Save the Cat: The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need

Snyder uses this term to describe a script that has at its heart a basic drive or motivation for a character. Hunger, sex, survival, and protection of one’s home or loved ones are primal urges. The author repeatedly exhorts the reader to anchor their story’s premise in something primal.

The logline is a movie’s one- or two-sentence description of what it’s about. According to the author, a potent logline reveals some irony and conflict, as well as providing a brief description of the hero. It should also hint at the target audience and potential cost.

Beats are individual scenes in a movie or story. Each beat should feature a conflict and a change in the emotional tone. In the BS2, Snyder allows for 40 beats spread over three acts.