Emma Coats's 22 "Rules" for #StoryBasics
For whatever reason, the original 22 "Rules" (she says they should have been "guidelines") that Emma Coats posted between March 26, and May 6, 2011 have never been put together in a thread. It's been reposted and republished a ton, but I'm an urtext sort of guy.
Thankfully, @PeterW, who apparently knows how to use Twitter's advanced search far better than I do, compiled them together and I'm posting the originals below.
Story basics #1: You admire a character for trying more than for their successes.
— Emma Coats (@lawnrocket) March 26, 2011
Story basics #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.
— Emma Coats (@lawnrocket) March 26, 2011
Story basics #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.
— Emma Coats (@lawnrocket) March 26, 2011
Story basics #4: Once upon a time there was ___. Every day, ___. One day ___. Because of that, ___. Because of that, ___. Until finally ___.
— Emma Coats (@lawnrocket) March 26, 2011
Story basics #5: Simplify. Focus. Combine characters. Hop over detours. You'll feel like you're losing valuable stuff but it sets you free.
— Emma Coats (@lawnrocket) March 26, 2011
Story basics #6: What is your character good at, comfortable with? Throw the polar opposite at them. Challenge them. How do they deal?
— Emma Coats (@lawnrocket) March 27, 2011
Story basics #6: Come up with your ending before you figure out your middle. Seriously. Endings are hard, get yours working up front.
— Emma Coats (@lawnrocket) March 27, 2011
NOTE: This is labled as "#6", but it's clearly #7
Story basics #8: Finish your story, let go even if it's not perfect. In an ideal world you have both, but move on. Do better next time.
— Emma Coats (@lawnrocket) March 27, 2011
Story basics #9: When you're stuck, make a list of what WOULDN'T happen next. Lots of times the material to get you unstuck will show up.
— Emma Coats (@lawnrocket) March 29, 2011
Story basics #10: Pull apart the stories you like. What you like in them is a part of you; you've got to recognize it before you can use it.
— Emma Coats (@lawnrocket) March 29, 2011
Story basics #11: Putting it on paper lets you start fixing it. If it stays in your head, a perfect idea, you'll never share it with anyone.
— Emma Coats (@lawnrocket) March 30, 2011
Story basics #12: Discount the 1st thing that comes to mind. And the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th - get the obvious out of the way. Surprise yourself.
— Emma Coats (@lawnrocket) March 30, 2011
Story basics #13: give your characters opinions. Passive/malleable might seem likable to you as you write, but it's poison to the audience.
— Emma Coats (@lawnrocket) April 1, 2011
Story basics #14: 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.
— Emma Coats (@lawnrocket) April 5, 2011
Story basics #15: if you were your character, in this situation, how would you feel? Honesty lends credibility to unbelievable situations.
— Emma Coats (@lawnrocket) April 5, 2011
Story basics #16: What are the stakes? Give us reason to root for the character. What happens if they don't succeed? Stack the odds against.
— Emma Coats (@lawnrocket) April 12, 2011
Story basics #17: No work is ever wasted. If it's not working, let go and move on - it'll come back around to be useful later. #storybasics
— Emma Coats (@lawnrocket) April 25, 2011
Story basics #18: You have to know yourself: the difference between doing your best & fussing. Story is testing, not refining. #storybasics
— Emma Coats (@lawnrocket) April 25, 2011
Story basics #19: coincidences to get characters into trouble are great; coincidences to get them out of it are cheating. #storybasics
— Emma Coats (@lawnrocket) April 26, 2011
Story basics #20: Exercise: take the building blocks of a movie you dislike. How d'you rearrange them into what you DO like? #storybasics
— Emma Coats (@lawnrocket) April 25, 2011
Story basics #21: You gotta identify with your situation/characters, can't just write 'cool'. What would make YOU act that way? #storybasics
— Emma Coats (@lawnrocket) May 1, 2011
#storybasics 22: What's the essence of your story? Most economical telling of it? If you know that, you can build out from there.
— Emma Coats (@lawnrocket) May 6, 2011
PeterW also found this addition posted a year later:
My own personal addition, story basics #23: if there are not horses and swords in your story, consider adding them. For me.
— Emma Coats (@lawnrocket) June 12, 2012
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