Everyone from Kurt Vonnegut to Ernest Hemingway has shared his ideas on crafting solid narrative writing. One of the most recent sages to join the canon is Emma Coates, Pixar’s former story artist. Her list of the 22 Rules of Good Storytelling gleaned on the job has been gaining Internet traction since it was published last June.
Twenty two? That’s twenty more than Tolstoy. I know some people enjoy a lot of direction, but those of us who relish bushwhacking start to chafe when the road is that heavily signposted.
By all means, sample Coates’ Pixar 22. Apply any and all that work for you, though don’t get your hopes up if your ultimate goal is to sell a story to Dreamworks or Disney. They’ve got formulas of their own.
As for myself, I am repurposing #4 – the only rule that doesn’t contain an implied order or some derivative of “you” – as an extremely jolly parlor game.
Here it is in its original form:
Once upon a time there was ___. Every day, ___. One day ___. Because of that, ___. Because of that, ___. Until finally ___.
While it’s entirely possible to fill in those blanks with the fruits of your own imagination, it’s a true joy to subject one’s most cherished literary, cinematic, and dramatic works to this retroactive Mad Lib. (It works pretty well with established religions too, but I’m not here to tread on the faithful’s toes.)
Warning: there are some major spoilers below. Now that that’s out of the way, let the guessing begin!
Once upon a time there was a poor family in Oklahoma. Every day, they tried to make it work on their hardscrabble farm. One day their last speck of top soil blew away. Because of that, they decided to seek a better life in California. Because of that, every able bodied young male left the family. Until finally their oldest daughter ends up breastfeeding a starving stranger.
How about this?
Once upon a time there was a poor young soldier. Every day, he dreamed of rising above his station. One day he met a beautiful rich girl named Daisy. Because of that, he bought a mansion where he threw enormous parties. Because of that, he hooked back up with Daisy. Until finally, he gets shot to death in his pool.
There’s no denying that it fits this one like a glove:
Once upon a time there was a kid. Every day, he played with his cowboy doll. One day he got a spaceman doll. Because of that, his interest in the cowboy took a serious nosedive. Because of that, the cowboy and the spaceman each swore vengeance upon the other’s house. Until finally there’s a bloodbath from which no one emerges unscathed.
I could keep go on forever, but I don’t want to come off as a toy hog. Instead, I invite you to share your filled out Number Fours below…or tell us which of the other twenty-one seem most suited to its intended purpose.
via BoingBoing
- Ayun Halliday was not raised to question authority.
The only word needed is … beauty.
Sure, it’s a spin on Mad Libs, but this ‘parlor game,’ known as the Story Spine, was developed as an improv exercise in the 1990s by Kenn Adams of Freestyle Repertory in New York. Rebecca Stockley of BATS Improv in San Francisco is likely the one who shared it with Pixar employees.
http://www.kennadamsadventuretheater.com/About_Kenn_Adams_.html