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       #Post#: 27973--------------------------------------------------
       Pixar's 22 Rules of Storytelling (STICKY)
       By: Zenwarrior54 Date: October 31, 2015, 1:32 am
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       #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 very
       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.
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