Lessons | McKee Seminars

Truth and Myth in Story

Robert McKee explains the importance of not conflating myth and truth, and how writers must approach writing the truth regardless of genre.

Should I Let My Story Go Wherever It Wants?

Robert McKee explains the role of the writer’s subconscious and conscious mind in creating a story, and the ideal relationship between the two.

Is it Dangerous to Read Other People’s Work?

Robert McKee discusses the potential pitfalls and benefits of reading great writers, and provides a realistic assessment of the risks. Quotes of the Week: “We know that the nature of genius is to provide idiots with ideas twenty years later.”...

Where is the Power in PowerPoint?

PowerPoint vs. Story: Who wins, and why? What is your reaction when someone says they want to show you a PowerPoint presentation? What is your reaction when someone says they want to tell you a story? We thought so. Robert McKee explains why these approaches feel so...

How Do I Know If My Story Is Good?

Robert McKee delivers a very important insight into knowing whether you have a good story or not, while also answering the question of when you should tell your story to someone else. A brief review of Luc Besson’s LUCY “By nature, we all use 100%...

How Do I Use Story in Non-Fiction?

Robert McKee discusses the differences between invention and interpretation as he tackles the tricky question of how to create a story when the ‘facts’ already exist. Quote of the Week “For real masters, stories are vehicles. They don’t...

Do the Principles of Story Apply when Writing for Children?

Robert McKee provides tips on how to adapt his teaching and principles for a younger audience. Quotes of the Week “I am so clever that sometimes I don’t understand a single word of what I am saying.” – Oscar Wilde “We are all in...

Is Your Fictional World Believable?

Can fiction go too far? Robert McKee explains the key to credibility, whether your story stretches reality or exists in an alternate reality. Quote of the Week “Fiction can show you a different world. It can take you somewhere you’ve never been....

Where does ‘truth’ in story come from, if not from suffering?

And what constitutes ‘truth’ in story? Robert McKee explores how stories make meaning. Quote of the Week “Suffering is no more drama than Happiness is. Happiness and Suffering are the static states of emotion experience in which nothing changes....

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 video, please click...

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...

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...

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