The other day Pixar storyboard artist Emma Coats (@lawnrocket) tweeted a list of 22 Pixar story rules. Here’s a smattering of favorites:
#4: Once upon a time there was ___. Every day, ___. One day ___. Because … Read More
Posts Tagged: plot
The Story Spine
I recently read a post at Imagination Soup by the talented Deborah Underwood, author of A Balloon for Isabel and the NYT best-selling The Quiet Book.
In the post, Ms. Underwood discusses how daunting she assumed it would
… Read More Story Endings (Or, Johnny Depp & Alan Rickman in the same post.)
I’m having a time brainstorming a couple of picture book endings. I usually start strong with a single idea that somehow chases a rascally rabbit down a deep dark hole. Which leads me to Johnny Depp when I’d started with … Read More
Plotting Workshop Notes (Or, The Girl Who Lived.)
(Cheryl being introduced.)
Yes, the homework that had me quaking in my rain boots was worth it. It didn’t kill me… I survived!
Here are a few teasers from the workshop I attended last Saturday by Cheryl Klein, editor
Perfect Story Arc in Under 1 Minute
No dialogue.
Showing vs/ telling.
A character worth rooting for.
A cute dog. (Never hurts.)
Authentic kid emotion and experience.
A twist ending.
Sure a grown-up swoops in, but by then, I don’t care. I want this kid to reach
… Read More Layers & Cliches
Subplots are plot lines given to different characters.
Layers are plot lines given to the same character.
In Writing the Breakout Novel, Donald Mass notes that breakout fiction makes extensive use of plot layers. Real life is complex, so
Coming 2017!
