Fellow writers, bored people scrolling through this while waiting for the bus, children of all ages: the interwebs have delivered, and delivered well. For those of us looking to hone our writing skills, any literature from the Masters on how to sharpen the blunt edges of our swords (get it? because the pen...is mightier than the sword...and we're..writers...it was a solid joke!) is like blessed manna from the sky.
Pic via toothopolis.tumblr
From Boing Boing by Mark Frauenfelder comes this list of Pixar's rules for story telling, originally tweeted by Emma Coates, Pixar’s Story Artist. Isn't that an amazing title, though? Evey G, Story Artist. Me likey!
I suppose we all find inspiration in different places but
for me, having the abstract concepts I try to write by laid out so clearly is a
huge plus. Without further adieu, I present The Rules. Enjoy!
- You admire a character for trying more than for their successes.
- 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.
- 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.
- Once
upon a time there was ___. Every day, ___. One day ___. Because of that,
___. Because of that, ___. Until finally ___.
- Simplify.
Focus. Combine characters. Hop over detours. You’ll feel like you’re
losing valuable stuff but it sets you free.
- What
is your character good at, comfortable with? Throw the polar opposite at
them. Challenge them. How do they deal?
- Come
up with your ending before you figure out your middle. Seriously. Endings
are hard, get yours working up front.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Discount
the 1st thing that comes to mind. And the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th – get the
obvious out of the way. Surprise yourself.
- Give
your characters opinions. Passive/malleable might seem likable to you as
you write, but it’s poison to the audience.
- 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.
- If you
were your character, in this situation, how would you feel? Honesty lends
credibility to unbelievable situations.
- What
are the stakes? Give us reason to root for the character. What happens if
they don’t succeed? Stack the odds against.
- No
work is ever wasted. If it’s not working, let go and move on – it’ll come
back around to be useful later.
- You
have to know yourself: the difference between doing your best &
fussing. Story is testing, not refining.
- Coincidences
to get characters into trouble are great; coincidences to get them out of
it are cheating.
- Exercise:
take the building blocks of a movie you dislike. How d’you rearrange them
into what you DO like?
- You
gotta identify with your situation/characters, can’t just write ‘cool’.
What would make YOU act that way?
- What’s
the essence of your story? Most economical telling of it? If you know
that, you can build out from there.
I have exercised great self-restraint in terms of refraining
from adding my own commentary to each of the rules, but fear not, I shall be
reviewing the rules as they come up in other writing posts to follow. Have a
good one writers, I leave you with the fabulous symmetry of Death the Kid. Peace! ...because...he's holding up a peace sign.
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