(Until) One day _____.
Because of that, _____.
Because of that, _____.
Until finally _____.
And ever since that day _______ .
See bottom for simplified version of instructions.
Once upon a time there was _____.
(And) Every day, _____.
With characters and settings established, you can begin to tell the audience or reader what life is like in this world every day. In The Wizard of Oz, for example, the opening scenes establish that Dorothy feels overlooked, unloved, and dreams of a better place "over the rainbow." This is Dorothy's "world in balance," and don't be confused by the term "balance." This does not imply that all is well - only that this is how things are.
(Until) One day _____. (inciting incident/pivotal event)
Something happens that throws the main character's world, forcing them to do something, change something, attain something that will restore the old balance or establish a new equilibrium. In story structure, this moment is referred to as the inciting incident. It is the pivotal event that launched the story.
In The Wizard of Oz: the tornado provides the inciting incident by apparently transporting Dorothy far, far away from home.
In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: the letter to Harry from Hogwarts is the pivotal event.
(And) Because of that, _____.
Your main character or protagonist begins the pursuit of the his goal. This is the main body of the story. After being literally dropped into the Land of Oz, Dorothy desperately wants to return home, but she is told that the only person who can help her lives miles away. So she must journey by foot to the Emerald City to meet a mysterious wizard. Along the way she will encounter several obstacles (apple-throwing trees, flying monkeys, sleep-inducing poppy fields, etc.). These things only make the narrative more interesting. In a movie or play, this would be the beginning of Act II.
(And) Because of that, _____.
Dorothy achieves her first objective which is meeting the "Great and Powerful Wizard of Oz." But, this is not the resolution of her dilemma. This is not the end of her story. Because of this meeting, she now has another objective: kill the Wicked Witch of the West and deliver the evil witch's broomstick to the Wizard. NOTE: In shorter stories you might have only one "because of this." No matter what, you need at least one "because of this."
Until finally _____.
This is where the story approaches the moment of truth. In a movie or play, this would be the beginning of Act III . In The Wizard of Oz this is when Dorothy succeeds in her task and presents the Wizard with the deceased witch's broom. At this point the Wizard must keep his promise to help her return to Kansas. He does this, but things do not happen in quite the way the audience or reader expects.
The conflict or problem is finally and creatively resolved.
1) Remember that coincidences to get characters into trouble are great; coincidences to get them out of it are cheating.
2) Remember that you should have planned your ending before you figured out the middle of your story.
And ever since that day _______ .
The story should continue enough to show what all of this means to the protagonist. In The Wizard of Oz, what Dorothy learns that what she needed, she always had, and there's no place like home.
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PIXAR FORMULA ( simplified version )
Once upon a time there was _____. (character, setting, time AND place)
(And) Every day, _____. (the norm)
(Until) One day _____. (pivotal event / inciting incident)
Because of that, _____. ( Because of that, _____. Can be repeated for effect)
action rising . . . climax of story
Until finally _____. (resolution)
And ever since that day _______ . (the new norm)
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(The 22 Guidelines of Storytelling - Pixar First author: Emma Coats ex-Pixar Storyboard Artist)
#1: You want your reader to admire a character more for trying than for their successes.
#2: You must keep in mind what’s interesting to an audience, not what is fun to do as a writer. They can be very different.
#3: Integrating the theme you chose is important. At the end of your story it will become obvious if the theme you planned held true. You will probably have to rewrite. This is part of the process.
(And) Every day, _____.
(Until) One day _____.
Because of that, _____.
Because of that, _____.
Until finally _____.
And ever since that day _______ .
#5: Simplify. Focus. You might need to combine characters. Hop over detours. You might feel like you are losing valuable content 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, make sure yours works.
#8: Finish your story, let go even if it is 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 WOULD NOT happen next. This list will help.
#10: Dissect the stories you like. What you like in them is a part of you; you need to recognize it before you can use it.
#11: Putting ideas on paper allows you start fixing them. If a perfect idea stays in your head, you will never share it with anyone.
#12: Discount the 1st thing that comes to mind. Discount the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th ideas – move 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 is it within you that feeds your story? 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.
Ken Adams' version, which he calls The Story Spine, is one way to approach this.
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