The thing that people who don't understand storytelling don't get is that formula are there with good reason. The important part is using the art side of tellin

The thing that people who don't understand storytelling don't get is that formula are there with good reason. The important part is using the art side of telling a story to make it not FEEL formulaic, even as you use the formulas to ensure an experience that satisfies readers. There's a great book on how people's brains react to story that I loved, and you might find interesting if the concepts in save the cat! were interesting to you, called Wired for Story by Lisa Cron.