Free Printable Novel Beat Sheet (Save the Cat) — 15 Beats with Word Counts PDF
All 15 Snyder beats with percent-of-book and target page / word columns — the structural plan, not just a story summary.
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The reason your second act sags is that your Midpoint is at 60%, not 50%
% of book + Target page / word turn the abstract beats into editorial deadlines you can actually hit.
Different from a Three-Act Outline — Save the Cat is the more granular 15-beat version, useful when Act 2 sprawls.
Pair with Daily Word Count Log to track whether you’re on pace to hit each beat by its target page.
Practical setup tips
Before printing the Novel Beat Sheet (Save the Cat), decide what one row represents and how often the page will be reviewed. That keeps the sheet from becoming a catch-all notes page and makes the finished record easier to compare with similar pages in the same binder or workflow.
- Beat (% of book) should be filled in consistently so the sheet remains useful after the first day of use.
- Target page / word should be filled in consistently so the sheet remains useful after the first day of use.
- Description (what happens) should be filled in consistently so the sheet remains useful after the first day of use.
- Done ✓ should be filled in consistently so the sheet remains useful after the first day of use.
If the printable is part of a formal, financial, medical, legal, or compliance workflow, use it as a planning and note-taking aid alongside the official system or professional guidance that applies to your situation.