Writing Suggestions

[la_samtyr]

From oloriel via Tumblr:
The 22 rules of Storytelling, according to Pixar

#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.

Comments

[alexcat.livejournal.com]

I do not think that what makes a good movie is always what makes a good book or story. Movies hit the high points and often leave out the actual beauty of words.

[samtyr.livejournal.com]

True -- books are incredibly hard to adapt to screen. But I find myself using a lot of these points, especially #17. I have *oodles* of bits and pieces lying around but one day they might work somewhere. :)

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

I think a lot of that is very sensible advice.

[samtyr.livejournal.com]

Yes, a lot of them seem to apply to writing in general.

[chaotic-binky.livejournal.com]

This is probably one of the best lists I have seen

[samtyr.livejournal.com]

I love sharing lists; it seems that there are some good points that can be used, or tried at least.

[spiced-wine.livejournal.com]

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

I have a really hard time any-way with malleable, unless there is a reason (Legolas in AFFS is very young and wounded, and Elgalad in the DP 'verse is some-one who's the epitome of love, but has had all his power and memories stripped from him). I do prefer opinionated and often volatile people, and it isn't something I like writing, so no danger of my doing that, I think.

What is your character good at, comfortable with? Throw the polar opposite at them. Challenge them. How do they deal?

I love that; that's a great piece of advice.

[samtyr.livejournal.com]

For me, passive/malleable works best when characters are very young and just discovering their sense of self (or perhaps destiny is a better word.)

Otoh, someone like Feanor knew exactly who he was from the very beginning. [g]

Challenging characters is great -- there can be no greatness if everything remains static. (By the same token, you cannot have a great hero if you do not have an equally powerful villain. As one of my old lit profs used to say: "Who has all the best lines?" Ehehehehe. ;)

[spiced-wine.livejournal.com]

As one of my old lit profs used to say: "Who has all the best lines?" Ehehehehe. ;)

Isn't that true? :D

I am so-so about heroes, even if they definitely are, I like the character to be somewhat flawed, not perfect. There's nothing interesting in that for me. Kev loved the old Superman films, and Superman is his hero. I used to say, 'But he's so boring!' and to me, he was. I like characters to be many-shaded, conflicted, and capable of good and bad; if they're heroes on top of that, I am far more interested in them.