Pixar's 22 Rules of Storytelling

Pixar's main film and television works include "Finding Nemo", "The Incredibles", "Cars", "Up", "Ratatouille" and so on.

For a character, you should praise his perseverance instead of his success.

Always remember to tell the things that interest you as the listener, not the things you like to write as the writer. There is a big difference between the two.

Try a theme boldly, but often you can't see what the story really means until the end. At this time, rewrite it.

Once upon a time there was a ___. Every day, ___. One day, ___. Because of that, ___. Because of that, ___. Finally ___.

Simplify. Concentrate. Merge characters. Cut corners. You will feel like you're losing a lot of valuable things, but it will set you free.

What are your characters good at? What do they like? Throw them completely opposite things and test them. How do they deal with it?

Consider the ending of the story before coming up with the middle part. This is important, endings are usually difficult, think ahead.

After finishing your story, keep writing even if it's not perfect. It may be far from your ideal situation, but don't stop. Strive to write better next time.

When the story gets stuck, make a list of things that won't happen next. Often these materials will give you inspiration.

Review the stories you like. These things you like are actually events in your life; you need to re-recognize them before using them.

Write it down on paper, so you can solidify it. If it only stays in your head, even if it's a perfect idea, no one will appreciate it.

Give less credit to the material that first comes to your mind. Then the second, third, fourth, fifth - discard the obvious things. Surprise yourself.

Let your characters have their own thoughts. Malleable/passive may suit you better for creative play, but it's poison to the audience.

Why do you have to tell this story? What about the story makes this belief burn inside you? This is the core.

If you were your character, how would you think in this situation? Honesty can bring credibility to incredible situations.

What is the pillar? Give your character a reason to root in the audience's mind. What if you can't achieve this? Piling up cleverness is useless.

No work is wasted. If it doesn't work, let it go and keep thinking about other things - one day they will come back and become useful.

Know yourself: recognize whether you are in your best state or straining your mind. Story is an inspiration, not a pondering.

Let your characters accidentally get into trouble. But don't let your characters accidentally solve the trouble, that's cheating.

Polish: find the parts of your movie that you don't like. How can you rearrange them to satisfy you?

Integrate into your story and characters, don't just write 'cool' stuff. What would make you want to act like in the movie?

What is the essence of your story? Can it be told in the most concise way? If you can, you can expand on it as a basis.