6 Rules of Great Storytelling (As Told by Pixar)

“What you’re trying to do, when you tell a story, is to write about an event in your life that made you feel some particular way. And what you’re trying to do, when you tell a story, is to get the audience to have that same feeling.”

The Story Spine structure: Once upon a time there was [blank]. Every day, [blank]. One day [blank]. Because of that, [blank]. Until finally [bank].

A story’s purpose: find why you want to tell this story, what belief of yours fueled that story, what does it teach and its purpose. Stories with a purpose that you are passionate about have a bigger impact.

“Storytelling is the greatest technology that humans have ever created.” 

1. Great stories convey things common to the human condition in unique situations. They are universal. 
2. Great stories have a clear structure and purpose. 
3. People find it easy to root for an underdog and they don’t even need to succeed. They value the character’s journey over their destination.
4. Great stories appeal to our deepest emotions. 
5. Having the readers perceptions of reality challenged or changed in some way makes for great storytelling.
6. Great stories are simple and focused. Resist the urge to show all the world building you made to allow your audience to get lost in the narrative. You can test your story by reading it to a new person and watching their reactions and questions.