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With such memorable films as Up, WALL-E and Toy Story to their credit, there’s obviously something special about the way Pixar spins a tale. Thanks to Emma Coats and her time under the storytelling tutelage of these modern greats, we now have a glimpse of what makes that machine tick thanks to a series of tweets reflecting the wisdom of her senior colleagues.

#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.

Full story at The Pixar Touch via Kottke.

How to write a great story.

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