STORY - Substance, Structure, Style, and The Principles of Screenwriting

So this year I am throwing myself into the world of screenwriting as I have at least two classes at all times until the end of the academic year.

Last week, I had a reading assigned to me from Robert McKee's very popular screenwriting book STORY - Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting. Now when I say very popular screenwriting book, I mean very popular screenwriting book. It is the winner of the International Moving Image Book Award and has giant advertisements in every screenwriting magazine I've read.


So I open this book and start reading. The introduction hooked me right away. In it were eight statements about Story:

Story is about principles, not rules.

Story is about eternal, universal forms, not formulas.

Story is about archetypes, not stereotypes.

Story is about thoroughness, not shortcuts.

Story is about the realities, not the mysteries of writing.

Story is about mastering the art, not second-guessing the marketplace.

Story is about respect, not disdain, for the audience.

Story is about originality, not duplication.


Now, one could argue that these statements are made about McKee's book, since it is titled "Story" but I like to think that he's talking about actual stories. Everyone of these statements made me think of all of the current scripts I have in progress right now to see if they apply. Some of them do, some of them don't.

And it can be very hard to follow these "guidelines". Especially in today's world where there are so many stories circulating via film, novels, video games, music, and many more mediums, it is hard to come up with a story that is original. And then respect for the audience. As a storyteller, I get so caught up in my own world and the world of my story that I forget about the audience and just think about how I would like my story to go. Don't get me wrong, I will not write my story based on what an audience would want, but it's very important to keep them in mind while you're writing.

So thank you Robert McKee for opening my eyes a little more to the world of the storyteller. I very much enjoyed the introduction to your book.

Moving on the first chapter, this was a different story. The first chapter, titled The Story Problem, is McKee rambling bitterly about how writers these days are just not the same and how the "craft has been lost". Overall, it was a negative view on the screenwriting industry today. Since it's an industry I plan on entering, a negative insight on it isn't what I'm looking for. Where's the good!?

I haven't read any further than that yet though but I sure hope it turns around to something more positive.

Have you read any of Robert McKee's Story? What do you think?