Scan barcode
mrswythe89's review against another edition
3.0
This was OK lor. Oddly enough for a book that goes on about picking the best scenes to include in your movie and cutting out the crap to get to the PURE MATTER OF STORY, it was kind of repetitive! And tended to make big claims about HUMANITY and the NATURE OF STORY that made me roll my eyes. The writing was so Hollywood lah. Still, it was useful to bone up on all this Inciting Incident jargon and whatnot. I am trying to improve my plotting/outlining skills and it was useful to read McKee's conception of storytelling. It might have been even more useful if I had recognised any of the films he dissected!
qkjgrubb's review against another edition
5.0
An absolute must read for creative writers! One of my very favorite resources for story tellers.
rdmathison's review against another edition
5.0
When the art of storytelling is discussed, few names shine as brightly as Robert McKee. For anyone familiar with the movie Adaptation, it’s almost surreal to dive into Story and recognize the very tenets Brian Cox's character—a portrayal of McKee himself—passionately expounds to Nicholas Cage's fictionalized version of Charlie Kaufman. But this is not just a cinematic gem—it is a veritable bible for storytellers.
McKee's profound understanding of story structure and character development is on full display here. The book is not just a guide but an expedition into the heart and soul of what makes stories resonate with us. From the intricate details of crafting a compelling protagonist to the broad strokes of ensuring an engaging narrative, McKee leaves no stone unturned. Highly recommended for aspiring storytellers.
McKee's profound understanding of story structure and character development is on full display here. The book is not just a guide but an expedition into the heart and soul of what makes stories resonate with us. From the intricate details of crafting a compelling protagonist to the broad strokes of ensuring an engaging narrative, McKee leaves no stone unturned. Highly recommended for aspiring storytellers.
beecycling's review against another edition
5.0
Amazing book with so much to teach all writers of fiction, not only screenwriters.
alex_buurman's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Incredibly good book that gave me an entirely different view on storytelling and the process of writing. I highly recommend the book to every writer, whether you write for the screen, the stage or the page. Or any other form of storytelling. I do think some things McKee writes should be taken as a suggestion, not an absolute truth, even though he presents them as such.
a_monkey's review against another edition
4.0
Psychology, sociological insight, sex tips, and the occasional writing suggestion from the writer of one episode of Spenser for Hire. And my goodness, everything but the writing-talk is fucking awful.
sharrypdx's review against another edition
4.0
I read (rather listened to) this book because it comes highly recommended by Shawn Coyne in his Story Grid workbook. While McKee's book is centered around writing screen plays, it is also helpful for general writers as well. I put a copy on hold at the library because when I get to the actual writing part of my next book I want to follow some of McKee's principles around genre and storytelling. Great book. A bit deep, but then, that's expected in a book of this caliber.
ts7's review against another edition
5.0
I don't agree with all of it, but it has good sentences to help you check in with yourself while writing.