Wisdom from story master Robert McKee
“Write every day, line by line, page by page, hour by hour…Do this despite fear. For above all else, beyond imagination and skill, what the world asks of you is courage, courage to risk rejection, ridicule and failure. As you follow the quest for stories told with meaning and beauty, study thoughtfully but write boldly. Then, like the hero of the fable, your dance will dazzle the world.”
Writers of all genres will get something from reading Story, script guru Robert McKee’s masterful book on narrative structure. It’s not a short book and it helps to have seen the films he discusses — particularly Casablanca and Chinatown — but the time reading it will yield inspiration and lots of “a-ha” moments. (McKee believes that our age of “moral and ethical cynicism” has resulted in the “erosion of story” in films. I couldn’t agree more.)
Whether you write short fiction, screenplays or novels, Story is inspiring and well worth the read.
