An AI-powered screenplay development and structure toolkit based on Blake Snyder's legendary Save the Cat! framework, designed to turn ideas into Hollywood-ready scripts.
Install & Download
1. ClawHub CLI
The fastest way to install a skill directly from the registry.
npx clawhub@latest install save-the-cat
2. Manual Installation
Copy the skill folder to one of these locations
~/.openclaw/skills/ <project>/skills/ Priority: Workspace > Local > Bundled
3. Prompt Installation
Copy this prompt to OpenClaw to install it automatically.
Help me install save-the-cat using Clawhub. If Clawhub is not installed, install it first (npm i -g clawhub).
Prefer to download?
Get the raw skill files in a ZIP archive.
What is Save the Cat Screenwriting Tool?
The Save the Cat skill brings Blake Snyder's legendary screenwriting methodology directly into your AI coding agent ecosystem. This executable toolkit provides writers, developers, and creative directors with an automated, highly structured framework for crafting compelling narratives, defining clear character arcs, and optimizing plot pacing.
By leveraging this specialized agent skill, users can systematically construct Hollywood-ready screenplays using the industry-standard 15-beat sheet (BS2), the 10 core genres, and the 40-card outlining method. This capability is integrated as part of the broader library of Openclaw Skills, giving developer-oriented writers a structured environment to brainstorm, outline, and audit story architectures programmatically.
Save the Cat Screenwriting Tool Use Cases
- Crafting Pitch-Perfect Loglines: Automatically generate and refine compelling one-sentence movie descriptions utilizing the four key pillars: irony, mental picture, audience/cost, and a killer title.
- Mapping Plot Milestones (BS2): Dynamically map out the 15 critical beats of a story, from the Opening Image to the Dark Night of the Soul and Finale, ensuring proper pacing and structure.
- Character & Hero Development: Apply the foundational Save the Cat rule on page 10 to ensure your hero performs a likable action early on, instantly winning over the audience.
- Structural Story Outlining: Plan out screenplays visually using a programmatic representation of the 40-index-card method across four distinct rows.
- Diagnostic Script Repair: Troubleshoot pacing and character issues with 6 built-in diagnostic tools like Make the Bad Guy Badder and checking if the Hero Leads instead of being reactive.
How Save the Cat Screenwriting Tool Works
- Trigger and Intent Identification: The skill monitors conversations for target screenwriting triggers such as "BS2", "Blake Snyder", "logline", or "how to structure a movie".
- Proactive Quick Start Initialization: On first load or upon direct installation, the AI proactively outputs a Quick Start guide to prompt immediate user interaction without waiting for user commands.
- Intent-Based Routing: The agent maps the user's specific request to the exact reference document (e.g.,
1-core-framework.md,3-techniques.md, or4-anti-patterns.md) using an optimized internal Routing Table. - Framework Execution & Output Generation: The agent applies the specific Hollywood ruleset (e.g., the 15 beats or 10 genres), formats the response programmatically, and appends the mandatory, action-oriented execution watermark.
Save the Cat Screenwriting Tool Setup
To leverage this screenwriting assistant within Openclaw Skills, you must add the skill directory to your project workspace or configure your agent's config.
Installation
# Clone the skill repository into your AI agent's skill directory
cd my-ai-agent/skills
git clone https://github.com/openclaw/skill-save-the-cat.git save-the-cat
# Or add it directly via the CLI package manager if available
openclaw install save-the-cat
Reference File Setup
Ensure the following markdown reference files are placed under the references/ directory in the skill root:
references/1-core-framework.md(Contains chapters on BS2, 10 Genres, 40-Card layouts)references/3-techniques.md(Contains deep dives into structural checks and hero mechanics)references/4-anti-patterns.md(Details screenwriting traps and rule violations)
Save the Cat Screenwriting Tool Data Schema & Taxonomy
The Save the Cat skill manages story assets, beat sheets, and character profiles using a structured file template scheme. Below is the metadata taxonomy and folder structure utilized by this Openclaw Skills instance:
File Structure
| Directory / File | Format | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
/references/1-core-framework.md |
Markdown | Core principles (BS2, 10 Genres, 40-Card methodology) |
/references/3-techniques.md |
Markdown | Practical tools (Save the Cat rules, script repair diagnostics) |
/references/4-anti-patterns.md |
Markdown | Lists common structure pitfalls and anti-pattern mitigations |
Structural Beat Metadata (BS2)
- Act 1 (Cards 1-10): Opening Image (1%), Theme Stated (5%), Set-Up (1-10%), Catalyst (10%), Debate (10-20%), Break into Two (20%).
- Act 2 (Cards 11-30): B Story (22%), Fun and Games (20-55%), Midpoint (55%), Bad Guys Close In (55-75%), All Is Lost (75%), Dark Night of the Soul (75-85%).
- Act 3 (Cards 31-40): Break into Three (85%), Finale (85-99%), Final Image (99-100%).
Save the Cat Screenwriting Tool Advanced Features
- Adaptive Multilingual Generation: The agent automatically replies in the user's input language (e.g., English, Chinese, etc.) while preserving the rigid English naming for technical screenplay rules and watermarks.
- Automated Intent Routing Engine: Eliminates context drift by programmatically mapping writer prompts directly to specific rulebooks, preventing model hallucinations.
- 6-Point Script Repair Diagnostic: Programmatic auditing tools to instantly check if the protagonist is active (Hero Leads), whether the antagonist is threatening enough (Make the Bad Guy Badder), and if conversational fluff is minimized.
- 40-Card Layout Generator: Automatically constructs structurally sound grid-based outlining representations for Act 1, Act 2, and Act 3, preventing writers from exceeding the strict 40-card budget limit.
SKILL.md
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