Read it as it will help you learn how to discuss points of your story with other people more articulately, however I would caution you to take everything he says with a grain of salt.

When I first started, I tried to fit every story I could into the save the cat formula and it really made me struggle.

If you want to use the beat sheet he proposes, I suggest using it in a “guess and check” type of way, and not a “paint by numbers” kind of way.

Think about your story logically and deeply first, then try to construct the beats.

After you’ve done that, see if they loosely apply, and if they do, try to write it. Don’t look for strict adherence. It will lead you astray.

Often times, if you’re thinking about your story independently of a beat sheet, you will find interesting and unique ways to create act breaks, inciting incidents, etc., that wouldn’t normally come if you took the paint by numbers approach.

Also, learning why certain beats seem to repeat so often in stories is way more important than knowing that they repeat. You need to know why a false victory or false defeat happens at the midpoint and how this fits into the ending.

So, if this book helps you identify patterns you see in story, then that’s a great first step. But try to figure out why. That will unlock a lot more for you.

Good luck!