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| Yep - a screenwriter's life can be wonderful! |
His commandments, in my view, are a narrow slice of what it's all about.
But in case you don't think McKee's worth your time - read some more about that here - I think his seminars, although pricey, are definitely great value - you might even say they are, in themselves, a potential guiding post in your life as a screenwriter. What he shares will be helpful if you have a solid grasp on your life as a screenwriter.
If you ask me - if you live and breathe the 12, odds are you'll have every chance of becoming great at handling the 10!
Here then, without further ado - Robert McKee's 10 story commandments (he gets first go, after all, he's McKee). If you can't wait, click here to jump straight to my 12 principles:
McKee's 10 Commandments
1. Thou shalt not take the crisis/climax out of the protagonist’s hands. (the anti-deus ex machine commandment)
2. Thou shalt not make life easy for the protagonist. (Nothing progresses in a story, except through conflict.)
2. Thou shalt not make life easy for the protagonist. (Nothing progresses in a story, except through conflict.)
3. Thou shalt not give exposition for exposition’s sake. (Dramatize it. Convert exposition to ammunition.)
4. Thou shalt not use false mystery or cheap surprise.
5. Thou shalt respect your audience. (the anti-hack commandment).
5. Thou shalt respect your audience. (the anti-hack commandment).
6. Thou shalt know your world as God knows this one. (the pro-research commandment)
7. Thou shalt not complicate when complexity is better. (Don't multiply the complications on one level. Use all three: intra-personal, inter-personal, extra-personal)
8. Thou shalt seek the end of the line. (the negation of the negation, taking characters to the farthest reaches and depth of conflict imaginable within the story's realm of probability)
9. Thou shalt not write on the nose. (Put subtext under every text)
10. Thou shalt rewrite.
My 12 Principles
1. Thou shalt write daily. (You need a strong writing muscle to succeed - so exercise it.)
2. Thou shalt enjoy procrastination. (Procrastination is life - never feel guilty about it.)
3. Thou shalt trust thy instincts. (Learn from others but never depend on them.)
4. Thou shalt believe in thyself. (If you don't, no one ever will.)
5. Thou shalt suck it up. (Learn from rejection - it'll make you stronger.)
6. Thou shalt know thy world. (Make movie history, films and scripts part of your essence.)
7. Thou shalt network. (You'll never have a career if you don't get out there.)
8. Thou shalt be happy. (If writing doesn't make you happy, stop.)
9. Thou shalt be generous. (Spread your ideas, don't hide them.)
10. Thou shalt be a craftsman/woman. (It may become art in time.)
11. Thou shalt deliver on time. (Never miss a deadline, not even one you gave yourself.)
12. Thou shalt collaborate. (You'll never make a film happen on your own.)
