robert mckee | McKee Seminars

At What Stage Should You Rewrite?

From outline to treatment, from first to final draft, Robert McKee describes the various ways in which screenwriters are rewriting at every stage.

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...

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....

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...

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 storyteller nowadays starts...

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...

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. Bassim...

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