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Story: Style, Structure, Substance, and the Principles of Screenwriting by [Robert McKee]

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Robert McKee

Story: Style, Structure, Substance, and the Principles of Screenwriting Illustrated Edition, Kindle Edition

by Robert McKee (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

1,314 ratings

in Television Screenwriting

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Robert McKee's screenwriting workshops have earned him an international reputation for inspiring novices, refining works in progress and putting major screenwriting careers back on track. Quincy Jones, Diane Keaton, Gloria Steinem, Julia Roberts, John Cleese and David Bowie are just a few of his celebrity alumni. Writers, producers, development executives and agents all flock to his lecture series, praising it as a mesmerizing and intense learning experience.

In Story, McKee expands on the concepts he teaches in his $450 seminars (considered a must by industry insiders), providing readers with the most comprehensive, integrated explanation of the craft of writing for the screen. No one better understands how all the elements of a screenplay fit together, and no one is better qualified to explain the "magic" of story construction and the relationship between structure and character than Robert McKee.

Length: 490 pages	Word Wise: Enabled	Enhanced Typesetting: Enabled
Page Flip: Enabled

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Editorial Reviews

From AudioFile

McKee, who reads his own book of advice for aspiring screenwriters, has given seminars based on this material. In an expansive, occasionally lecturing, tone the author addresses the principal ingredients of good screenwriting and amply illustrates his points with examples from classic films to modern ones, which is interesting. McKee sounds a bit lofty at times, and it's impossible to avoid the feeling that you're being warned about errors you're going to make anyway. However, McKee's advice is very apt and given in an interesting way: as though he is on a spot-lit stage delivering a well-polished presentation to a group of aspiring writers, among whom you are one. J.C.G. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Review

"... stimulating, innovative, refreshingly practical." -- -- Lawrence Kasdan, Director

"...the best guide on writing you can find." -- Laurence Chollet, The Record, Northern New Jersey

"In difficult periods of writing, I often turn to Robert McKee's wonderful book for guidance" -- -- Dominick Dunne, Novelist

"McKee is the Stanislavski of writing." -- -- Dennis Dugan, Writer, NYPD Blue

"[Story is]an excellent instruction manual on the craft of storytelling." -- Austin American-Statesman

"to the people who write, direct and produce for Hollywood - or desperately wish they did - Bob McKee is a cross between E. F. Hutton and Sun Myung Moon. The man speaks, and people start to take furious notes - he is now the undisputed screenwriting king... for the legendary screenwriting boot camp that he runs. Thirty-thousand aspiring screenwriters have already taken McKee's 30-hour, three-day course..." -- Newsday --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

Amazon.com Review

Writing for the screen is quirky business. A writer must labor meticulously over his or her prose, yet very little of that prose is ever heard by filmgoers. The few words that do reach the audience, in the form of the characters' dialogue, are, according to Robert McKee, best left to last in the writing process. ("As Alfred Hitchcock once remarked, 'When the screenplay has been written and the dialogue has been added, we're ready to shoot.' ") In Story, McKee puts into book form what he has been teaching screenwriters for years in his seminar on story structure, which is considered by many to be a prerequisite to the film biz. (The long list of film and television projects that McKee's students have written, directed, or produced includes Air Force One, The Deer Hunter, E.R., A Fish Called Wanda, Forrest Gump, NYPD Blue, and Sleepless in Seattle.) Legions of writers flock to Hollywood in search of easy money, calculating the best way to get rich quick. This book is not for them. McKee is passionate about the art of screenwriting. "No one needs yet another recipe book on how to reheat Hollywood leftovers," he writes. "We need a rediscovery of the underlying tenets of our art, the guiding principles that liberate talent." Story is a true path to just such a rediscovery. In it, McKee offers so much sound advice, drawing from sources as wide ranging as Aristotle and Casablanca, Stanislavski and Chinatown, that it is impossible not to come away feeling immeasurably better equipped to write a screenplay and infinitely more inspired to write a brilliant one.--Jane Steinberg --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

About the Author

Robert McKee teaches his 3Story Structure2 class annually to sold out auditoriums in Los Angeles, New York, London and film capitals throughout the world. A Fulbright Scholar, this award-winning film and television writer has also served as project and talent development consultant to major production companies such as Tri-Star and Golden Harvest Films. He lives in Los Angeles and Cornwall, England. --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

Print length : 490 pages
Word Wise : Enabled
Publisher : HarperCollins e-books; Illustrated edition (September 28, 2010)
Publication date : September 28, 2010
ASIN : B0042FZVOY
File size : 1545 KB
Language: : English
Text-to-Speech : Enabled
Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
X-Ray : Not Enabled
Screen Reader : Supported
Lending : Not Enabled

