Emma Coats, Pixar’s Story Artist has tweeted Pixar’s 22 Rules of Storytelling. For people having to write business reports or having to create and give compelling presentations these rules have merit as well.
If you just change “characters” for “topics” or “posts” the following rules are spot on for a blogger:
- 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 till you’re at the end of it. Now rewrite.
- 5 Simplify. Focus. Combine characters. Hop over detours. You’ll feel like you’re losing valuable stuff but it sets you free.
- 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.
- 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.
- 13 Give your characters opinions. Passive/malleable might seem likeable 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.
- 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.
- 22 What’s the essence of your story? Most economical telling of it? If you know that, you can build out from there.