How To Write Good Stories

[Hagus 1.7k]

Hagus's Guide to Story Writing

Hey guys! I'm gonna give you some tips for writing good, entertaining stories that you can hopefully use when animating a longer animation or series.

First off, if you've joined the Community Project, you probably know I can write a pretty good story already, but I'll tell you what you need to do to make one of your own.

Characters

Spoiler

Good characters are key to having a good story. If all of your characters are flat, with only one or two feelings or emotions, or not having sort of connection to other characters, it often becomes too predictable on how they will act, making the story boring. A couple things to keep in mind though as you make your characters:

1.) Don't Make It Too Complicated: If you have too many crossing stories, connections, friend and enemy relations, etc etc your story will get too confusing. Try to keep it at a modest level, that won't be boring (don't just have 2 characters be brother and sister, and nothing else with any other characters) but don't make it super complicated, or have so many connections it's too hard to follow (not the main character's brother's aunt's cousin's wife is the bad guy). A good balance is key to keeping your viewer interested.

2.) Flat/2D characters: These characters are important to keep some parts constant. While you don't want ALL your characters like this, a few who keep their behavior constant will help your viewer follow along, and maybe come to love those characters because they are predictable (a good example is Old Man from BPS). Usually support the main character or villain, but don't play too big of a role int he main story, maybe helping with a few tasks, but nothing major.

3.)The Villain (Antagonist): This probably is one of the most important parts of any story, no matter what the type. Without a villain, your characters have no one working against them. But the villain doesn't have to be the same in every episode (if a series) or the whole animation (if a longer animation). Switching it up makes the action fresh, and keeps the viewers intrigued in how this new villain is. The villain doesn't even have to be powerful. A horde of zombies could be the villain for an episode, while the next one it's a player. One more aspect of a villain is his right-hand men. One or two characters who are not quite as powerful/strong as the main villain, but often stands between the protagonist and the antagonist.

4.) Hero (protagonist): Just as there can be more than one antagonist, there can be more than one protagonist. The main characters or "heroes" should be the main focus of the story, and be in most of the action. They normally have a weakness or character flaw that makes them vulnerable, and maybe bad enough where the villain exploit this weakness (example: refuses to kill anyone, or gets enraged easily) to beat the hero. The hero usually has connections to other characters, and often makes friends along the way. Make sure this character/characters are charming and relatable, so the viewer can connect and understand what he/she is going through.

5.) Change Characters: Thsese characters change throughout the story, from maybe being selfish to kind, or from dumb to smart. Main characters often are one of these, changing as the story moves along. But sometimes a Flat/2D character can change, having more depth, which brings the viewer closer to the story, because that character just became more interesting. Don't have too many 2D become Changed. You need some constant things in the story.

 

Setting

Spoiler

The setting is where the story takes place. This will often change throughout a good story, and will have good variety of places. Don't make the characters travel from their house to a cave five times in a row. Spice it up! The setting also reveals the mood of the story or characters. If something sad is happening, make it rain (as cliche as it sounds, it works really well) if it the current mood is happy, have the sun shining. As the animator/story writer, it is really up to you how to portray the setting.

Plot/Story Line

Spoiler

The story line or plot is how the story goes, and what happens within the story. Keep this unique and intriguing, and you will most likely keep people interested. Here's a few tips:

1.) Present a Unique Situation: While an action packed story is cool and all, there are so many of these all over the place, that it just gets a little boring eventually. Come up with something to spice up the situation. Zombies? Make the zombies an organized fighting force with weapons. A war? Make a weapon that no one has seen before. Use creativity to make something that people haven't seen before, or at the very least, have seen very little of.

2.) The Twist: These are extremely popular in any story, no matter the situation. This is when something unexpected happens, that changes the way the story is going, or maybe a certain character (a betrayal, character appearance, etc) that surprises the viewer and make them say "I didn't see that coming!". This is a interesting example, Sans from Undertale (yes fad). When you fight him, it's completely unexpected. He is a laid back lazy person, who can put up a heck of a fight. That's just one example. it doesn't have to be a character. Use your imagination.

