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Summary: Great for Any Writer of Fiction
Review: There is no writer who cannot benefit from this book, whether you are a novelist or a playwright or a screenwriter. McKee is a terrific analyst and gives you the tools to analyse the scenes of your story. In an era in which structure and form are as important as the ability to create good characters, McKee provides the key to building your story so that it does what you want it to do. You cannot go wrong with the book, and the examples from movies are fascinating and illuminating.
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Summary: Screenwriter's Bible
Review: I've just returned from McKee's "Story" seminar in New York, which so far exceeded my expectations that I am speechless. I have a shelf full of screenwriting books at home and have been hurling myself at the keyboard for months while alternately trying to parse out some kind of writing process from the books I have already read. Now, after attending the seminar (worth every penny) and reading this book I feel like I have been rescued from my own mistakes hundreds of times over. McKee gets to the heart of storytelling, while explaining principles that ring so true that I can't help but see all stories in a new light, including the one that I was about to pitch into the trash. I'm not knocking film school as a training ground for writers, but if that's not in the cards for you, then McKee is the way to go. This book is a great investment.
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Summary: This Has Become My Bible!
Review: Before I bought this book I had been trying to write screenplays for years. I had bought a bunch of books and had even attended a major film school (USC). But I just couldn't figure out how to right a gosh darn script. And nothing helped!But this book somehow suceeded where all the other books and classes failed. Somehow it makes everything a little easier. From story structure to character developement to rewritting. No, I don't think any book will make you a better writer. But anything that gets you writing can't be bad.
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Summary: Principles Not Rules
Review: I've read many books on screenwriting, and Story is certainly one of the best. Its conservative, to be sure, espousing all the tenets of Classical Hollywood Narrative: Three act structure, strong active protagonists, inciting incidents, causal chain, action not words - y'know the drill. McKee, however, is not a member of the Syd Field school. Field gives writers rules; McKee offers principles. This is a critical difference. McKee believes in the craft and art of screenwriting above all else. Consequently, Story has a different tone to Field's Screenplay . If you look beneath the surface of Story, you'll find that McKee's principles and views are far more flexible than anything Vogler or Field has offered the screenwriter. While primarily focusing on what he calls Arch-Plot (Classical Hollywood Narrative) he also accepts the existence of other, alternative, forms. He also hails the greatness of those alternative narrative films throughout the book. These alternative narratives are not, however, the focus in Story. McKee believes that an aspiring writing needs to master the classical story form before adventuring elsewhere. His goal in the sheer bulk of Story is to educate, not indoctrinate, the reader about all aspects of Classical Narrative. For many readers this will come across as a conventional approach to screenwriting. That it is. Unlike many other (traditional) screenwriting books, though, this is underpinned by McKee's belief in the craft above all else. He doesn't want you to just absorb, but rather think. about what he is saying. If you don't understand how a traditional story works, and how to tell one well, what chance in hell do you have of telling your multi-passive-protoganist, anti-plot, 2-act, time-jumping magnum work? When McKee speaks of writers taking their craft to a place few ever go what he really is talking about is writers who are willing to think about what they are doing on a fundamental level. While I did disagree with what he had to say at times (a lot of times) I did find that McKee made me understand my craft far better than most screenwriting books and teachers I've had. Combine this with Alternative Scriptwriting and/or Scriptwriting Updated, and all you need now is a great idea..
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Summary: "Story" is a must.
Review: When I asked my agent to recommend one book he offered Syd Field's. After I read "Story" I told him to stop doing his clients a disservice and give them McKee's book. I am a professional screenwriter, paid and produced. Most of what I have learned has come from my own deconstruction of the films I watch. On the whole I am still not a proponent of screenwriting books but Mr. McKee's book is absolutely fantastic. For those who think it provides a formula, I believe they simply do not understand the way it all works- and I'm not talking about the Hollywood game (for the same people probably don't know how that works yet either), I'm talking about the mechanics of story. This book is not for coffee shop dilletantes who think that to talk about structure is to ruin their own precious ideas, it is for those who have an open mind to being taught. I cannot recommend it with greater enthusiasm.
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Summary: If you can only afford one screenwriting book...
Review: I own a small library of screenwriting books and this is the closest thing to a screenwriting bible I've found. I'm on my second reading now, highlighter in hand. Admittedly, the first couple of chapters might put off an average reader. It's not as easy a read as, say, some of the Syd Field books. A reader will be best served by reading a chapter, stopping, digesting what's he read, then going on. And in my opinion, there's too much gold here for one reading to suffice. There are chapters in here that, taken alone, are worth the cover price. McKee's book will help you make a movie by helping you write better CHARACTERS and better SCENES. If you only pick up one screenwriting book, make it this one.
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Summary: Excellent First Book
Review: Robert McKee's STORY is an excellent book, especially for those starting out in screenwriting or, for that matter, other forms of fiction. While his style is sometimes a bit pompous and aloof, his focus on "the story" as the most fundamental component of a film is right on target. In laying out what "works" for screenwriting, he also shows how film is unique from other forms of writing. As a novelist, currently adapting one of my works to a screenplay with another more experienced screenwriter, his insights were particularly helpful. What McKee's book will not do is provide the novice with a sense of format, lay-out, and terminology. This is very much a book targeted toward getting the fundamentals--the principles--of screenwriting down. While all readers may not agree with everything he suggests (indeed, I didn't), he lays out the basic structure, typologies, and analytics of screenwriting in an insightful and practical way. I noticed another reviewer thought this book was too formula driven. While McKee offers a basic formula to structure, he also acknowledged the diversity of good films and screenplays--there's plenty of room for creativity. What he provides is basic insight into what makes a "successful" screenplay--one that will be bought, produced, and be successful at the box office. (More appropriately, one that will cover its costs and make at least a small profit for its producers.) This was a very valuable book, and I highly recommend it as a stable of your writing library.
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Summary: Unlikely to gather any dust on a Writer's Reference Shelf!
Review: Whether you're writing a screenplay, a children's story, or a literary work of art, the lessons in this book challenge you, as a writer, to push the limits. This book doesn't necessarily give you ideas, but assists you in determining how best to execute them. Story is a thick book and takes some time to get through, but well worth it! Story has been an invaluable reference to me, because it identifies the more elusive components that distinguish quality stories from ho-hum. I've only had this book a year and already have a few frayed pages from continual use. For me, this book makes me think bigger, and drives me to reach for extraordinary ideas that work! Well worth the hardcover price, since you'll be using it for a long time. My work continues to improve as a result of reading this book and regularly using it as a resource.
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Summary: Not just for screenwriters ¿ this is for every fiction write
Review: This is definitely one of the better books around discussing the inextricable intertwining of chapter and plot. The basic structure of every plot is thoroughly explored. If plotting gives you fits, then this book will enlighten you. This book is an exploration of theory - you won't walk away from with a million ideas for your own stories - just a greater understanding of how to construct your own stories. You truly cannot go wrong buying this book. I'd recommend attending one of McKee's workshops or buying tapes of his presentations, as well. They are worth every penny. Your fiction will improve. I know mine did!
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Summary: The only book on storyteling that you need.
Review: I could go on a lengthy diatribe of the merits of this book...but, suffice it to say that Robert McKee has a remarkable analytical ability. Out of the huge stack of screenwriting books that I have read, this is the only one with a unique vision. The others just rehash Syd Field with their own special chapter on how to make it in Hollywood. Bad Movie analogy: Reading this book is like when Neo finally see's the Matrix for what it is. If you want to write screenplays, or just understand the lines of code that make up your favorite movie, then buy this book.
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