Need A Save The Cat Moment?

We like our conflict. Evey story needs conflict. But what do we do when we find that our characters have gone a little overboard with their enthusiastic opposition?

I'll tell you what you can do... You make them save the cat!

You may have already heard about a character’s need for a "save the cat moment". Some heroic or selfless act to prove that your character isn’t as mean and nasty as they appear. Screenwriter Blake Snyder is the ultimate resource for learning about save the cat moments. Pick up his book and you won't be disappointed.

I’m a voracious romance reader, and I’m not shy about telling you that I love me some Alpha hero like an ice cream cone in July, but their occasional frosty attitude can have a tendency to bite back. In situations like this when you feel like your character is unbelievably harsh,  you have to give them a break at humanity to keep your reader from throwing the book across the room.

And this is only a suggestion, but why not use even their save the cat moment to pile on a different layer of conflict and drag more information from your characters. For instance, let me introduce you to my cat.

Let’s just call her scruffy, my baby-doll tortoiseshell Himalayan.

Her mother and father were pedigreed. They had white, fluffy fur that appeared chalk-lined in the softest grey stripes and eyes as blue as a clear morning. A real match made in kitty heaven, those two.  

What they spawned, however, was my pretty little beast from hell.

Having been born with severe hip dysplasia, as misfortunate purebreds tend to do, she was medicated most of her life. When a storm front rolled in, you could see it in her pitiful three-legged limp.  But if anyone dare lift her into their arms for a comforting hug they might earn themselves a limp of their own.

She was the snottiest cat to have ever lived. She hated everyone.
Ahem, well, everyone but me, anyway.
If a stranger got too close, her greasy spikes would jut out like a porcupine. And yes, by the way, I did say greasy.

In addition to the hip displaysia she also had a condition called seborrhea. An overactive production of oil glands. To touch her would result in pulling back a well lubed hand (if you pulled back a hand at all). Huh... Who needs lotion, right?

She always looked drenched because the grease would mat her fur together in clumps. Visitors would often ask. “Did your kitty just get a bath?” Because she had that wet/pissed look permanently etched into her appearance.

And if her glare wasn't enough to scare you off, there was always her growl. A sound that must have been dragged up from the bowels of hell.

I’d like to see a hero try to save my cat. No, really I would. In fact, I may just write that into my next story!