This post and the ones that follow are merely my thoughts and reflections, not a summary of the book.
I decided to re-read this book, cover to cover, all at once. Previously, I had read some chapters here and there and highlighted parts of the text but never sat down to study the material, reflect on it, and fully digest it.
STORY is a dense book. As the title suggests, it covers the pillars of storytelling you may often hear about (e.g., character and act) as well as terms you might rarely encounter, like characterization and story design.
Published in 1998 and originally written for screenwriting, the book’s profound insights into the craft of storytelling have made it a must-read for anyone seeking to master storytelling in any format.
Unlike many self-published books on writing, STORY doesn’t claim that learning the craft of storytelling is quick or easy. Instead, it emphasizes a rarely discussed truth from the very start: storytelling is in decline!
Part 1: The Writer And The Art Of Story
Before reading his quote, let me remind you that McKee wrote this paragraph in 1998. I am wondering what he would say about the quality of books and movies today! Quantity soared, quality sank—and keep sinking.
In Chapter 1, he answered a question I’ve been asking myself in recent years: Why have good movies become so rare? CASABLANCA (1942), THE APARTMENT (1960), THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION (1994) – where are films like these today?
And what about novels? Or children’s literature? Why have good books that linger in my thoughts for days and even years become so rare? Why are so many movies/ novels/middle grade/ picture books so dull that I can’t make it past the first 50 pages—sometimes even less?
McKee’s answer is concise: it’s the loss of craft.
His advice is:
You may have heard numerous complaints about how hard it is to find an agent. Here’s a piece of advice I think we’d do well to bear in mind forever:
His book is here to assist us with the goal he suggests:
Now, let’s begin.
PART 2: The Elements Of Story
In Chapter 2—the Structure Spectrum—McKee introduces an interesting concept. Before any building character or plot, we need to decide about story design. He introduces the story triangle.
On the top of the triangle, CLASSICAL DESIGN sits:
