In Jessica Brody’s book, Save the Cat! Writes a Novel, she outlines ten generic story genres that all books fit into. These are not your standard genres like romance, mystery, or sci-fi, where there are countless crossovers and subgenres that can make it difficult to find something similar enough to your novel to consider a valid comp (comparable title).
Instead, the Save-the-cat story genres are more generic and easier to spot. And because of that, they can help you more easily find comps for your book so you can confidently pitch to agents in hopes of landing a publishing deal or directly to your readers.
Under each of the STC story genres below, I have listed the common mainstream genres that fit within them. Though, keep in mind that it’s not always cut and dry, so read the requirements carefully to figure out where your story fits best. Also keep in mind that individual books within a series can fit in different STC story genres.
1. Whydunit
Common Mainstream Genres: mystery, thriller, crime fiction
3 Key Elements: a detective, a secret, & a dark turn
Optional Elements: Many whydunits also include a case within a case, where the protagonist will realize their current mystery is somehow linked to another.
Comps: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle, A Is for Alibi by Sue Grafton, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
Description: Your protagonist, who may or may not be a professional detective, must solve a mystery, during which something shocking is revealed that spurs your protagonist to somehow break the rules in order to solve the case.
2. Rites of Passage
Common Mainstream Genres: young adult, drama, comedy
3 Key Elements: a life problem, a wrong way, & a solution
Comps: Emma by Jane Austen, Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Description: Your protagonist must endure and overcome the mental and emotional growing pains of common life challenges, such as coming of age, divorce, death, or addiction. Usually, your protagonist attempts to ignore or avoid the problem at first, but eventually they have a coming-to-terms moment of acceptance.
3. Institutionalized
Common Mainstream Genres: drama, young adult
3 Key Elements: a group, a choice, & a sacrifice
Optional Elements: Popular protagonists of this STC story genre are either the naif (the outsider newcomer of the group) or the brando (an existing rebellious member who starts to questions the institution). The nemesis the protagonist usually goes up against is the company man, who is so entrenched in the institution that they will defend it at all costs.
Comps: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, The Color Purple by Alice Walker, The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Description: Your protagonist becomes or is already part of a group (i.e., family, institution, gang) and must make a decision whether to join, escape, or destroy it. This decision is complicated because they are usually born into it or it’s all they’ve ever really known and loyalty to a group can often contradict common sense.
4. Superhero
Common Mainstream Genres: young adult, children, fantasy
3 Key Elements: a hero with a special power, a nemesis, & a curse
Optional Elements: Often in Act II, the protagonist will undergo a name change either to disguise themselves or to fit into their new Act II world. The protagonist may also have a mascot in the form of a companion, sidekick, or pet who understands and believes in the protagonist from the very beginning.
Comps: Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie, Matilda by Roald Dahl, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Description: Your protagonist must come to terms with being extraordinary in an ordinary world, where they are often misunderstood. Note that not all superheroes have to be magically inclined to fit this genre! They might simply be dedicated to going above and beyond in doing good in the world.
5. Dude with a Problem
Common Mainstream Genres: action, thriller, adventure
3 Key Elements: an innocent protagonist, a sudden event, & a life-or-death battle
Optional Elements: External bad guys work well with this STC story genre because they add new challenges along the way for your protagonist, pushing them to grow. Another common element is a love interest who can act as a cheerleader for your protagonist, helping them believe in themselves and conquer those bad guys. And finally, including an eye-of-the-storm moment, where the action slows down temporarily, allows both your protagonist and your reader to take a breather and reflect.
Comps: The Call of the Wild by Jack London, The BFG by Roald Dahl, The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Description: Your average Joe protagonist must rise to the challenge of extraordinary circumstances when they are suddenly dragged into some major trouble. Their unique individuality and qualifications are what will save the day in the end, as well as the continued existence of one, many, or all.
