Love Pixar's Stories? Pixar's got tips for storytelling.

So I saw a link to this blog earlier today.
http://aerogrammestudio.com/2013/03/07/pixars-22-rules-of-storytelling/

It's a compilation of Pixar's 22 Rules of Storytelling originally tweeted by Pixar's Story Artist, Emma Coates
My favorite is #19: "Coincidences to get characters into trouble are great; coincidences to get them out of it are cheating."

I've read a few books where, after the main character finds himself/herself in a difficult situation, someone else coincidentally swoops in to save the day. This is okay if it happens once, but after a few times having the same thing happen, you begin to question the integrity of the character. You ask, what happened? After all the build up, suddenly the protagonist is lacking in strength to overcome his/her greatest adversity?

This is one of Pixar's strengths. When you see a situation come on, despite the difficulty, the protagonist persists and finds a solution. And despite being an adult, Pixar's movies bring the child out of me. It simplifies everything and yet brings profound realizations.



So here are the rest of the 22 rules, pick your favorite. Happy writing!




1) You admire a character for trying more than for their successes


2) You gotta keep in mind what's interesting to you as an audience, not what's fun to do as a writer. They can be very different.
3) Trying for theme is important, but you won't see what the story is actually about until you're at the end of it. Now rewrite
4) Once upon a time there was ___. Every day, ___. One day ___. Because of that, ___. Because of that, ___. Until finally ___.
5) Simplify. Focus. Combine characters. Hop over detours. You'll feel like you're losing valluable stuff but it sets you free.
6) What is your character good at? Comfortable with? Throw the polar opposite at them. Challenge them? How do they deal?




7) Come up with your ending before you figure out your middle. Seriously. Endings are hard, get yours working up front.
8) Finish your story, let go even if it's not perfect. In an ideal world you have both, but move on. Do better next time.
9) When you're stuck, make a list of what WOULDN'T happen next. Lots of times the material to get you unstuck will show up.
10) 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.
11) Putting it on paper let's you start fixing it. If it stays in your head, a perfect idea, you'll never share it with anyone.
12) Discount the 1st thing that comes ti mind. And the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th - get the obvious out of the way. Surprise yourself.



13) Give your characters opinions. Passive/malleable might seem likable to you as you write, but it's poison to the audience.


14) Why must you tell THIS story? What's the belief burning within you that your story feeds off of? That's the heart of it.
15)  If you were your character, in this situation, how would you feel? Honesty lends credibility to unbelievable situations.
16)  What are the stakes? Give us reason to root for the character. What happens if they don’t succeed? Stack the odds against.



17) No work is ever wasted. If it’s not working, let go and move on – it’ll come back around to be useful later.
18) You have to know yourself: the difference between doing your best & fussing. Story is testing, not refining.
19)  Coincidences to get characters into trouble are great; coincidences to get them out of it are cheating.
20) Exercise: take the building blocks of a movie you dislike. How d’you rearrange them into what you DO like?
21)You gotta identify with your situation/characters, can’t just write ‘cool’. What would make YOU act that way?
22) What’s the essence of your story? Most economical telling of it? If you know that, you can build out from there.