In storytelling, the most powerful instance of construction is personal, when a protagonist must change something deep within themselves to achieve their goal.

Change doesn’t just bring with it a new, unknown territory and the risk of ridicule or failure—it also forces us to dismantle some part of us.

Characters must be in danger of destruction, but they must also have a chance at construction as well.

Pixar’s determination to avoid clichés pushes its stories and characters to more interesting and exciting places than you’d expect.

The first layer of a character is easy to create but fades quickly. The third layer requires more details and originality, as well as more patience from your audience, but is more rewarding and creates a stronger bond with viewers. The second layer lies somewhere in between. You can coast on it for a long time, but without the substantial third... See more

Don’t Abuse Structure This structure, and probably any other one, can easily be abused. A blunt and technical insertion of an element into your story will only make your script worse. This isn’t a to-do list where you must check off items. These are useful elements to be implemented with care. Don’t force a “bonding process” into your script if it... See more

But for them to compel an audience, you must also endow them with a deep passion for something…anything. We care because they care.