As I write this, it’s late October. National Novel Writing Month begins in one week. Every first week in October I swear I’m done with trying. But then I watch a Pixar movie, and just before Halloween I discover enough ideas to fill 50,000 words in 30 days. Pixar’s risks and success spur me on.
Photo Credit: Tom Arthur, Creative Commons
Pixar should never have happened. A struggling hardware company looking for a buyer in the 1980s, people saw them as overpriced in a saturated market for graphics computers. Then they struck a deal with Disney, one of their clients, to create something unique.
In the early 1990s, Pixar had no experience making movies. But they made one anyway. Not by playing with graphics or effects, nor by being the first to make computer-generated movies, but by creating believable characters who struggle with real problems.
Audiences are more apt to root for characters who strive to overcome their problems than those who succeed. The more daunting the obstacles are, they more we cheer when they win. Both Pixar and the enduring characters they create continually face long odds that threaten their worlds. Yet they persevere.
If a struggling hardware company can pull heartstrings, then maybe a tech writer can pen a tale or two.
Editor’s note: Ben is now clocking in at 53.8k words (and climbing) with still several days left in the month to go. It’s safe to say that he’s made it, and way ahead of schedule.
Now it’s your turn. Let us know what inspires you. You can tweet @UXPin with the hashtag #youinspire #uxpin. Or post a picture to your Instagram account! We want to know more about what fuels your work.
