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I found this great list of tips by Emma Coats (Pixar Animation storyboard artist). I thought I would share it to all us writers out there! There are some great tips down below. Note: Facebook isn’t on there. 😉 Stop procrastinating and write!
Do you have a great tip to add to Coats’ list?
– Ermisenda Alvarez
#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 v. 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.
LOVE this, thank you, E 🙂
May I reblog? some powerfully good kick starts in this list, thanks again,
Janice
Reblog away! I’m glad you found some use from this list. I know I did! 🙂
I don’t know that I’m qualified to offer writing tips. I thought about this though, and realized that the five most important tips I would offer aren’t on this list! I’ll share the top three:
#1: I call this “get out of the way, Annie.” A story has its own personality. If you’re writing it instead of capturing it, you’re killing it. Let it live.
#2: Readers have imagination. Let them use it! Plant seeds, not forests.
#3: Build a skeleton. If you can’t support a story, there’s no sense in writing one. Outlines and timelines are your friends.
Keep writing!
Some great tips there. I agree with #2 so much. That echoes the ‘show don’t tell’ tip. Will you give us the other 2 top 5 tips? 😛 Or, are they your secret weapons? Thanks for commenting. I think that final line should be tip #4: Keep writing! 😀
Haha, no, just more controversial…
#4 Make them read paragraph three. The hook. Capture interest immediately. Some creative writing professors give this a higher importance than others.
#5 Don’t impress; inform. I don’t want to enrage or discourage anyone, but this is both the most common and most annoying mistake I encounter.
And “keep writing” is just encouragement, to everyone with a dream. ♥
Reblogged this on AURORA MOREALIST ©2011 ~ Writer and commented:
This list is a great writing resource – well, I think so 🙂
I think so. 😀
You think right as usual, Ermilia 🙂
Hi! I have nominated you for the One Lovely Blog Award!! 🙂 http://shalvikap.wordpress.com/2012/06/22/one-lovely-blog-award/
Thank you very much! We’re honoured.
Great tips here from Coats and in the comments below! I’m not surprised that this comes from a Pixar employee, I have yet to find a movie of theirs that hasn’t touched me in one way or another. They’re stories can be fun, moving and powerful, all at the same time.
I agree. There are some great Pixar movies. I’m glad you found these tips of use. Our followers are very insightful. 🙂 Thanks for commenting!
I found this very interesting reading after just coming back from watching Brave in the theater.
Did it live up to the great standards? I’m excited for that movie but I’ve heard mixed reviews.