ChatGPT meets Pixar's 22 Rules of Storytelling

ChatGPT meets Pixar’s 22 Rules of Storytelling

Stories hold the power to captivate, inspire, and connect, there’s a secret waiting to be unveiled.

Imagine having the ability to turn ChatGPT, the AI marvel, into the ultimate storyteller.

But here’s the catch – this isn’t your average knowledge you’ll find for free. Join us on an exclusive journey as we delve into the art of transforming ChatGPT into a storytelling virtuoso, unlocking a realm of narrative possibilities.

1. Copy-paste the mega-prompt below

  • I need your help crafting a compelling storyboard for my business.
  • The purpose of the story is to [insert end goal of story].
  • Here’s context about the story: [insert story context].
  • I want you to craft a compelling storyboard of this narrative, following Pixar’s 22 Rules of Storytelling:
  • You admire a character for trying more than for their successes.
  • 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 very different.
  • 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.
  • Once upon a time there was ___. Every day, ___. One day ___. Because of that, ___. Because of that, ___. Until finally ___.
  • Simplify. Focus. Combine characters. Hop over detours. You’ll feel like you’re losing valuable stuff but it sets you free.
  • What is your character good at, comfortable with? Throw the polar opposite at them. Challenge them. How do they deal?
  • Come up with your ending before you figure out your middle. Seriously. Endings are hard, get yours working up front.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Discount the 1st thing that comes to mind. And the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th – get the obvious out of the way. Surprise yourself.
  • Give your characters opinions. Passive/malleable might seem likable to you as you write, but it’s poison to the audience.
  • 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.
  • If you were your character, in this situation, how would you feel? Honesty lends credibility to unbelievable situations.
  • What are the stakes? Give us reason to root for the character. What happens if they don’t succeed? Stack the odds against.
  • No work is ever wasted. If it’s not working, let go and move on – it’ll come back around to be useful later.
  • You have to know yourself: the difference between doing your best & fussing. Story is testing, not refining.
  • Coincidences to get characters into trouble are great; coincidences to get them out of it are cheating.
  • Exercise: take the building blocks of a movie you dislike. How d’you rearrange them into what you DO like?
  • You gotta identify with your situation/characters, can’t just write ‘cool’. What would make YOU act that way?
  • What’s the essence of your story? Most economical telling of it? If you know that, you can build out from there.

2. Prompt personalization

  • Insert the goal of your story (could be to drive leads, sell products, go viral, etc.)
  • Insert the context of your story. Be as specific as possible and include all the elements you want in there.

3. Prompt output

  • Press enter
  • ChatGPT will apply every single one of Pixar’s 22 Rules of Storytelling to your specific story, ensuring its as compelling as possible
  • OPTIONAL: You can then ask ChatGPT to expand the full story or change it into a different format

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