Matthew Luhn
The Best Story Wins by Matt Luhn
have you ever wondered why Pixar stories can make you cry? Matt Luhn’s The Best Story Wins taught me what makes a good stories stick and how we can use that magic in our own lives.
I picked up The Best Story Wins after stumbling across Matt Luhn in a YouTube tutorial and then a few keynote talks he gave. You might know him from Pixar (he helped shape stories for Toy Story 2 , Up, and Monsters, Inc.) That alone caught my attention. Pixar has always fascinated me, not just because of their movies, but because of how they teach through stories. They know how to move people, and I’ve always wanted to understand that better.
These days, we’re all storytellers in some way, whether it’s through the work we do, the content we share, or the moments we post online. I wanted to get better at that ie to tell stories that actually connect, not just communicate. This book turned out to be the perfect starting point.
“The most powerful person in the world will always be the storyteller.”
Matt repeats that line several times, and honestly? He’s not wrong. The book is full of real-world experience, practical insights, and the kind of advice that’s both inspiring and usable.
It’s short (just 164 pages) but packed with examples from Pixar and beyond. Matt breaks down how to use structure, universal themes, and character archetypes to make people feel something. And that’s really the heart of it: great storytelling isn’t about fancy words or clever ideas. It’s about emotion and connection. Always.
The moment that changed my rating
At first, I thought I’d give this one a solid four stars — 4.32 to be exact (I mean why not). But then I hit the last chapter on becoming a better writer, and everything clicked.
It’s a simple section, but it’s full of sharp, honest advice for honing your craft. He talks about creative obstacles we all face procrastination, perfectionism, self-doubt and offers such down-to-earth ways to work through them. It wasn’t lofty or theoretical; it was helpful.
By the end, I found myself genuinely moved by his mix of humility and experience. Matt comes across as both incredibly talented and deeply kind and while the following quote is attributed to Maya Angelou it sums up the whole spirit of The Best Story WinsL
“Because in the end, people will forget what you said or what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel.”
It reminded me why I fell in love with storytelling in the first place. Stories are how we all connect and shape the lens in which we view the world. the entire human experience is fundamentally bases on the stories which we tell ourself. They give voice to what we believe in and what we hope for. And this book made me want to pay more attention to the stories I tell to myself, to others and in my work.
Final thoughts
If you’ve ever wanted to communicate more clearly, inspire action, or simply be remembered then The Best Story Wins is worth a read. It’s approachable, packed with wisdom, and surprisingly heartfelt.
Matt Luhn reminded me that storytelling isn’t some mysterious art reserved for Hollywood writers. It’s a human skill one that we all have, and one we can all get better at.
And maybe, just maybe, that’s how the best stories really do win.
