10 Gems from Pixar's 22 Rules of Storytelling

In 2011, Pixar employee Emma Coats shared its “22 Rules of Storytelling.”

They’re a masterclass in story, psychology, and human connection.

Here are 10 gems: pic.twitter.com/eFWg68ytcR

— Nathan Baugh 🗺️ (@nathanbaugh27) April 2, 2023

Putting it on paper lets you start fixing it.

If it stays in your head, just an idea, you'll never share it with anyone.

A bad first draft becomes a decent second and a terrific third draft.

— Nathan Baugh 🗺️ (@nathanbaugh27) April 2, 2023

Simplify. Focus. Combine characters. Hop over detours.

You'll feel like you're losing valuable stuff but it sets you free.

When time and space is limited, you’re forced to be more creative and ambitious through character and plot without relying on other gimmicks.

— Nathan Baugh 🗺️ (@nathanbaugh27) April 2, 2023

Come up with your ending before you figure out your middle. Endings are hard, get yours working up front.

The right ending serves as a target to keep your story on the most concise and effective path.

It’s like a magnet pulling your story forward.

— Nathan Baugh 🗺️ (@nathanbaugh27) April 2, 2023

Finish your story, even if it's not perfect. In an ideal world you have both, but move on and do better next time.

I’m a firm believer there’s one way to get good at anything:
1. Get started
2. Get consistent
3. Get good

Storytelling is no different.

— Nathan Baugh 🗺️ (@nathanbaugh27) April 2, 2023

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.

Your favorite author is Brandon Sanderson? Study what he does – his cadence, his hook, his word choice.

I do this with https://t.co/VfIwojAuQe pic.twitter.com/KEfGb3JcfM

— Nathan Baugh 🗺️ (@nathanbaugh27) April 2, 2023

Discount the first thing that comes to mind.

And the second, third... get the obvious ones out of the way. Then surprise yourself.

Ed Sheeran likens his songwriting process to a dirty faucet. Turn it on, it flows dirty. Leave it on, it flows clean.

Same idea from Pixar.

— Nathan Baugh 🗺️ (@nathanbaugh27) April 2, 2023

Coincidences to get characters into trouble are great. Coincidences to get them out of it are cheating.

Make everything as hard as possible for your characters.

That may mean some unfair situations. But it does not mean lucky situations.

— Nathan Baugh 🗺️ (@nathanbaugh27) April 2, 2023

Take the building blocks of a movie you dislike. How do you rearrange them into what you do like?

You can do this with any medium – book, speech, landing page, etc.

Focus on:
• Characters – did you care about them?
• Arc – what changed?
• Emotion – what did you feel?

— Nathan Baugh 🗺️ (@nathanbaugh27) April 2, 2023

You have to keep in mind what's interesting to you as an audience, not what's fun to do as a writer.

Steven Pressfield says:

“The skill that is indispensable to all artists – the ability to switch in your imagination from your point of view to the POV of your audience.”

— Nathan Baugh 🗺️ (@nathanbaugh27) April 2, 2023

The story spine:

Once upon a time there was __. Every day, __. One day __. Because of that, __. Because of that, __. Until finally __.

Humans gravitate to structure.

See this story structure once, you see it everywhere.

— Nathan Baugh 🗺️ (@nathanbaugh27) April 2, 2023

Emma originally posted these to her Tumblr.

You can read the post here courtesy of web . archive:https://t.co/lvhp0CUfJZ

— Nathan Baugh 🗺️ (@nathanbaugh27) April 2, 2023

As I write, I refer to these all the time.

I hope they help you, too.

Follow @nathanbaugh27 for more on storytelling, writing, and creativity.

— Nathan Baugh 🗺️ (@nathanbaugh27) April 2, 2023

If you want to become a better storyteller, try my free newsletter with 60,338 others.

1 storytelling tip each Tuesday morning: https://t.co/hr8eQKUMaD

— Nathan Baugh 🗺️ (@nathanbaugh27) April 2, 2023