Pixar's 22 Rules of Storytelling
GPTKB entity
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list of storytelling guidelines
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gptkb:Pixar_Animation_Studios
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Emma Coats
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You gotta keep in mind what’s interesting to you as an audience, not what’s fun to do as a writer.
When you’re stuck, make a list of what WOULDN’T happen next. Discount the first thing that comes to mind. And the second, third, fourth, fifth – get the obvious out of the way. Simplify. Focus. Combine characters. Hop over detours. Give your characters opinions. Putting it on paper lets you start fixing it. Pull apart the stories you like. What you like in them is a part of you; you’ve got to recognize it before you can use it. You have to know yourself: the difference between doing your best & fussing. You admire a character for trying more than for their successes. Once upon a time there was ___. Every day, ___. One day ___. Because of that, ___. Because of that, ___. Until finally ___. Exercise: take the building blocks of a movie you dislike. How would you rearrange them into what you DO like? Why must you tell THIS story? What’s the belief burning within you that your story feeds off of? No work is ever wasted. If it’s not working, let go and move on – it’ll come back around to be useful later. What are the stakes? Give us reason to root for the character. Give your characters opinions. Passive/malleable might seem likable to you as you write, but it’s poison to the audience. Trying for theme is important, but you won’t see what the story is actually about till you’re at the end of it. Coincidences to get characters into trouble are great; coincidences to get them out of it are cheating. Finish your story, let go even if it’s not perfect. What’s the essence of your story? Most economical telling of it? |
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Pixar's 22 Rules of Storytelling
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22
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2011
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gptkb:Twitter
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gptkb:Emma_Coates
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8
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