3.) Move the Plot Along: No one likes a story that goes nowhere, so don't give the viewers one. Make things move along, whether slow or fast, but make sure to change the pace every once in a while. Slower episodes or scenes are fine, but don't have so many in a row people lose all interest, or so many in general that people lost interest.

Writing The Story

Spoiler

Finally, writing your story is harder than it looks. While you may have an idea of what it will be, you MUST PLAN AHEAD. Don't make one episodes (or event) then say "I have no idea what to do next." Plan things out in advance. Here's how I do it:

1.) Make a List of "Must-Have" Events: These events are things you want to happen in the story, no matter what. Maybe it's a fight, maybe it's a plot twist. Make a list of these, so you can carry on to the next tip:

2.) Connect the Dots: I don't recommend doing too much of this. While it's good for filling in small gaps that appear between major events, don't do it all the time. If you have a three minute gap between 2 major events, or a episode that sits between two major episodes, don't fill in the gap with the characters doing nothing. Small bursts yes, large sections no. Using an example of my own, in a story I wrote, I had 2 major events placed, and a 15 second (ish) gap needed to be filled. I simply had the characters sit around a campfire, talking, and then the next event happened. It helped fill the gap, and slow down the story a bit.

3.) The Beginning: To hook your viewers early on, make the beginning interesting. Maybe the villain is revealed at the start, or there is danger that threatens the heroes. Hook early, to reel the viewers in and keep them watching. Don't make it so crazy that they can't follow though.

4.) The Finale/End: As everyone knows, the end is the most tense, most epic moment in the whole video/series. This is usually where the protagonist and antagonist face off, or in comedy, the punchline is delivered. Also, the plot twist will most likely happen here (or in the middle, depending on the story). ALWAYS HAVE THIS PLANNED OUT 100% BEFORE HAND. I've made this mistake before, and had to re-write the ending of stories multiple times. Trying to come up with a finale on the spot is hard. Do some planning and thinking, because this is the make-or-break point in your story. Wrap up loose ends, and make a satisfying ending (maybe with a character death or two) to end the story. 

5.) It all starts with an idea. I don't just write my stories magically. I sometimes just sit there, and randomly say "Hey, this would be fun to make a story about!" Use inspiration from other stories or experiences. Believe me, I've taken ideas from other stories, but that's ok. Nobody can come up with 100% original content. (Hunger Games for example, they pull a Romeo and Juliet and try to commit suicide)

6.) Peer Review: Have other people read your story, and see if they like it. Take suggestions, and improve your story (but it should be perfect after reading this guide ) so you can get better at writing.

7.) Have Fun: Story writing should be fun! If it isn't fun, don't do it. If your idea isn't fun enough to write about, it probably won't be fun to watch.

 

Edited November 20, 2018 by Hagus

[-StickyMations- 2.6k]

This was interesting to read and it was certainly helpful, but I wonder if you ever got the chance to execute these ideas into an animation? There is a lot of stuff in here that you can look up in the internet and read even further, but props to you anyways for writing all of this as it is simple to understand.

Also, 

7 hours ago, Hagus said:

Thsese characters change throughout the story, from maybe being selfish to kind, or from dumb to smart.

That's called a character arc

7 hours ago, Hagus said:

If something sad is happening, make it rain

That's called psycho cosmic parallelism  

iamverysmart 

 

[Hagus 1.7k]

1 hour ago, -StickyMations- said:

but I wonder if you ever got the chance to execute these ideas into an animation?

Well, at the moment, the community project, and my own Survival Series are the only two, mainly because I recently came to the realization that I actually am a good writer.

