing Alone Story Club (see our February calendar for the time and link), where we will go through Jessica Brody’s book Save the Cat Writes a Novel, as well as the novels she references within, one month at a time. If it turns out anything like the first round of Story Club where we took a similar approach to reading Daniel Joshua Rubin’s book 27 Essential Principles of Story, it will be a beautiful mix of a book club and writing course all wrapped up in one.

What Happened in Story Club Round 1?

Last month I had an opportunity to chat with Audrea Marin and Amy Strong of The Write Crowd YouTube channel about that first Story Club experience. They are getting ready to go through Rubin’s book with their community on their channel, so if you missed out on our experience, check them out!

What’s the Plan for Story Club Round 2?

In January I also hosted a live Zoom call here in Stop Writing Alone dedicated to answering the question:

What the heck is Nicole’s Book Club Plan for 2025 and beyond?

If you missed this meeting, I recorded so you could listen in. We spent the time discussing (the time stamps in parentheses refer to the place in the video each of these discussions began in the video):

• How I got started in this whole book club thing in Stop Writing Alone (time stamp 1:12)

• The two different type of book clubs I am offering (time stamp 2:22)

• Why I think book clubs are important in writing community (time stamp 3:38)

• What to expect from the Practicing Poets Club (time stamp 7:07)

• Who the Practicing Poets Club is for (time stamp 8:28)

• How one of writers was originally introduced to The Practicing Poet and why she’s a fan (time stamp 10:56)

• What Save the Cat Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody is all about (time stamp 15:00)

• The plan of approach for the Save the Cat Writes a Novel Story Club in Stop Writing Alone (time stamp 17:04)

• The novels we will be reading/discussing throughout Story Club (time stamp 18:55)

• How one of our writers has been using the Save the Cat structure, and learned from Jessica Brody herself how to implement it (time stamp 22:11)

• Who Save the Cat is for (time stamp 24:00)

• Q, A & Comments from the meeting attendees (time stamp 28:00)

closing remarks/tentative scheduling ideas of meetings (time stamp 50:00)

Have Any Questions of Your Own?

Story Club Round 2 starts tomorrow, but you can join in any time. As I discussed in the video and on this month’s calendar, tomorrow we will begin with a chat about the first three chapters of Brody’s book. Next month begins the true book club experience with the novel (Girl On A Train) and Brody’s book.

Are you Save the Cat curious? Do have questions not yet answered either about the book clubs or the books themselves? Hop on into the comments section here to sound off now and I hope you will join us soon!