Story Lab: Advise to Writers

On the website Advise to Writers, I looked at rules and tips from writers. One article I really liked is "22 Rules of Storytelling from Pixar." The first rule is "you admire a character for trying more than for their successes." I thought this is something helpful to use in my future writing. Rather than just focusing on the outcome of my character's attempts, I think it would be fun to look more on the characterization of my character through their actions. I also liked the seventh tip, which is "come up with your ending before you figure out your middle. Seriously. Endings are hard, get your working up front." I think one of the hardest parts of writing for this class for me has been to come up with the ending. By focusing on that first before I write the rest of the story, I will save myself from having to try to figure out an ending based on what I've written. Rather, I will be writing a story for an ending I have already decided. Another tip I liked is rule number twelve, which is "discount the 1st thing that comes to mind. And the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th- get the obvious out of the way. Surprise yourself." When I am reading stories, I write down my ideas for writing them as my own. Many times when I choose to write about that story, I use the ideas I initially came up with. I should go back and revisit my ideas, coming up with new thoughts.

Pixar by Lucius Kwok

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