Dokuga Forum
Welcome, Guest
Please Login or Register.    Lost Password?
22 Rules of Storytelling...
(1 viewing) 1 Guest
Go to bottom
TOPIC: 22 Rules of Storytelling...
#96138
KEdakumi
Daiyoukai
Posts: 555
graphgraph
User Offline Click here to see the profile of this user
22 Rules of Storytelling... 10 Years, 4 Months ago Karma: 56
according to Pixar...
This is some good advice.

Here's the link

The 22 rules of storytelling, according to Pixar

On Twitter, Pixar storyboard artist Emma Coats has compiled nuggets of narrative wisdom she's received working for the animation studio over the years. It's some sage stuff, although there's nothing here about defending yourself from your childhood toys when they inevitably come to life with murder in their hearts. A truly glaring omission.

#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 v. different.

#3: Trying for theme is important, but you won't see what the story is actually about til 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 valuable 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 lets 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 to 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.
 
Logged Logged
 
  The administrator has disabled public write access.
#96139
UnknownRandomness
Taiyoukai
Posts: 425
graphgraph
User Offline Click here to see the profile of this user
Re:22 Rules of Storytelling... 10 Years, 4 Months ago Karma: 14
Thank you for sharing this! Such wonderful pointers... My brain is spinning trying to take them all into consideration.
 
Logged Logged
  The administrator has disabled public write access.
#96141
None
Time Traveler
Posts: 708
graphgraph
User Offline Click here to see the profile of this user
Re:22 Rules of Storytelling... 10 Years, 4 Months ago Karma: 57
Thanks Kedakumi.

Nice list, although I wonder how in the universe I'll remember it all.

XD.

~ Pyre
 
Logged Logged
  The administrator has disabled public write access.
#96143
KEdakumi
Daiyoukai
Posts: 555
graphgraph
User Offline Click here to see the profile of this user
Re:22 Rules of Storytelling... 10 Years, 4 Months ago Karma: 56
I like #4.... basically sum up the story and let it bloom from there.
 
Logged Logged
 
  The administrator has disabled public write access.
Go to top

INUYASHA © Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan • Yomiuri TV • Sunrise 2000
No money is being made from the creation or viewing of content on this site, which is strictly for personal, non-commercial use, in accordance with the copyright.