Structure is Character. Characters are what they do. Story events impact the characters and the characters impact events. Actions and reactions create revelation and insight, opening the door to a meaningful emotional experience for the audience. Story is what elevates a film, a novel, a play, or teleplay, transforming a good work into a great one. Movie-making in particular is a collaborative endeavour - requiring great skill and talent by the entire cast, crew and creative team - but the screenwriter is the only original artist on a film. Everyone else - the actors, directors, cameramen, production designers, editors, special effects wizards and so on - are interpretive artists, trying to bring alive the world, the events and the characters that the writer has invented and created. Robert McKee's STORY is a comprehensive and superbly organized exploration of all elements, from the basics to advanced concepts. It is a practical course, presenting new perspectives on the craft of storytelling, not just for the screenwriter but for the novelist, playwright, journalist and non-fiction writers of all types.

Print length

480 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Methuen Publishing Ltd
Publication date

16 July 1999
Dimensions

21.08 x 13.46 x 3.81 cm
ISBN-10

0413715604
ISBN-13

978-0413715609
See all details

School Books

From pre-school to A-levels, find School Books for all ages Shop now

More items to explore

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

Lajos Egri
527
Paperback
£10.62
Blake Snyder
3,881
Paperback
in Film Screenwriting
£10.99
Erik Bork
421
Paperback
£8.17
Alexander Mackendrick
263
Paperback
£11.54
Robert McKee
329
Hardcover
£17.99
Syd Field
1,869
Paperback
£9.45

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

Stephen King
8,434
Paperback
in Fiction Writing
£8.99
Will Storr
691
Paperback
£8.19
Jessica Brody
2,692
Paperback
£8.95
Charles Harris
209
Paperback
£11.32
John Truby
1,716
Paperback
£10.24
John Yorke
906
Paperback
£8.15

Product description

Review

'In difficult periods of writing, particularly with structure, I often turn to Robert McKee's wonderful book, Story, for guidance.' --Dominic Dunne

From the Back Cover

Structure is Character. Characters are what they do. Story events impact the characters and the characters impact events. Actions and reactions create revelation and insight, opening the door to a meaningful emotional experience for the audience. Story is what elevates a film, a novel, a play, or teleplay, transforming a good work into a great one. Movie-making in particular is a collaborative endeavour - requiring great skill and talent by the entire cast, crew and creative team - but the screenwriter is the only original artist on a film. Everyone else - the actors, directors, cameramen, production designers, editors, special effects wizards and so on - are interpretive artists, trying to bring alive the world, the events and the characters that the writer has invented and created. Robert McKee's STORY is a comprehensive and superbly organized exploration of all elements, from the basics to advanced concepts. It is a practical course, presenting new perspectives on the craft of storytelling, not just for the screenwriter but for the novelist, playwright, journalist and non-fiction writers of all types.<br/>

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Methuen Publishing Ltd; 1st edition (16 July 1999)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 480 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0413715604
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0413715609
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 21.08 x 13.46 x 3.81 cm

Best Sellers Rank: 15,808 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 12 in Film History & Criticism (Books)
- 2,526 in Literary Fiction (Books)
- 4,044 in Contemporary Fiction (Books)

Customer reviews:
1,642 ratings

Customers who bought this item also bought

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

Customer reviews

5 star		80%
4 star		13%
3 star		4%
2 star		1%
1 star		2%

How are ratings calculated?

Top reviews from United Kingdom

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

The Reader

Great book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 8 July 2018

Verified Purchase

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

10 people found this helpful

Helpful

Robin

Forget the rest

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 June 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.

9 people found this helpful

Helpful

A. Perry

Still #1 on Subject

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 31 August 2021

Verified Purchase

Well written and structured, this is deservedly very well respected. First section is about story structures, content, characters, characterisations, etc. Much of this you may feel you knew, but here it is rendered clear, citing many examples from popular films. It then examines the detail, again with examples. I read it steadily rather than quickly, to give each section due attention. It is an excellent choice if you are interested in the subject and want to achieve a better understanding.

Helpful

Ewan Ashford

Authoritative, not for the faint-hearted!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 June 2013

Verified Purchase

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.

16 people found this helpful

Helpful

Amazon Customer

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

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 20 August 2015

Verified Purchase

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.

10 people found this helpful

Helpful

callie_af

Exhaustive book but little research

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 June 2020

Verified Purchase

Much of what you will take away from the book is based on whether you respond to McKee's arguments, which aren't so much grounded in research as much as personal experience - I found it interesting

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

David Wildash

Good book and packaging

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 October 2019

Verified Purchase

Have only read the first hundred pages or so but is well structured with plenty of good advice. Also impressed with the packaging the book arrived in. The box offered good protection to its contents and I really like that the tear off strip to open the box also removed the part of the address label with my address, meaning I did not have to struggle peeling a sticky label off before putting it in for recycling. Only a small thing but it shows someone has given it some thought.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Lauren

Read This Book!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 April 2021

Verified Purchase

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.

Helpful

Pages with related products. See and discover other items: play structure

Amazon Music Stream millions of songs	AbeBooks Books, art & collectables	ACX Audiobook Publishing Made Easy	Amazon Web Services Scalable Cloud Computing Services

Audible Download Audiobooks	Book Depository Books With Free Delivery Worldwide	DPReview Digital Photography	Goodreads Book reviews & recommendations

Amazon Home Services Experienced pros Happiness Guarantee	IMDb Movies, TV & Celebrities	Kindle Direct Publishing Indie Digital & Print Publishing Made Easy	Shopbop Designer Fashion Brands

Amazon Warehouse Deep Discounts Open-Box Products	Amazon Business Service for business customers	Whole Foods Market We Believe in Real Food	Amazon Second Chance Pass it on, trade it in, give it a second life

Select Your Cookie Preferences

Follow the author

Similar authors to follow

Story: Substance, Structure, Style and the Principles of Screenwriting (Methuen Film) Paperback – 16 July 1999

More items to explore

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

Product description

Review

From the Back Cover

About the Author

Product details

Customers who bought this item also bought

Customer reviews

Reviews with images

Top reviews from United Kingdom

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.