How Do We Live a Better Story?

Robert McKee provides advice on how pursuing a desire, whether in real life or fiction, will make your story come alive.   Quotes of the Week “Writing a story or a novel is one way of discovering sequence in experience, of stumbling upon cause and effect in...

Why Do Sequels Often Disappoint?

Not all sequels are created equal. Robert McKee comments on why they often disappoint, and how one can go about meeting the audience’s expectations.   Quotes of the Week “If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in...

Does Marketing Spoil Movies?

Wondering how to account for marketing, conventions, and other spoilers as you write? In this two-part Q&A Robert McKee explains what a writer needs to know about how audiences experience story, including the lead-up to the story. Watch Part 2 here.   Quotes...

Is More Character Complexity Better?

When it comes to character, is more complexity necessarily better? Robert McKee uses President Obama, and former presidents Bush and Nixon as examples of character complexity and how a life becomes a story.   Quotes of the Week “There is no such thing as a...

Does Story Change with Culture?

Robert McKee explains the basics of Story across culture to Brazil’s Globosat Television.   Quotes of the Week “Story isn’t a flight from reality but a vehicle that carries us on our search for reality, our best effort to make sense out of the...

What Is Aesthetic Emotion?

Robert McKee teaches the principle of aesthetic emotion, and why it is so central to creating a moving experience for your audience.

Can the Object of Desire Be Abstract?

How does the abstract differ from other Objects of Desire? Robert McKee clarifies the concept of an Object of Desire, the missing element a protagonist seeks to restore balance, and reveals the nuances of this mandatory story component.   Quote of the Week...

Has Storytelling Decayed Since the 1960s?

If so, is there any hope for the future? Robert McKee delivers an off-the-cuff history lesson on storytelling in popular culture (with a happy ending).   Quote of the Week “The purpose of a writer is to keep civilization from destroying itself.”...

Do Writers Need to Network?

Robert McKee discusses the value of networking for a writer, and the writer’s one most important relationship.   Quote of the Week “Great writers are indecent people; they live unfairly saving the best part for paper. Good human beings save the world so...