1 hour ago, -StickyMations- said:

This was interesting to read and it was certainly helpful

haha thanks 

1 hour ago, -StickyMations- said:

That's called a character arc

That's called psycho cosmic parallelism  

iamverysmart 

I couldn't think of the term thanks 

and

[Ninja Dino 1.2k]

These were all pretty good words of advice, but I do disagree on the antagonist part. A story doesn't necessarily need an antagonist to be a good story. You just need something creating conflict. For example, in the book Hatchet, you could say that there are no antagonists in it, but it's still interesting because the environment that the character is in is causing conflict and challenging him. So you don't NEED an antagonist, you just need something that causes conflict.

Besides that, I agree with pretty much everything you said in this.

[Hagus 1.7k]

6 minutes ago, Ninja Dino said:

These were all pretty good words of advice, but I do disagree on the antagonist part. A story doesn't necessarily need an antagonist to be a good story. You just need something creating conflict. For example, in the book Hatchet, you could say that there are no antagonists in it, but it's still interesting because the environment that the character is in is causing conflict and challenging him. So you don't NEED an antagonist, you just need something that causes conflict.

Besides that, I agree with pretty much everything you said in this.

Oh yeah. I forgot about the nature aspect. Maybe I should do a little bit of updating to this, because yeah there doesn't have to be a human antagonist.

[FredMCGamer 649]

On 11/20/2018 at 9:14 AM, Hagus said:

Hagus's Guide to Story Writing

Hey guys! I'm gonna give you some tips for writing good, entertaining stories that you can hopefully use when animating a longer animation or series.

First off, if you've joined the Community Project, you probably know I can write a pretty good story already, but I'll tell you what you need to do to make one of your own.

Characters

  Hide contents

Good characters are key to having a good story. If all of your characters are flat, with only one or two feelings or emotions, or not having sort of connection to other characters, it often becomes too predictable on how they will act, making the story boring. A couple things to keep in mind though as you make your characters:

1.) Don't Make It Too Complicated: If you have too many crossing stories, connections, friend and enemy relations, etc etc your story will get too confusing. Try to keep it at a modest level, that won't be boring (don't just have 2 characters be brother and sister, and nothing else with any other characters) but don't make it super complicated, or have so many connections it's too hard to follow (not the main character's brother's aunt's cousin's wife is the bad guy). A good balance is key to keeping your viewer interested.

2.) Flat/2D characters: These characters are important to keep some parts constant. While you don't want ALL your characters like this, a few who keep their behavior constant will help your viewer follow along, and maybe come to love those characters because they are predictable (a good example is Old Man from BPS). Usually support the main character or villain, but don't play too big of a role int he main story, maybe helping with a few tasks, but nothing major.

3.)The Villain (Antagonist): This probably is one of the most important parts of any story, no matter what the type. Without a villain, your characters have no one working against them. But the villain doesn't have to be the same in every episode (if a series) or the whole animation (if a longer animation). Switching it up makes the action fresh, and keeps the viewers intrigued in how this new villain is. The villain doesn't even have to be powerful. A horde of zombies could be the villain for an episode, while the next one it's a player. One more aspect of a villain is his right-hand men. One or two characters who are not quite as powerful/strong as the main villain, but often stands between the protagonist and the antagonist.

4.) Hero (protagonist): Just as there can be more than one antagonist, there can be more than one protagonist. The main characters or "heroes" should be the main focus of the story, and be in most of the action. They normally have a weakness or character flaw that makes them vulnerable, and maybe bad enough where the villain exploit this weakness (example: refuses to kill anyone, or gets enraged easily) to beat the hero. The hero usually has connections to other characters, and often makes friends along the way. Make sure this character/characters are charming and relatable, so the viewer can connect and understand what he/she is going through.

5.) Change Characters: Thsese characters change throughout the story, from maybe being selfish to kind, or from dumb to smart. Main characters often are one of these, changing as the story moves along. But sometimes a Flat/2D character can change, having more depth, which brings the viewer closer to the story, because that character just became more interesting. Don't have too many 2D become Changed. You need some constant things in the story.

 

Setting

  Hide contents

The setting is where the story takes place. This will often change throughout a good story, and will have good variety of places. Don't make the characters travel from their house to a cave five times in a row. Spice it up! The setting also reveals the mood of the story or characters. If something sad is happening, make it rain (as cliche as it sounds, it works really well) if it the current mood is happy, have the sun shining. As the animator/story writer, it is really up to you how to portray the setting.

