Interview With Brian McDonald: Storytelling Guru, Author of ‘Invisible Ink’ & ‘The Golden Theme’ :: PWP #21
“Everybody’s looking for the elevator. There is no elevator. You have to climb the mountain.”
-Brian McDonald
Brian McDonald wrote the two best books on storytelling that I have ever read. (I have read a lot of books about storytelling.)
‘Invisible Ink’ will equip you as a storyteller. ‘The Golden Theme’ will give you a sense of purpose as a storyteller.
Brian has taught story classes at Pixar, Disney Feature Animation AND Lucasfilm. So though I can’t be 100% certain, I think that certifies him as the coolest guy on the planet.
In our interview, Brian shares some interesting insight about working at Pixar that will cure you of any anxiety you’ll experience about your own story craft.
Read on for more about storytelling, links to Brian’s books as well as some of his own book recommendations…
“Just because this is hard doesn’t mean you’re failing.”
-Brian McDonald
Lora and I have said from the beginning that the single most important thing in your entire comic is the story.
Everything else can be held together with chewing gum and shoelaces but a strong story is the only way to elevate and transcend the medium of comics. It’s the only way to make a comic that means something.
“If you ever feel like you’re there. You’re not there.”
-Brian McDonald
If you’re going to create an indie comic with an audience of more than a handful of people, you absolutely have to tell an engaging story.
Lora and I have also said that the good news for all of us is that storytelling is a learned craft. …just like drawing or golfing.
(Sure, there’s the ambiguous “talent” factor but that’s just too ambiguous to evaluate. …and even if we could evaluate our own talent, would we want to? I don’t think I’d want to.)
My point is: This episode will help to make clear what greatness in storytelling is and how you can achieve it. That’s Brian’s deal. He approaches the mysticism of storytelling with practicality. He treats storytelling as both an art AND a science and he’s an incredible communicator.
…which is why we wanted to interview him.
When will we ever feel equipped to craft a story that will resonate with people? Why not now?
“There is no ‘Advanced.’ ‘Advanced’ doesn’t mean you learn more complicated concepts. The simple concepts get more complicated. ‘Advanced’ means that you get a deeper understanding of the basics. So the thing is to not be afraid of the basics. People who are novices run away from ‘simple.'”
In this episode, listen to Lora and Chris discuss the biggest problem in comics.
More importantly, they provide a series of tips that will help you write comics that engage your audience.
…and discover Chris’s favorite writing resource!
Episode Highlights:
What makes an compelling character...
Storytelling guru Brian McDonald joins us for another mind-blowing interview.
In part one of this two-part interview, Brian discusses writing roadblocks, how theme creates character and why you have to send your characters to Hell…
Listen To The Interview:
[ download the mp3 ]
[ listen to part two ]
More From Brian McDonald:
Invisible Ink
The Golden Theme
Freeman
Ink Spots
Subscribe to The Invisible Ink Blog
Other ‘Paper Wings’ Posts Featuring Brian McDonald:
Brian’s First Paper Wings Appearance
“Forget Hollywood”
Chris’ Review Of ‘Ink Spots’
Animated ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy’ Links:
Character Designs
Rocket Raccoon Animated Short
Jeff Wamester
Join The Conversation:
What about this conversation resonated with you?
What are your goals and dreams and struggles and what can we cover in future episodes that will help you?
The post Creating Characters From Your Story’s Theme :: with Brian McDonald :: Paper Wings Show #28 appeared first on ChrisOatley...
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