Is "Story" by Robert McKee worth reading?

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  • Is "Story" by Robert McKee worth reading?

    I've read several screenwriting books over the past few years; my favorites are writing for emotional impact, scriptshadow secrets, the bluebook series, etc. I never really got into the "mainstream" screenwriting books like save the cat and anything Syd Field

    I'm debating if I should buy Story. For anyone who's read the book, does McKee really offer new ideas and tips you can't find elsewhere? Or is the book just a repetition of ideas in other popular books (aka, ideas I've probably read somewhere in the dozen or so books I already own)

    Thanks!

  • #2
    Re: Is "story" by Robert McKee worth reading?

    I'm not a big fan of Save the Cat, or Syd Fields.
    I enjoyed a few of Linda Seeger's books, I would recommend those.

    I didn't read "Story", but for that one and almost any other, you can do a search in Google Books and you get to read several pages as a preview. This is sometimes enough to determine if you like the style or not.
    ( 14 pages are allowed for "Story", the preface and several pages of ch 1. )

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Is "story" by Robert McKee worth reading?

      Some people complain it's too dense, although I disagree: it reads almost like a novel.

      It's not a "tips" book. No tips, no story templates, no beat-shits. No easy answers.

      He advocates for some notions that are popular around here, like the "central dramatic argument," which he calls "controlling idea." His analyses of scenes from famous movies are quite enlightening. He's probably the only screenwriting guru to give a proper description of what an "act" really is.

      I think it's a book worth reading, more than the ones you mention in the OP. It's also a book you'll eventually leave behind if you keep writing and learning.

      If you're looking for a more nuts-and-bolts approach, I recommend Syd Field's "The Screenwriter's Problem Solver".

      If you're interested in learning about dramatic writing, William Archer's "Play-Making. A Manual of Craftsmanship" is great. Some people would recommend Lajos Egri's "The Art of Dramatic Writing," which is closer to mainstream screenwriting ideas, a lot of which I don't agree with.

      I don't know at what stage of your education you are but, in case you are relatively early, here's my advice: don't read too many books on screenwriting, don't even read too many screenplays or watch too many films, thinking you'll keep learning as you do; write as much as you can, as often as you can, and look for lessons in a few selected screenplays and films of outstanding quality, as well as in your own work; any screenwriting theory is okay to get you started, but as you practice and learn you'll soon challenge its notions and develop your own theory and your own approach.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Is "story" by Robert McKee worth reading?

        wasn't for me. YMMV

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Is "story" by Robert McKee worth reading?

          Originally posted by Dr. Vergerus View Post

          I don't know at what stage of your education you are but, in case you are relatively early, here's my advice: don't read too many books on screenwriting, don't even read too many screenplays or watch too many films, thinking you'll keep learning as you do; write as much as you can, as often as you can, and look for lessons in a few selected screenplays and films of outstanding quality, as well as in your own work; any screenwriting theory is okay to get you started, but as you practice and learn you'll soon challenge its notions and develop your own theory and your own approach.
          I thought this was excellent. I would say do read screenplays, but just read them. Don't read them to learn, like study them, you'll soak it up, anyway.
          wry

          The rule is the first fifteen pages should enthrall me, but truth is, I'm only giving you about 3-5 pages. ~ Hollywood Script Reader

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Is "story" by Robert McKee worth reading?

            There will be particular scenes, jokes, shifts in point of view, bits of dialogue, handling of time, etc., that you'll want to analyze in detail. Some lessons you have to dig them out.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Is "story" by Robert McKee worth reading?

              Originally posted by Bennett View Post
              I'm not a big fan of Save the Cat, or Syd Fields.
              I enjoyed a few of Linda Seeger's books, I would recommend those.

              I didn't read "Story", but for that one and almost any other, you can do a search in Google Books and you get to read several pages as a preview. This is sometimes enough to determine if you like the style or not.
              ( 14 pages are allowed for "Story", the preface and several pages of ch 1. )
              Are there any particular Linda Seeger books you recommend?

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Is "story" by Robert McKee worth reading?

                Originally posted by Dr. Vergerus View Post
                Some people complain it's too dense, although I disagree: it reads almost like a novel.

                It's not a "tips" book. No tips, no story templates, no beat-shits. No easy answers.

                He advocates for some notions that are popular around here, like the "central dramatic argument," which he calls "controlling idea." His analyses of scenes from famous movies are quite enlightening. He's probably the only screenwriting guru to give a proper description of what an "act" really is.

                I think it's a book worth reading, more than the ones you mention in the OP. It's also a book you'll eventually leave behind if you keep writing and learning.

                If you're looking for a more nuts-and-bolts approach, I recommend Syd Field's "The Screenwriter's Problem Solver".

                If you're interested in learning about dramatic writing, William Archer's "Play-Making. A Manual of Craftsmanship" is great. Some people would recommend Lajos Egri's "The Art of Dramatic Writing," which is closer to mainstream screenwriting ideas, a lot of which I don't agree with.

