A 10-part series analyzing the Pixar writer-director’s TED Talk.

Andrew Stanton is one of the key members of Pixar’s ‘braintrust’ whose screenwriting credits include Toy Story, A Bug’s Life, Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, Wall-E and Finding Dory which he also directed [along with A Bug’s Life, Finding Nemo and Wall-E].

Back in March 2012, Stanton delivered a TED Talk: “The Clues to a Great Story.” Given his Pixar connection and the deep insights Stanton provided in his talk, I produced a transcription of the entire 19-minute presentation along with analysis of his comments.

Today: Part 5.

In 1998, I had finished writing Toy Story and A Bug’s Life, and I was completely hooked on screenwriting. So I wanted to become much better at it and learn anything I could, so I researched everything I possibly could. And I finally came across this fantastic quote from a British playwright William Archer: “Drama is anticipation mingled with uncertainty.” It’s an incredibly insightful definition.

When you’re telling a story, have you constructed anticipation? In the short term, have you made me want to know what will happen next? But more importantly, have you made me want to know how it will all conclude in the long-term? Have you constructed honest conflict with truth that creates doubt in what the outcome might be?

An example is in Finding Nemo, in the short term, you were always worried, would Dory’s short term memory make her forget what she was told by Marlin. But under that was this global tension, will we ever find Nemo in this huge vast ocean.

A few things:

• “I was completely hooked on screenwriting… so I researched everything I possibly could”: Read scripts. Watch movies. Write pages.
• “Drama is anticipation mingled with uncertainty”: Print it. Post it. So you can see it when you write.
• “In the short term, have you made me want to know what will happen next”: That’s one of our ‘micro’ goals as writers.
• “But more importantly, have you made me want to know how it will all conclude in the long-term”: That’s one of our ‘macro’ goals as writers.
• “Have you constructed honest conflict with truth that creates doubt in what the outcome might be”: Constructed. Conflict. Truth. Doubt. Outcome. Print this, too. Post this, too. So you can see it, too, when you write.

For Part 1 of Stanton’s TED Talk, go here.

For Part 2, go here.

For Part 3, go here.

For Part 4, go here.

Tomorrow: Part 6.