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lil  ·  4278 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Pixars 22 Rules of Storytelling

Thanks for these insomniasexx... Some of these suggestions are interesting for all kinds of writing/storytelling. I'm not a fiction writer or teacher. I encourage people to write memoir/family stories -- even so, a lot of these tips are intriguing and useful. Here's my favourites:

#1 You admire a character for trying more than for their successes. -- even failed attempts are interesting and endearing - That may be why shows like America's Idol are so big -- we love to see people trying and hope they fail gracefully... #5 Simplify. Focus. Combine characters. Hop over detours. You’ll feel like you’re losing valuable stuff but it sets you free. Declutter #6 What is your character good at, comfortable with? Throw the polar opposite at them. Challenge them. How do they deal? Absolutely - take them out of their comfort zones. #7 Come up with your ending before you figure out your middle. Seriously. Endings are hard, get yours working up front. There's two schools of thought about this one. Some writers see the ending before they start writing; some very successful writers have to let the characters find the inevitable ending. #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. I love this one. #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. Absolutely - get started!! #12 Discount the 1st thing that comes to mind. And the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th – get the obvious out of the way. Surprise yourself. Yes, also a rule for writing comedy and improv. #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. I have a writing exercise that relates to stories that your family tells over and over again -- there's a core truth in those stories that is often unexplored

I also was inspired by #16, #18, and #22 - but have to run. Good post. Thx.