                I don't know at what stage of your education you are but, in case you are relatively early, here's my advice: don't read too many books on screenwriting, don't even read too many screenplays or watch too many films, thinking you'll keep learning as you do; write as much as you can, as often as you can, and look for lessons in a few selected screenplays and films of outstanding quality, as well as in your own work; any screenwriting theory is okay to get you started, but as you practice and learn you'll soon challenge its notions and develop your own theory and your own approach.
                This is very interesting (as most of the books I've read to take a step by step bullet point approach). After you read this book, what do you think you took away from it? I know most books label themselves as character books or dialogue books, but Story doesn't seem to advertise one particular area of screenwriting (this is what I'm trying to figure out)

                Thanks for your opinions. I'd love to hear more

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Is "story" by Robert McKee worth reading?

                  It's a great, great, GREAT paperweight.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Is "story" by Robert McKee worth reading?

                    Save your money.

                    Listen to some of the master screenwriters talk about the craft, and you'll probably think twice about buying another book. Start here for free:

                    http://guru.bafta.org/tony-gilroy-screenwriting-lecture

                    Grab them all for free on iTunes. Search for "BAFTA Screnwriters' Lecture Series"

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Is "story" by Robert McKee worth reading?

                      @Liv96: mmmm, character books, dialogue books, I don't know. I'd say Story is more about the big picture (not a pun). With regards to character and dialogue, he stresses the importance of subtext and dilema. Theme, as a dramatic argument, is also very important for him. It's been a while since I read it.

                      The best thing you can do is pick it up in a library and read some parts of it to see if it's what you're looking for. I'm sure you can also find it very cheap second-hand at Amazon.

                      McKee and Field are often dismissed by professional writers, but there are other pros who recommend their books. Billy Ray praised McKee's seminar in his The Dialogue Series interview, saying he learned things there that he applies in his writing every single day. Others, like Larry Brody, recommend Syd Field. There are plenty of working screenwriters and tv writers that never read either.

                      Just be critical when you read them, accept only those parts of their theories than make sense to you and discard the ones that don't. Like painting, there isn't just one right way to tell a story.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Is "story" by Robert McKee worth reading?

                        When you say you have read the bluebook series, I assume you are talking about Bill Martell's works. If you have read these, you have already read what are probably the best discussions of screenwriting that you will ever find.

                        Bill's The Secrets of Action Screenwriting is available as an ebook (Kindle) at Amazon for $9.99. You may have read it already.

                        As for the various other books on screenwriting by other authors, it never hurts to read them to deepen your own understanding of the dynamics involved in writing. But if you can check them out of a library, I would advise doing that.
                        Last edited by ComicBent; 12-21-2013, 10:59 AM. Reason: Because I can never get it right the first time.

                        "The fact that you have seen professionals write poorly is no reason for you to imitate them." - ComicBent.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Is "story" by Robert McKee worth reading?

                          Originally posted by Dr. Vergerus View Post
                          @Liv96: mmmm, character books, dialogue books, I don't know. I'd say Story is more about the big picture (not a pun). With regards to character and dialogue, he stresses the importance of subtext and dilema. Theme, as a dramatic argument, is also very important for him. It's been a while since I read it.

                          The best thing you can do is pick it up in a library and read some parts of it to see if it's what you're looking for. I'm sure you can also find it very cheap second-hand at Amazon.

                          McKee and Field are often dismissed by professional writers, but there are other pros who recommend their books. Billy Ray praised McKee's seminar in his The Dialogue Series interview, saying he learned things there that he applies in his writing every single day. Others, like Larry Brody, recommend Syd Field. There are plenty of working screenwriters and tv writers that never read either.

                          Just be critical when you read them, accept only those parts of their theories than make sense to you and discard the ones that don't. Like painting, there isn't just one right way to tell a story.
                          Thanks a bunch! I'll check out my local library as soon as possible

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Is "story" by Robert McKee worth reading?

                            Originally posted by ComicBent View Post
                            When you say you have read the bluebook series, I assume you are talking about Bill Martell's works. If you have read these, you have already read what are probably the best discussions of screenwriting that you will ever find.

                            Bill's The Secrets of Action Screenwriting is available as an ebook (Kindle) at Amazon for $9.99. You may have read it already.

                            As for the various other books on screenwriting by other authors, it never hurts to read them to deepen your own understanding of the dynamics involved in writing. But if you can check them out of a library, I would advise doing that.
                            I've read the secrets of action screenwriting, and I enjoyed it very much. I agree, those series are top notch

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Is "story" by Robert McKee worth reading?

                              I read Story a long time ago. I remember thinking, when it came out, that once you got past the bloated and over-academic first third, there was some really good stuff there. I think a lot of people never get past that section, though.

                              I haven't picked it up in the last five years, so I don't know what I'd think about it now.

                              Comment

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