Robert McKee: Sculpting the Shape of a Story

Robert McKee just might be the most intimidating screenwriting guru on the planet. You cerainly don't want to cross him when discussing character conflict or story arc—just view the famous scene in the film Adaptation where he dresses down Nicholas Cage with more than spit and vinegar.

His spitting aside, I love his take on the art of crafting a story. In print, he's actually friendly, inspiring, and helpful—a wise father figure.

That's why I often turn to his bible of screenwriting, Story: Substance, Structure, Style and The Principles of Screenwriting, whether I'm writing a script or a novel.

Here's a handful of reasons why I'll keep Story within arm's reach during Script Frenzy:

[[MORE]]

The book isn't about formulas, but about the underlying tenets of storytelling.
The "desire to touch an audience" guides each storytelling principle.
McKee is all about playing with a story to find a writer's unique storytelling voice.
"Stories are equipment for living," McKee likes to say, quoting the critic Kenneth Burke. Stories are close to sacred in other words—which is why he gets his hackles up sometimes.
McKee illustrates components of a script—structure, event, conflict, scene, act, climax, etc.—with eloquent lucidity and engaging erudition.

Also, his students have won 32 Academy Awards, and my lucky number is 33.

Do you have a favorite scriptwriting book? Please share. I can't get enough writing gurus in my life.

– Grant

Photo credit: Thinking Digital