How to Create a Great Short Work
Telling a Story in One Act Short films, advertisements, and water cooler stories all require a quick entry, a turn, and an exit. Robert McKee explains what makes them work well. For the list of Oscar-nominated short films mentioned in the...
Is Suffering the Root of Good Writing and Art?
Robert McKee explains what is at the root of writing a great story or creating great art, and why it may or may not come from a history of suffering and pain.
What Makes a Story Uniquely Told?
In story design, what matters most? Action or reaction? "In story, as in life, the number of different events that can happen to a human being is limited. You win or lose; you fall in love or out; you suffer injustice or get revenge; you become a better person or...
How Can I Write a Timeless Story?
Robert McKee responds to a question about consciously trying to write a classic, and discusses whether approaching your writing in that way is worthwhile. A few suggestions about how to write from other writers: "Every good...
Do Your Scenes Turn?
Changing the Positive and Negative Charges of a Value to Create Truly Effective Scenes. From Robert McKee’s bestseller, STORY: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting (also available as an audio book): "A SCENE is an action through...
Are Video Games Art?
Robert McKee discusses the storytelling potential of video games, and helps to frame the "Game vs. Art" debate by delineating the key difference in the experience each aims to provide: the required activity or passivity of the audience....