Best Sellers Rank: #34,327 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #1 in Television Screenwriting
- #6 in Performing Arts (Kindle Store)
- #9 in Screenwriting (Kindle Store)

Customer Reviews:
1,314 ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

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Mixed Feelings About This Book

Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2019

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I've read a number of books on screenwriting, and I have mixed feelings about this one. On the positive side, there are quite a few things in there that I found incredibly helpful and insightful. On the negative side though, if there was such a thing as a filler-to-insightful-content ratio, the ratio wouldn't be good. He's really wordy and pompous and you need to read a lot of nonsense to extract the really good bits. Contrast that with, for example, the "Save The Cat" books, which I think are a lot more concise and reader-friendly.

It's kind of ironic, when you think about it, because the problem with this book (a book on writing no less) isn't the content or ideas, it's the writing of it. And I've found this in many other books on writing too... why do writers that write these books have such a hard time using some of the very lessons that they are teaching, in their own writing. Dunno. Anyway, useful book, I do recommend it, but it's needlessly wordy and the content is badly diluted.

44 people found this helpful

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Daniel Reed

Buy it, toss the cover and read every chapter twice!

Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2015

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I have two copies of "Story" to ensure it is always nearby.

Out of a dozen or so books on writing, I found McKee's "Story" thoroughly enlightening.

It can be a challenge to comprehend in places - but worth the extra effort!
In terms of characters driving narrative, review chapter 7 and examine writing w/in "the gap".

I found it easier to grasp McKee by writing one paragraph summaries of each chapter as I progressed.
It may be helpful to think of each chapter as a separate vignette of knowledge.
I suggest reading the chapters in this order: 1-3, 8, 4, 7, 5-6, 15, 9, 10-11, 14, 18, 12-13, 16-17
(the above order was suggested to me in fact by L.S.)

Also, try reading "Save the Cat", contrast/compare w/ "Story" and refer to the "Bible" by Trottier.

On a side note, the slip cover is absolutely awful. Throw it away.
The hardcover book w/out the slip cover is a tasteful blue-purple w/ STORY and McKee in gold print.
(see attached photo)

109 people found this helpful

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Tantra Bensko

In love with it

Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2017

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I don't know why, but I actually feel emotional about this book. I've had it for a long time and read it over and over, turned down the top corners and bottom corners, marked up passages with different colored pens, and I'm not even a screenwriter. I read it for fiction writing and to strengthen my editing skills. It's like a family member I feel great gratitude and appreciation for.

His bias against the avant-garde was shocking to me at first and it took time to get past that, but I forgave him. He does include meta and anti-novel type structures, at least.

I recommend this book to my fiction students all the time. What a gem.

37 people found this helpful

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B. R. Fleming

A MUST READ for WRITERS of any genre . . .

Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2018

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I truly regret that I hadn't digested this book sooner. I bought the book when I finally managed, after years of hoping and wishing, to attend the STORY seminar in Los Angeles in March, 2018. Having the book along through the 3-day closed seminar with restrictions on the use of electronic devices helped me to fully immerse myself into the content while listening to Robert McKee explain and exemplify the strategies and concepts. I write screenplays and novels and find that though STORY indicates a concentration on "Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting," the concepts and strategies have already proved useful for writing any genre. And not only has STORY and Mr. McKee's seminar given me a new outlook on my writing, I also have found the materials useful in teaching literary analysis to my high school students and will utilize the material for my Creative Writing class next school year. How any (real) writer could discount this book as not offering "much help" or would suggest that writers should "steer clear of it" makes absolutely no sense . . .

24 people found this helpful

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Christopher B. Derrick

A Scholarly Work on the Age Old Process of Weaving a Campfire Tale

Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2018

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There's only so much you can learn about writing from reading about how to do it. And the end of the day, you have to face the blank page and hammer out the lines of scene description and dialogue. Nothing is going to help you get over that hurdle, not how much knowledge is in your head or how many "better movie" ideas (which are a dime for TWO dozen) you think you have.

The discipline to write is NOT taught in this book, so it's not going to make you a better screenwriter. Only trail and error can do that.

McKee's seminal text can do is help you focus and give structure to how you compile your screenplay; his central notion that plot is character and character is plot (although he's not the first to suggest this) is the heart of what he's conveying, and you can learn from this or whole-heartedly disagree. Unfortunately, no one really cares about that debate; what they care about is: can you write a compelling and engaging screenplay. Don't bore us, surprise us when and where you can, but learn to tell us a satisfying story that resonates.

