Is Your Premise Worth Pursuing?

Robert McKee teaches how to decide if your initial premise can be developed into a story that hooks and holds an audience from first page to last.

Character Traits vs. Contradictions

Robert McKee explains the difference between character traits and contradictions, and how to create a fully formed, compelling protagonist.

Distinguishing Scenes from Camera Angles

Robert McKee teaches the difference between scenes and camera angles, why screenwriters often confuse the two, and explains the essential component of every key moment in a story.

Creating Character Choices

Robert McKee teaches the relationship between spontaneity and reflective analysis when writing a story, and how a balance of both is crucial to creating scenes that work.

Can You Break the Principles of Story?

Robert McKee teaches the benefits and dangers of breaking storytelling principles, with reference to the Coen Brothers movie THE MAN WHO WASN’T THERE.

Can One Scene Turn Multiple Plots?

Robert McKee delivers a mini-lesson on how writers can maximize the purpose of a scene by using it to progress the plots of multiple characters.