Posts By Caleb J. Ross

Yes, I am going to make a video for each of the Pixar’s 22 Rules for Storytelling (the full list can be found here). Be sure to subscribe to this channel to not miss any of the forthcoming videos. I plan to release one/week. Rule #5: Simplify. Focus. Combine characters. Hop over detours. You’ll feel like you’re losing valuable stuff but it sets you free. There are two classic pieces of writing advice that support this storytelling rule: The first, from William Faulkner, author of The Sound and the Fury, Absalom, Absalom!, goes: “In writing, you must kill all your darlings.” meaning you must get rid of those elements of your story that serve your ego rather than the story. The second, from Anton Chekhov, author of countless stories, plays, and novellas, goes: "One must not put a loaded rifle on the stage if no one is thinking of firing it."…

Yes, I am going to make a video for each of the Pixar's 22 Rules for Storytelling (the full list can be found here). Be sure to subscribe to this channel to not miss any of the forthcoming videos. I plan to release one/week. Rule #4: Once upon a time there was ___. Every day, ___. One day ___. Because of that, ___. Because of that, ___. Until finally ___. This “rule” isn’t so much a rule as it is a template for storytelling. A simple and very effective template, I might add. The most important element of this formula, I feel, is the repetition of the “Because of that” which speaks to the importance of constantly elevating stakes. Nothing is ever stagnant in an engaging story. Even if two characters are alone in a room, or if poo can’t fart, there should always be something imminent to further complicate…