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

About the book

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.

Reviews

Robert McKee's screenwriting workshops have earned him an international reputation for inspiring...

Quotes

..". stimulating, innovative, refreshingly practical."-- Lawrence Kasdan, Director"McKee is the Stanislavski of writing."-- Dennis Dugan, Writer, NYPD Blue"In difficult periods of writing, I often turn to Robert McKee's wonderful book for guidance"-- Dominick Dunne, Novelist"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"[Story is]an excellent instruction manual on the craft of storytelling.""Austin American-Statesman..".the best guide on writing you can find."Laurence Chollet, "The Record, Northern New Jersey

Robert McKee Biography

Robert McKee (born January 30, 1941) is an author, lecturer and story consultant who is known for his "Story Seminar", which he developed when he was a professor at the University of Southern California. McKee is the author of Story: Substance, Structure, Style and the Principles of Screenwriting, Dialogue: the Art of Verbal Action for Stage, Page and Screen, Storynomics: Story-Driven Marketing in the Post-Advertising World and Character: The Art of Role and Cast Design for Page, Stage, and Screen. McKee also has the blog and online writers' resource "Storylogue". Robert McKee’s "Story Seminars" have been held around the globe including Boston, Moscow, Amsterdam, Beijing, Mumbai, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, Sydney and annually in New York City, Los Angeles, and London. The three-day seminar teaches writers the principles of storytelling. McKee's one-day "Genre Seminars" teach writers the conventions of different styles of storytelling including thriller, comedy, horror, love story, action story, and writing for television. Rather than teaching story as a "mechanical" form, McKee gained attention for teaching story principles, allowing writers for theater, novels, film and television freedom to apply them as they wish provided the story ultimately "works." After consulting on business storytelling for multinational companies including Microsoft, Nike, Hewlett-Packard, Time Warner, and Siemens, in 2013 McKee launched a seminar for the business community in Los Angeles, New York City, Beijing, and Malta. In 2018, McKee partnered with digital marketer and Skyword CEO Tom Gerace to write Storynomics: Story-Driven Marketing in the Post-Advertising World. Storynomics, and the accompanying seminar, instructs leaders, managers and marketers how to use story in strategic management, brand management, and business communications.

Early life in the theater

Robert McKee began his theater career at the age of nine, playing the title role in a community theater production of Martin the Shoemaker. He continued acting as a teenager in theater productions in his hometown of Detroit, Michigan. Upon receiving the Evans Scholarship, he attended the University of Michigan and earned a bachelor's degree in English Literature. While an undergraduate, he acted in and directed over thirty productions. McKee's creative writing professor was the noted Kenneth Thorpe Rowe. After completing his Bachelor of Arts degree, McKee toured with the APA (Association of Producing Artists) Repertory Company, appearing on Broadway alongside Helen Hayes, Rosemary Harris and Will Geer. He then received the Professional Theater Fellowship and returned to Ann Arbor, Michigan to earn his Master's degree in Theater Arts. Upon graduating, McKee directed the Toledo Repertory Company, acted with the American Drama Festival, and became artistic director of the Aaron Deroy Theater. From there he traveled to London to accept the position of artist-in-residence at the National Theatre Company ... Read full biography