Story by Robert McKee is an informative non-fiction book that is the bible for screen writers. Entering college I knew I wanted to become a movie producer and director and writer. I learned that becoming all three would be tough so i focused on my main passion, writing. When i say writing i don’t mean Shakespeare kind of writing, more like Francis Ford Coppola or Martin Scorsese. A well thought out movie to me can be the most gut wrenching or heartwarming or bone chilling experience in the world.
In my creative writing class in freshmen year, my instructor told all of us, if you’re serious about writing you HAVE to own Robert McKee’s Story. So the next day I was in the book store searching for this book, I bought it took it home and opened it up. I didn’t stop reading until hours later, I was captivated. I learned more than I had in any of my classes thus far and couldn’t get enough of it.
It was amazing; the book was a class all on its own. For a writer it was the Holy Grail, and results were proven, McKee has held seminars informing and critiquing some of the most successful men and women of the film and television industry. Almost any successful show in the past 10 years has had supervision from McKee. So for a writer it was imperative that you read it, it helps you develop ideas, form plots and create characters. All aspects of a writer’s screenplay could improve with the help of this book.
In class most of us had purchased the book, and all of us determined it was the best book any of us had read on the topic of screenplays. Our teacher himself was young and had purchased the novel to better himself as a writer. For me personally, it was a relief, first off i don’t enjoy reading, but to read something and know you are truly helping yourself and improving yourself as a writer was a great experience.
A year later I still turn to Story for help and insight when i am writing, having the novel makes writing easier and helps me when I get writers block. Story is always there when teachers and friends aren’t there to help, so in a way it is a security blanket, always there to help. I believe reading the book has already paid off making me a better writer and more well rounded student of film.
All in all Story was easily the best book I have read and the best 40 bucks a writer could spend.
http://www.mckeestory.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_McKee
http://www.buy.com/prod/story/q/loc/106/31265145.html
