A must read for writers of any genre
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I've read this book three times now, once for each of my own books, and it's been an inspiration every time. Full of practical, no-nonsense advice that clears up the muddles of writing. I've also gone to Mr. Mckee's lectures, and it's always time well invested.
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The real thing . . .
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I have now ploughed through seven different books on screenwriting. Robert McKee's "Story" distinguishes itself as the best in one significant way: It provides real insight into the strucure of story-telling, the techniques that make stories work and the traps that many writers fall into. This is not a paint-by-numbers approach. This book challenges you to think about the ways that people really behave, and how that can be translated in a meaningful way to the silver screen. If you are going to read just one book on screenwriting, this is the one. I am not sure I will mention Robert McKee in my acceptance speech when I receive my Academy Award for best screenplay , but I might send him a case of champagne ;-)
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CHARLATAN MCKEE
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I attended Roberth Mckee's the I've-Never-Written-A-Screenplay-In-My-Life-But-Here's-How-In-Three-Hours "workshop". We all sat back and watched the glory and splendor of a few well-lit scenes from Casblanca as McHack droned on and on about their cinematic significance. I found myself occassionally embarrassed at having to wipe the sleep drool from my face. (Luckily I was smart enough to sneak in and not pay $450 for it). The book was worse. The class reminded me more of a cinematography class back at ole USC film school than ANYTHING related to literary theory. I have had one screenplay optioned and directed a short which was at Sundance and gone through developement hell and worked with a good script consultant (Ann Zald - Schindler's List) on my recent script, etc., etc. I'm no Larry Gelbart, but I've been a working, represented writer in this town. McKee's text is more of a rambling, seething mass of amateur exploration than anything resembling the intricacies and time tested princibles of narrative theory and execution. You'll be more confused and stupid reading this text than any other from my estimation. He's a hack. Actually he's not up to the title of hack because he hasn't written anything. Therefore he's a charlatan. For more correct information in my humble opinion and experience, get your feet wet with: Seger's How To Make A Good Script Great, Lajos Egri's The Art of Dramatic Writing; Howard and Mabley's The Tools Of Screeenwriting, Iglesias' 101 Habits of Highly Successful Screenwriters; THEN get more serious with Michael Rabiger's Developing Story Ideas and Gerard Genette's Narrative Discourse Revisited. Of course even better than all that, read the few greats of all time (w/o Cliff Notes, or anybody else's interpratations/footnotes/opinions, etc.): ALL the tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, ALL the plays of Shakespeare, ALL of Moliere's comedies, ALL of Tolstoy, Shaw, Twain, Ibsen, Dickens, Austen, Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller. I also found How To Read A Book by Mortimer Adler/ Charles Van Doren useful- originally published in 1940 (get the revised and updated edition). Great Writers are Great Readers- Great Comprehenders. I have a lot to learn and read from many geniuses. McKee is not one of them. "There's a sucker born every minute and some people love to be snookered." - PT Barnum
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Best Book on Writing Ever
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Not an exaggeration at all. I've never read a better book on writing (and not just screenwriting either). This book transcends all forms of literature. Absolutely amazing.
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a word is worth a thousand pictures in this case
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Story by Robert Mckee is one of the best pieces of literature these old bones have had the pleasure of holding. Every single sentence is chalked full of mountains of wealth. It's like reading Beowulf, without the wolf. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then McKee makes a word worth a thousand pictures with his inspiring and thought invoking writing on screenplays. He tells the reader that one must study the craft of screenwriting before attempting any kind of writing that will be worth anything. He likens it to if someone were to listen to a bunch of symphonies, say all 9 of Beethoven's, then say, "you know what, I can write a symphony." McKee says that film watching and life experiences aren't enough, that one must study the art. He says that life in fact is overrated as a form of qualification for writing. Research is key to knowing how life works also. Life plus deep reflection on our reactions to life. After reading this it is hard not to write something of worth--or at least I think this is the case. It hurts not to write after reading this, and not 'hurts so good' like the John Mellencamp song.
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