Story CD: Style, Structure, Substance, and the Principles of Screenwriting

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.

I’ve read other books like Story before. Books that tell writers how to structure that winning screenplay or write the thriller that will sell millions. So how does this particular book differ from the others? It’s harsher than most. He holds mediocre scripts in high distain and says that a screenwriter should take more than a few years to learn his/her craft. In the opening chapters he describes why stories, good stories are so important for any society and how they reflect human nature as a whole. Those looking for a book that will tell them how to make a quick buck from screenwriting should look elsewhere. It is a wonderful piece of work. Full of useful bits of information and persuasive arguments, it’s certainly a insightful book. But what really cuts through is the writers passion for his subject. His inability to accept anything less than the the best from writers and stories rubs off on the reader. I can imagine a struggling novelist or screenwriter re-reading a few of these pages and feeling elated, inspired and ready to take on the world. I just can't help wondering if really takes a long as he says to become a scriptwriter.

Item great, package was torn open

Whether you are an aspiring scriptwriter or not, this is quite simply one of the most perceptive introductions to the dynamics of narrative and storytelling. Am a novice in all this - but it is full of perceptive and helpful guidance, illustrations and worked examples. I couldn't put it down, which is not necessarily what one would expect from a book that is essentially a primer textbook. My guess is that it would be of use to anyone involved in creative writing - not least because McKee carefully articulates the differences between filmscripts and other forms like novels and even plays - thus providing insights to them all.

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.

A great book.

If I could give six stars, I would. This book absolutely delivers. I was bogged down, struggling to write when I realized that I did not have any knowledge or tools for the job, and I needed to learn about writing. So I bought this book. Robert McKee beautifully and succinctly gives you everything you need to create a good story. A must read for screenwriters, but certainly a recommended read for directors, playwrights, actors, novelists, and anyone who endeavors to be a storyteller.

Though I found McKee is somewhat laboured, he builds up his concepts and structures piece by piece in a clear fashion. It complements Vogler's Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers by presenting very similar concepts and structure using different and significantly more precise terminology. Throughout, his use of examples and illustrative analyses helps enormously to ground his ideas in delivered films. Further, his chapters on development method and formatting will undoubtedly be useful for those who have not seen such guides elsewhere. Overall, a comprehensive guide that really should be sitting on any emerging screenwriter's 'to-hand' bookshelf.

Great book

Si vous êtes intéressé par le storytelling, alors vous n'avez aucune excuse pour ne pas avoir Story dans votre bibliothèque! Le style est fluide et agréable, de nombreux films sont cités. Mais il y a quelque chose dans Story que je n'ai pas trouvé dans la majorité des livres prétendant vous apprendre quelque chose, que ce soit dans l'univers de la narration ou non : un contenu apparemment inépuisable, pas abstrait du tout, et orienté sur la pratique. Arrivé à la page 119, j'avais déjà pris une dizaine de pages de notes en parallèle, tant le contenu est dense. Story fait 419 pages, en dehors des diverses annexes. Et l'ensemble délivre des techniques de narration pour valider ou non la qualité de vos scènes et de la construction de votre histoire. Lire Story une seule fois ne sera pas suffisant, c'est une bible sur laquelle vous aurez souvent envie de revenir. Notez que ce qu'enseigne Robert McKee ne s'applique pas qu'au screenwriting pour le cinéma (Je pense particulièrement aux romanciers) !

Good Book for anyone who wants to get into screenplay writing

Esattamente quello che cercavo. Anzi, di più.

Sorry I don’t have time to write a succinctly profound review but if you’re even barely considering buying this book, JUST DO IT. I honestly can’t believe the price is 25$. If you have an ounce of raw story telling talent, or if u consider yourself professional, this book is for you. Or if you appreciate the art of storytelling; or if u work in the industry and get scripts across your desk, this book is for you. I do not write scripts and have no plans to; I was introduced to this book years ago when reviewing a script someone was interested in getting funded and felt appropriate to educate myself on what makes a script great... Bc we all know when a script isn’t, but not necessarily Why. Robert blew my mind w this one; the depth, the clarity, the profundity and the genius simplification of one of the most complex art forms - telling stories about the human experience. The essence of the art form is principled out in the book. I’ve been raving about this book since I first read it in 2017, lent my hand-me-down copy, and bought my own last week to do a little book club w my gf. We enjoy watching episodics and movies and have a great time articulating why we think stories are great. I’m super excited diving back into this book again especially w a partner. In my over simplified, outsider opinion, this book is THE formula, the “bible” so to say, of the who what where when and most importantly WHY of scripting for screen. Just buy it. Buy two copies and gift one to your writing buddy or a director u work with. Heck, buy 3 copies and keep on in the car or at the office. Again, ~25$ - wow. If u want to get your script funded - this is the next place for you to go. Scripts are picked up bc they will sell, and in order to sell they have resonate universally. This book explains the essence, the principles of the art form of script writing. If you really think you have what it takes to be an all star writer then digesting this book should 100% fun for you. Just my 3 cents... again I have no plans of writing and I’m not a writer. But I enjoy the art form and I respect the mastery of technical and creative that blend as genius and excellence. For me, having this knowledge has made stories on screen that much more enjoyable as I watch the principles outlined in this book play themselves out like clockwork. I hope I’ve made it clear how magnificent and remarkable this book is in both knowledge and presentation. The hugest shoutout to Robert McKee and his wife who apparently edited this. And shoutout to all the other people behind the scenes on making this book happen. It’s brought me tons of joy, entertainment, knowledge and invigoration. And quite honestly had widened my perspective of the human condition and life itself. Just buy it, and read it. Take notes. Study it. Use it. Capitalize on it if script writing and story telling is in your cards. And if u love this book as much as I do let’s start a club lol.