Get Focused on Your Writing and Ask Yourself, "Why am I Telling THIS story?"

Emma Coates, a storyboard artist from Pixar Studios, considered by many to be the world’s leading animation company known for Toy Story, Frozen, Finding Dory, Up, The Incredibles 2 and so many more shared “22 Rules for Storytelling” for crafting a compelling story.

Each one is valuable, but #14 jumped off the page for me:

Why must you tell THIS story? What’s the belief burning within you that your story feeds off of? That’s the heart of it.

A good storyteller is not just a reciter of tales or a relater of anecdotes. If you are a writer, you are a storyteller, and there is a lot to be gained from what we know about good storytelling.

Certainly the various best books and movies have come from the skill of capturing the reader’s and viewer’s attention and holding it for the duration of the work. Characters, motivation, conflict or problem solving are elements to consider and, in many ways, these are elements of persuasive writing or business writing as well. So, if that is the writing you do, you might work on your writing from the standpoint of being a good storyteller.

Any story, any topic or issue, can be written about in numerous ways. Applying this rule, #14, might just be what makes your writing stand out in a sea of written work on your subject of expertise and interest.

You have lots of stories, and if you don’t agree, think about it because you really do have many stories. When you get yourself together to write a particular piece, think about why you must tell that story.

Uncover Your Core Belief — Identify and write from your belief that gives value to this story

Dig deeper — Reveal what is at the very core of that belief. What is the whyof your article or story and not just the what.

Activate your writing skills — Carve out your message, your belief, from the many things you could say to reveal “what is at the heart of it”.

I have since watched several newly released Pixar productions and it was fun to view them through this lens of what belief the writers had in telling the story. #14 in action. Sometimes I believed I was in identifying that overriding belief and sometimes I revised my initial belief.

So this rule of storytelling became very helpful for me as I tell stories, but as I listen to a story or see it told on the screen. Seeing the storytelling rules in practice in these Pixar films I watched was fascinating. Understanding the list made the viewing experiencing that richer.

• What is the core belief at the center of this story?
• Why is this core belief central to its needing to be told?
• At what time or from which character did that belief first emerge?
• How was it further developed as the story unfolded?
• By the end of the story, was that belief a major reason for why that story was so good?

Certainly, my consideration the storytelling list from Pixar’s Emma Coates added to my enjoyment of the Pixar films as well as to influence storytelling experiences going forward.

Even if your article is on a business or technical topic, good storytelling elements can be part of your writing strategy. Make your writing stand out, though, by applying the #14 storytelling rule from Pixar Studios.

Identify what is the heart of your story that drives its importance. What belief is at the core of that story you are writing? Then write it to feed the story and nourish it so that it is of value to your reader.

Of all the storytelling rules that guide the Pixar writers and staff, this is one that will stay with me. Maybe it will guide you, too.