Plot/Story Line

  Hide contents

The story line or plot is how the story goes, and what happens within the story. Keep this unique and intriguing, and you will most likely keep people interested. Here's a few tips:

1.) Present a Unique Situation: While an action packed story is cool and all, there are so many of these all over the place, that it just gets a little boring eventually. Come up with something to spice up the situation. Zombies? Make the zombies an organized fighting force with weapons. A war? Make a weapon that no one has seen before. Use creativity to make something that people haven't seen before, or at the very least, have seen very little of.

2.) The Twist: These are extremely popular in any story, no matter the situation. This is when something unexpected happens, that changes the way the story is going, or maybe a certain character (a betrayal, character appearance, etc) that surprises the viewer and make them say "I didn't see that coming!". This is a interesting example, Sans from Undertale (yes fad). When you fight him, it's completely unexpected. He is a laid back lazy person, who can put up a heck of a fight. That's just one example. it doesn't have to be a character. Use your imagination.

3.) Move the Plot Along: No one likes a story that goes nowhere, so don't give the viewers one. Make things move along, whether slow or fast, but make sure to change the pace every once in a while. Slower episodes or scenes are fine, but don't have so many in a row people lose all interest, or so many in general that people lost interest.

Writing The Story

  Reveal hidden contents

Finally, writing your story is harder than it looks. While you may have an idea of what it will be, you MUST PLAN AHEAD. Don't make one episodes (or event) then say "I have no idea what to do next." Plan things out in advance. Here's how I do it:

1.) Make a List of "Must-Have" Events: These events are things you want to happen in the story, no matter what. Maybe it's a fight, maybe it's a plot twist. Make a list of these, so you can carry on to the next tip:

2.) Connect the Dots: I don't recommend doing too much of this. While it's good for filling in small gaps that appear between major events, don't do it all the time. If you have a three minute gap between 2 major events, or a episode that sits between two major episodes, don't fill in the gap with the characters doing nothing. Small bursts yes, large sections no. Using an example of my own, in a story I wrote, I had 2 major events placed, and a 15 second (ish) gap needed to be filled. I simply had the characters sit around a campfire, talking, and then the next event happened. It helped fill the gap, and slow down the story a bit.

3.) The Beginning: To hook your viewers early on, make the beginning interesting. Maybe the villain is revealed at the start, or there is danger that threatens the heroes. Hook early, to reel the viewers in and keep them watching. Don't make it so crazy that they can't follow though.

4.) The Finale/End: As everyone knows, the end is the most tense, most epic moment in the whole video/series. This is usually where the protagonist and antagonist face off, or in comedy, the punchline is delivered. Also, the plot twist will most likely happen here (or in the middle, depending on the story). ALWAYS HAVE THIS PLANNED OUT 100% BEFORE HAND. I've made this mistake before, and had to re-write the ending of stories multiple times. Trying to come up with a finale on the spot is hard. Do some planning and thinking, because this is the make-or-break point in your story. Wrap up loose ends, and make a satisfying ending (maybe with a character death or two) to end the story. 

5.) It all starts with an idea. I don't just write my stories magically. I sometimes just sit there, and randomly say "Hey, this would be fun to make a story about!" Use inspiration from other stories or experiences. Believe me, I've taken ideas from other stories, but that's ok. Nobody can come up with 100% original content. (Hunger Games for example, they pull a Romeo and Juliet and try to commit suicide)

6.) Peer Review: Have other people read your story, and see if they like it. Take suggestions, and improve your story (but it should be perfect after reading this guide ) so you can get better at writing.

7.) Have Fun: Story writing should be fun! If it isn't fun, don't do it. If your idea isn't fun enough to write about, it probably won't be fun to watch.

 

Thank you Hagus, really cool!

Edited December 12, 2018 by FredMCGamer
Made a little error