beatsheets

A beat sheet is a concise outline of a story’s major turning points or "beats"—the moments that propel the plot and character arcs forward. In screenwriting and narrative craft, beat sheets are used to map the macro structure of a script or episode, before or during drafting, to ensure momentum and pacing. They can be single-page or multi-page documents and are adaptable to film, television, theater, novels, and interactive media.

A typical beat sheet lists sequential beats such as the inciting incident, turning points, midpoint, the break into a new act, and the climax, as well as optional elements like a B story, reversals, or a final image. The best-known variant is the Save the Cat beat sheet, which outlines about 15 beats including Opening Image, Theme Stated, Setup, Catalyst, Debate, Break into Two, B Story, Fun and Games, Midpoint, Bad Guys Close In, All Is Lost, Dark Night of the Soul, Break into Three, Finale, Final Image. Other beat sheets may use 3-act or 8- or 9-beat structures and are tailored to pacing and genre.

In practice, writers assemble a beat sheet during the outlining phase to lock pacing, identify gaps, and plan scene goals. It serves as a blueprint for drafting and revision and is commonly used in collaboration with producers, showrunners, or editors. Beat sheets are not a fixed rule; they are a flexible planning tool and may be adjusted as the script develops. They are distinct from full outlines, treatments, and synopses, which go into more detail about scenes and prose.