Monday, December 15, 2003

Story: Substance, Structure, Style and The Principles of Screenwriting

My copy of Story by Robert McKee ard today. I've been flipping through it and smelling the pages (is there a writer in the world who doesn't love the smell of paper, ink and spine glue--or have I just revealed a kinky little secret of mine).

I've heard the book recommended by some writer friends. McKee focuses on screen plays, but structurally, there's much that novelists can (and have) learned from the techniques of screen plays.

It's a hefty volume of more than 450 pages, with an extensive index, and charts and graphs and tables throughout. If I didn't read English, I might assume it's an economics text.

As I flip through the pages, every time my eye lands, it's a topic of interest. I'm tempted to keep reading, but it's so tiresome to start at page 240 and read to 251, then go back to 120-27, then 342-44. Best discipline myself to start at the beginning.

I'll keep you posted on what I learn.

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