Does a Character Need To Change In a Comedy?
Robert McKee discusses why comedic characters don’t need to change, using BRIDESMAIDS as a key example.
How to Get Away With Breaking the Comedy Principle: “Nobody Gets Hurt”
Robert McKee discusses how despite the violence used in SOUTH PARK, the comedic principle remains intact.
How Do Forces of Antagonism Apply to An Education Plot?
Robert McKee discusses the 1983 film TENDER MERCIES and how the forces of antagonism plague the protagonist, pushing him to the end of the line.
Do You Have to Develop the Story Arc for the Entire Life of a TV Series?
Robert McKee discusses the key factors to consider when designing the major dramatic question of your TV series.
Should I Submit My Script to an Agent or Try and Make the Film Independently?
Robert McKee discusses trying to get your script made independently, agents and the subject of taste and judgement.
Does the Expression of Emotion in Storytelling Differ Depending on Your Culture?
Robert McKee discusses clichés, false storytelling, and why certain stories do not travel between cultures.
How Do You Stop Writing a Story?
Robert McKee discusses a unique form of writer’s block, and the difficulty in knowing when your story is finished.
How To Use Story Form To Express Your World View
Robert McKee discusses three story designs (Classical, Minimalism and Anti-Plot) and how each relates to the particular worldview of a writer.
Do I Need to Know the Ending of My TV Series Before I Write the Pilot?
McKee discusses the difficulties in planning a long-form television series, with reference to GAME OF THRONES and BREAKING BAD.
Four Traps New Screenwriters Fall Into
What are the most common misunderstandings first-time screenwriters have about screenplays?
The Pleasures of Horror
From GET OUT to IT, cinema is experiencing a resurgence of Horror…
Storytelling lit a fire in Robert McKee that still burns 35 years later.
To McKee, stories—and sharing how to tell them well—are as essential as breathing. “I will do this as long as I can speak. If I had a religion, it would be art in general and storytelling in particular.”