Why Is a Two-Person Love Story Harder to Write Than a Love Triangle?
Robert McKee explains how giving your character a choice is a crucial component of creating compelling drama.
What Did Paddy Chayefsky Hang on His Wall?
Robert McKee recounts the true story of when he visited Paddy Chayefsky’s writing room.
Why Does Your Story Need a Controlling Idea?
Robert McKee explains why sooner or later you’re going to need to grasp your story’s controlling idea.
“The Wedding Speech” A Skyword Story
A fun clip from McKee STORYNOMICS™ partner Skyword Content Marketing Co., putting money where their mouth is.
Does Acting Help Your Writing?
Robert McKee explains how acting experience is an invaluable asset when writing for the screen.
Who Needs to Know the Spine of Action?
Robert McKee discusses whether the audience or the characters need to be aware of the story’s spine of action.
What Are the Four Image Systems in Chinatown?
Robert McKee suggests that the masterful use of multiple image systems is what makes Polanski’s film CHINATOWN so powerful.
Who Is Maya Deren and Why Does She Matter to Your Screenwriting?
Maya Deren, the mother of the avant-garde cinema and its movement, greatly influenced some of the most respected filmmakers of our time.
Keep Your Audience Engaged Over the Span of an Entire TV Series
In this short lesson, McKee explores the best way to keep an audience involved with the spine of action of a long-form TV series: character desire.
Flashbacks: The Question Is “Why?”
Robert McKee explores the many questions raised by the flashback and when to use it.
Should the Inciting Incident Evoke Only One Major Dramatic Question?
Robert McKee explores the many questions raised by the inciting incident.
How Can a Character’s Destiny Be Compatible with Free Will?
Robert McKee explains how the difference between free will and destiny depends on your vantage point.