22 Rules of Storytelling by Emma Coates (A Former Pixar Storyboard Artist)
Mar
16
2013
Last week, fellow SpecFicNZ-er, Mark English, drew my attention to the following article:
22 Rules of Storytelling by a Pixar Storyboard Artist
The 22 rules are attributed to Former Pixar storyboard artist, Emma Coates, and have apparently been collated from her tweets.
Anyway, I think they constitute a very interesting list, and the following particularly resonate:
- Trying for theme is important, but you won’t see what the story is actually about til you’re at the end of it.
- Simplify. Focus. Combine characters. Hop over detours. You’ll feel like you’re losing valuable stuff but it sets you free.
- 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.
But do check the 22 out for yourself and choose your own favourites. 😉
Comments
It is a very good list. As a reader, I like ….
15-If you were your character, in this situation, how would you feel? Honesty lends credibility to unbelievable situations.
Also Numbers 17, 19, 2, 13, 21, 22
I call what you are describing authenticity and believe it is one of the most important elements in great writing. Criteria like 15 help the writer to achieve it.
But it *is* a very good list, which is why I wanted to share it. 🙂