Story
by Robert McKee
McKee's screenwriting bible: structure, character, the gap between expectation and result, the inciting incident, acts, scenes, beats and the controlling idea. It is demanding and dogmatic, and it is the foundation for anyone who tells stories in any medium, including marketers and speakers who want to understand why stories work.
Read it if…
you want a rigorous, complete theory of story structure.
Skip it if…
you want a light introduction; see Storyworthy or Save the Cat.
Three things you will actually use
- Story is change through conflict.
- The gap between expectation and result drives everything.
- The controlling idea is the meaning; know it.
Do this first
Identify the inciting incident and the controlling idea in one story you love.
Our verdict
Demanding and foundational.
Compare with other Motivation books
The Elements of Style
William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White · Motivation
Slim, durable, essential.
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