7 Steps Pixar Uses To Turn Simple Stories Into Emotional Masterpieces

Ever wonder why some stories bring you to tears while others barely hold your attention?

It’s not luck. It’s structure.

The human brain struggles with abstraction, but it craves story. A single human story can make us feel the weight of a global tragedy or the triumph of a single victory. And when that story is told well, it doesn’t just move people. It can start a movement.

Pixar knows this better than anyone. Every one of their blockbusters follows a simple 7-step storytelling process. And once you understand it, you can use it to make your own message unforgettable.

Let’s break it down.

Every great story starts with a hero -  a protagonist with a goal.

This is the heartbeat of the story. If the audience can’t see who to root for, nothing else matters.

Here we see the hero’s normal world. Life before everything changes.

This balance is what makes the disruption that follows hit so hard.

Conflict arrives.

Something disrupts the hero’s world and forces them to act. Without this “one day,” there’s no reason for the story to exist.

Here’s where most stories fall flat.

Every scene must cause the next. Each moment pushes the hero closer to the goal, or deeper into trouble. This cause-and-effect rhythm is what separates a blockbuster from a boring plot.

The chain reaction continues. Each decision, mistake, or twist adds new pressure.

Tension builds. Stakes rise. The audience leans in.

This is the payoff. The climax.

The hero faces the ultimate test and triumphs (or fails) in a way that feels inevitable but still surprising.

Now we reach the moral.

The world is different. The hero is transformed. The audience walks away changed too.

That’s the magic of a great story.

A great story isn’t just entertainment. It’s an emotional journey that gives the audience someone to cheer for and something to feel.

If you want your message to stick — whether in marketing, leadership, or life — tell a story worth remembering.

Because a good story moves people.

But a great one?

It moves the world.

Read the next chapter here.