Write2Ignite

If you have ever researched rules in storytelling, you may have come across the famous Pixar’s 22 Rules of Storytelling. This came from a 2011 tweet from a Pixar employee who realized there were 22 written (and unwritten) rules they implemented on every story. While Industrial Scripts does a pretty good job of explaining the rules, I thought it would be fun to expand on them here in regards to books. After all, while there are many books made from their stories, Pixar makes movies. So without further ado, let’s take a look at numero uno.

1: Admire characters for attempting more than what their successes have been.

Underdogs. We can’t get enough of them. And when you look at what makes Pixar movies so great, it is underdogs. WALL*E, Flick, Nemo, you name it. Kids love underdogs because they always feel like underdogs. When you’re a kid it can feel like everyone has more years and experience than you. But this rule is more than just that. This is about swinging for the fences. Persevering. Never giving up. Imagine a story about a poor wittle kid named “Ernest Humming” who wants nothing more than to hit a home run for his team. Only problem is he is the runt of the littler. Shorter than every kid in the league. The furthest he’s ever hit the ball was right in front of the pitcher’s mound. His attempt is far more than his past successes, but he doesn’t let that discourage him. His grit, determination, and optimism are the characteristics that make us root for him to the very end. We admire him for attempting more than he’s achieved in the past.

2: Keep in mind what’s interesting to you as an audience, not what’s fun to do as a writer. They can be very different.

Out of Pixar’s 22 rules of storytelling, this might be the most important rule to think about when writing for kids. As adults, we might be trying for the Newberry Medal, or a coveted library pick. However, there are two kinds of kids books. Ones that adults love, and ones that kids love. While it is possible to overlap, this is an important rule to keep in mind. Make it fun for them, not for you. Cars is consistently near the bottom when critics list the top Pixar movies. But guess what? It is usually the favorite of children ages 6 and younger. Why? Because it is fun for the intended audience. Cars go really fast and they talk in silly voices. It is simple, charming, and is all about something most kids see every day. Cars. It is so accessible. Both of my nieces love the movie and smile whenever they see a picture of Mater.

3: Trying for theme is important. However you won’t see what the story is about until you’re at the end of that story. Got it? Now rewrite.

As Christians, we want to come up with a theme first, then write the story. But as this rule points out, you don’t know what the theme is until you’ve written it. Back when I was trying to write scripts, I adapted the Shakespeare comedy As You Like it. I listened to podcasts, read reviews and articles about the themes of the play, but it wasn’t until I recently looked at my version that I realized my theme was about soulmates vs. free will. Do soulmates exist? If so, do we have the free will to mess that up? Now the theme is clear, but when I was writing it, I thought I was writing about how marriage takes hard work. WALL*E probably has my favorite theme of all the Pixar movies. No, not the “save the planet before we destroy it” but the real theme: love. I read one time that the director wanted to tell a story about how humans had forgotten how to love each other. And that it took a robot for them to realize how to love again. That’s the heart and soul of the movie. Love.

4: Once upon a time there was ____. Every day, ___. One day ____. Because of that, ___. Until finally ____.

If you have writer’s block, this will fix it. A simple format? Perhaps. But the possibilities are endless. Let’s take my earlier example and plug it in.

Once upon a time there was a little boy named “Ernest Humming”. Every day, he dreamed about hitting a home run for his baseball team. Because of that, he trained hard including through the winter. Until finally, at the last game of the season, he hit an inside the park home run.

It’s not groundbreaking. But then again, the best storytelling isn’t. If you break new ground, how can the reader relate? Stick to the tried and true methods and give your kid reader a satisfying story that rivals Pixar itself.

5: Simplify. Focus. Combine characters. Hope over detours. You’ll feel like you’re losing valuable stuff, but it sets you free.

The harsher version of this is the classic “kill your darlings” but it means the same thing. Simplify. Focus. Trim. Cut out anything that doesn’t advance the plot. I know I learned this when I was taking a creative writing class at my local community college. We were supposed to write a short story. I had never written one before, but I had plenty ideas for novels, so I “adapted” one of my ideas. I was amazed at how I could still keep the essence of the story with only a few thousand words. Trim the fat. Strengthen the muscles, and you’ll find your story is stronger than ever.

By focusing on your character, keeping your audience in mind, learning your story’s theme, structuring it, and simplifying it, you are on the right track to creating a story worthy of the Pixar name. And since it is impossible to fit all of Pixar’s 22 rules of storytelling into one blog, be on the lookout for the next installments. In the meantime, what is your favorite Pixar movie? Let me know in the comments!

Kyle Morgan is a fulltime college student at Grand Canyon University, where he is majoring in Professional Writing for New Media. The youngest of three boys, Kyle is the final bird in his parent’s nest in the ever-growing state of Idaho. On his blog Cranial Flatulence – A comedy blog. (wordpress.com), he recounts his hilarious, and often embarrassing adventures of being a homeschool fundamentalist in the Pacific Northwest. You can check out his Facebook page or follow him on Instagram.