Treasure Hunt: Following the Clues to a Great Story

I have magically found my way back to one of my favorite things to study: storytelling. I know this seems like an unusual topic to study, after all, as humans, storytelling is practically a part of our DNA, right? Certainly! However, crafting a truly exquisite story requires some effort. Writer and director Andrew Stanton made some excellent points that all aspiring writers should take the time to listen to in a TED talk entitled “The Clues to A Great Story.”

Whether we want to admit it or not, we love stories that make us care – and stories that make us “work for our meal,” as Stanton puts it. What does this mean? We want to be caught up in a story, caught up in a movie. I don’t know about you, but part of the movie experience for me is playing detective: What is going to happen next? Who is the true villain here? Is he going to live?



According to Vimeo run site Short of the Week, "Hollywood is closing its doors on original stories.” The market is overrun with sequals, remakes, and reboots. We’re seeing trailers for Transformers 4, Fast and the Furious 7, RoboCop (yes, they made it again), Paranormal Activity 5, Resident Evil 6, I could go on, but I think you get the point. Hollywood is grasping at straws to put movies out that people want to see. I believe, in large part, this is because they are not seeing scripts come through that are great.

After listening to Andrew Stanton – a man who made a feature film about a robot who does not have a single bit of dialogue besides “WALL-E” – I feel that a challenge has been issued. It is high time that a new generation of writers, of game changers emerges and puts an end to this repetitive nightmare.

Writing is simple. It is not easy, but it is simple. Storyteller: get your laptop, your pen, your typewriter and get to work! And remember, these three things:Stories have a theme is woven into the script from the very the first page to the credit roll.Great stories evoke wonder. Use what you know and draw from it. Capture a truth from your experiences and express values that you hold deep down to your core!

1. Stories have a theme that is woven into the script from the very the first page to the credit roll.
2. Great stories evoke wonder. 
3. Use what you know and draw from it. Capture a truth from your experiences and express values that you hold deep down to your core!