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.
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.