6. Fool Triumphant
Common Mainstream Genres: comedy, young adult, children
3 Key Elements: an overlooked underdog, an establishment, & a transmutation
Optional Elements: While even your protagonist doesn’t always believe in their own worth, there is usually one person who sees it from the very beginning. The jealous insider works to keep it hidden by sabotaging the protagonist in any way possible.
Comps: Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens, Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy, Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding
Description: Your underdog protagonist with hidden worth is pitted against society or some kind of establishment. They are often overlooked or brushed aside and even try their best to fit in via a temporary transmutation, but in the end, they prove to everyone just how valuable they can be when they conquer the establishment.
7. Buddy Love
Common Mainstream Genres: romance, women’s lit, drama, comedy, children, young adult
3 Key Elements: an incomplete protagonist, a counterpart, & a complication
Optional Elements: Sometimes both the protagonist and the counterpart are equally changed by the other, known as a two-hander, making them both qualify as main characters. One of the ways to complicate the relationship is to add in a love triangle, often called a three-hander.
Comps: Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks, The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Description: Your protagonist is transformed through meeting and loving someone else, whether romantic or friendship (the catalyst). This counterpart person, pet, or thing provides your protagonist with the companionship and sense of completion they have been missing. Unfortunately, there is a complication that keeps them apart (at least until your protagonist learns the theme), but in the end, love conquers all and they end up changing each other for the better.
8. Out of the Bottle
Common Mainstream Genres: comedy, fantasy, children, young adult
3 Key Elements: a hero deserving of the magic, a spell, & a lesson
Optional Elements: This STC story genre often portrays either a story of empowerment, where your protagonist rises from adversity, or comeuppance, where your protagonist needs to be knocked down a peg by reality (in this case, make sure you use a save-the-cat moment to help your protagonist be likable and redeemable). Most of these stories will also force the protagonist to eventually have to do it without the magic.
Comps: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella, Freaky Friday by Mary Rodgers
Description: Your deserving protagonist is temporarily gifted with something magical (i.e., a wish or curse). They may not know how the magic came to be, but they must know why it happened so they can grow to understand how to fix it, because they also must come to learn that reality is better.
9. Golden Fleece
Common Mainstream Genres: adventure, fantasy
3 Key Elements: a road, a team, & a prize
Optional Elements: A common additional element in this STC story genre is the road apple, or an obstacle that stops the journey in its tracks, usually right before the destination is reached. It also often includes a B-Story about friendship or love.
Comps: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien, Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Description: Your protagonist goes on an adventure (e.g., road trip, heist, quest) in search of something specific, but winds up discovering something else entirely—the journey is far more valuable than the destination. Which is a good thing, because your protagonist may not even succeed in obtaining the prize they had their sights set on in the first place.
10. Monster in the House
Common Mainstream Genres: horror, thriller, sci-fi, fantasy
3 Key Elements: a monster, a house, & a sin
Optional Elements: The half-man is a common device used in this STC story genre, who acts as a mentor for your protagonist. If they are alive in the story, they will die by the All Is Lost beat so your protagonist is forced to conquer the monster alone.
Comps: The Shining by Stephen King, Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton, World War Z by Max Brooks
Description: Your protagonist must overcome some kind of monster that they are, at least partly, at fault for creating or releasing into the world. The monster functions outside the realm of natural human behavior, driven by a motivation that goes against the laws of nature, and the protagonist realizes that living with this monster is a fate worse than death.
Additional Resources
- Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody
- This Save the Cat 10 Story Genres forum post explores the ten STC story genres and also shows how to figure out which one your story truly is when it seemingly fits more than one STC story genres.
- Save the Cat novel writing software
- The Hero’s Journey by Joseph Campbell
- Reedsy’s Story Structure: 7 Narrative Structures All Writers Should Know provides an overview of multiple structures you could choose from
- My Tips for Writers article titled The Heartbeat of Story covers the Save-the-Cat beat sheet
- FREE downloads!
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