Ghibli-Style Storytelling: Learning to Create Stories Using Hayao Miyazaki's Method

“Inspiration can be found even in a weather forecast.” — Hayao Miyazaki

Everyone, at some point, had their first encounter with the anime studio Ghibli. For some it was a happy accident, while others deliberately put on “Howl’s Moving Castle” or “My Neighbor Totoro.” But the result is always the same: that feeling of warmth, light, and kindness that the films of the great animator convey.

Do you remember the wonder you felt when you met the furry Totoro? Or the moment when Haku, in the form of a dragon, carried Chihiro away from the bewitched city of Yubaba? These scenes became iconic not only for audiences, but also for animation professionals: Ghibli stories again and again show how bright, layered, and captivating they can be.

“Storytelling in the style of Ghibli. Learning to create stories using Hayao Miyazaki’s method” is a guide for authors and screenwriters who want to master the fundamentals of plot construction and understand more closely the creative approach of the legendary studio — and of Miyazaki-sensei himself.

Using well-known and beloved films, the author breaks down the entire journey of creating a story — from the birth of an idea to the development of vivid, convincing characters:
• “Spirited Away”
• “Howl’s Moving Castle”
• “My Neighbor Totoro”
• “Princess Mononoke”
• “Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea”
• “Porco Rosso”
• “Kiki’s Delivery Service”
And others.

Look at these masterpieces in a new way: now they are not only favorite Ghibli films, but an inexhaustible source of inspiration and practical techniques for working on your own stories.