After months of renewing this book from the library, I finally have to return it as someone has put a hold on it. So now I've gone through it once, I know I need to buy this for keep. As a reference, as a guide to not only screenwriting, but possibly all kinds of fiction writing. I'll have to refer back to it, reread and digest. McKee is a master. I need to read it again and again to absorb, internalize, and apply.

He has pointed out so many concepts that are crucial: the structure, the major scheme of plot development, are what needs to be set up before all else. And, dialogues should come last. Don't write just the text, actors don't act out the text. They act out the subtext. Therefore, write the text in a way that it conveys the undercurrents. This is revelation for me. Every subplot should have their three acts of development... and so much more.

A gem of a writing manual, albeit not just a manual of techniques. Story is a guide to creating the soul of a screenplay.