Otherwise, you fail.

This book is sort of like a riveting coach for a Division One NCAA athlete; although, you better have some raw ability to begin with, otherwise, what are you doing?

The way this book is broken down and its terminology is helpful for any writer's journey, but it's not a panacea or quick-fix, as McKee is points out, writing is hard work and if you're not willing to be in the chair time and time observing life, then nothing in here is going to solve any mysteries you might think there are to success in the film industry.

18 people found this helpful

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Peter Lundell

At 419 pages (minus back matter), I thought I'd ...

Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2017

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At 419 pages (minus back matter), I thought I'd skim this book. Nope. From the very first page of the introduction to the last page of the conclusion, I carefully read--and took time off--to carefully read and mark nearly every page. Fabulous writing style, profoundly insightful, engaging, educational, and encouraging. A must-read for any serious screenwriter--and I'm not getting paid to write this (wish I were!). McKee is indeed worthy of his reputation.

15 people found this helpful

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T. Threadgill

Not just for screenwriters.

Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2016

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I'm a fiction writer and found this to be an excellent resource. There's very little in here that doesn't apply to ALL writing. I'd recommend reading through a simpler book first (i.e., James Scott Bell's "Plot and Structure"). If you're serious about your writing, read this book!

20 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

The Reader

Great book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 8, 2018

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Really interesting book that goes into great depth on the art of writing stories. The focus is film but the info easily relates to novels / TV / theatre.
The book is well written and gives so much insight into the process. It has made watching films / TV shows very different for me now as I feel like I understand story much better

8 people found this helpful

Robin

Forget the rest

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 10, 2017

Verified Purchase

Simply, numero uno... for screenplay writers, stage dramatists, and novelists, too - even though this is not aimed at novelists. This book offers no easy solutions; but it tells it how it is, and in full. It's honest, profound, pragmatic, and the real deal. Forget every other 'how to' book. This is the one you need if you want to learn the craft.

8 people found this helpful

Patrick McHale

Best book on how to write great stories ever

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 21, 2020

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I am doing the Masterclass course on creative writing and really enjoying Neil Gaiman and Dan Browns classes - both recommended this book so I bought it and it is sensational - clear, motivating and packed with great examples and advice. The fact that it is about screen writing is irrelevant, it is about writing. The movie examples make it very accessible and relatable. He uses everything from Raiders of the Lost Ark and Terminator to more serious classics like Casablanca and Chinatown- the brilliant thing about this is that you can read his thoughts, watch the movie and learn whilst enjoying great cinema - I have learned so much from this book it is hard to even summarise it - plot, character, setting, pacing, structure (above all structure) and the crucial interactions between all these factors it has given me greater command of my writing and deepened my enjoyment of it to - I cannot recommend it highly enough

Ewan Ashford

Authoritative, not for the faint-hearted!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 24, 2013

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This book is a confidence builder. It's about as complete a text as possible on what it means to be a writer, and what demands that makes of the individual.

There's no doubting the author's credentials, he is one of the heavyweights of Hollywood. He pulls no punches in pointing out the many (in his eyes) flaws in modern screenwriting. Some of the concepts are a bit hard to follow, but hey it's a book you can always re-read when it comes to preparing your masterworks.

My only niggle with the book is he does cite the French New Wave - Brunuel, Godard as well as Ingmar Bergman an awful lot. The only American writer who gets a look in is Robert Towne. Perhaps McKee doesn't rate any of the Scorseses or Spielbergs but it would have been good to at least get his take on their (immensley successful) approaches to story.

Despite all the self-analysis, smashing of preconceptions, and an awful lot of honest (are you sure you can do this?) talk, McKee has crafted a text that spurs the budding writer on. It builds confidence by presenting the tools, saying 'Look, this works' and then setting you free. His parting message is to be courageous. Something that I have learned and will be putting into practice today, and everyday from now on.

11 people found this helpful

Amazon Customer

Its simply a great book to read with phrases you will want to ...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 20, 2015

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I attended Mr McKee's seminar at University of Westminster back in 2008. He was in his 80s then but spoke for 12 hours a day to a large audience who hung on every word. This book isn't really about screenplay writing and storytelling, its about the human spirit and human nature and the human condition (the same thing the author might argue). Its simply a great book to read with phrases you will want to read again and again and memorise because of their depth and resonance. Mr McKee is a bit of a purist when it comes to the craft of screenplay writing, however this book remains the benchmark as far as I am concerned.

7 people found this helpful