Modern Screenwriters Should Go Back and Study Pixar’s 22 Rules of Storytelling

I recently had the misfortune of sitting through Kraven the Hunter and Madam Web, and honestly, it just made me sad. Somewhere along the way, it feels like screenwriters forgot what makes a story good. It's not the flashy action scenes, the big explosions, or the forced one-liners—it's the characters. It's always been the characters.

Whoever wrote those movies (and a few others I won't name) should seriously go back and study Pixar's 22 Rules of Storytelling. These timeless gems, first shared by Pixar's Emma Coats in 2011, are a goldmine for anyone trying to tell a story that actually resonates. Pixar knew how to craft narratives that hit you right in the feels, and their characters? You still think about them years later. If modern screenwriters want to step up their game, this list is the perfect place to start.