Edit with me! 5 incredible storytelling secrets from Pixar

Where I dive deep into 5 of Pixar’s most brilliant storytelling tactics

Pixar is known for its ability to craft powerful, emotionally resonant stories that leave lasting impressions on audiences of all ages. (My personal favorite? Finding Nemo. It gets me every time!) But what’s behind the animation studio’s storytelling magic?

Back in 2011, Emma Coats, a former story artist at the company, shared a list of 22 guiding principles that Pixar used to craft its stories. As a developmental editor, when I stumbled across these rules, I couldn’t help but see a treasure trove of practical advice for writers across genres.

Whether you're trying to strengthen your characters, tighten your plot, or simply break through writer's block, there’s powerful wisdom in this list that can help you elevate your craft.

I recently shared a video breaking down all 22 rules on my YouTube channel, but today, I wanted to dive deeper into five of my favorites. These are ideas I often reference when working with clients to take their manuscripts to the next level.

Let’s start with one that applies to almost EVERY novel I edit:

Rule #5: Simplify. Focus. Combine characters. Hop over detours. You’ll feel like you’re losing valuable stuff, but it sets you free.

So often, authors come to me knowing that different elements in their manuscript aren’t quite jelling, but they can’t figure out why. Almost always, the answer is the same:

They need to simplify.

That’s what this rule is all about. In my editing collaborations, a major part of my job is helping clients find the true heart of their story — working with them to discover the core of the story they’re really trying to tell. Sometimes that means combining two similar characters into one, cutting a subplot that drifts too far from the main narrative, or even breaking a lengthy manuscript into two novels to allow both stories the room they need to breathe.

Recently, I worked with a historical fiction author who had three different timelines woven into the novel, resulting in a crowded narrative that felt disjointed and scattered. (Not to say triple-timeline narratives can’t work, they definitely can!) Through our work together, it became clear that the third storyline, while it was fascinating on its own, felt detached from the other two — like it was the makings of a separate novel entirely.

By cutting that third timeline, we were able to develop the remaining two storylines in a much more robust, cohesive way.

If something in your manuscript feels like it’s not quite working, try cutting it and see how it feels. Don’t underestimate the power of simplifying.

Now, this next tip might be my very favorite of all Pixar’s 22 rules: