Write, write, write

If you're unsure whether or not this is worth your time and/or money - let me help you with your decision. Fork out that dough (it ain't little, either) and do attend. It's worth every penny. 

McKee won't love you, but he loves film.

If you google Robert McKee you'll find a ton of information and opinion. He's been around for ages and he keeps regaling the US (and occasionally the rest of the globe) with his seminar. I attended one such do in December of 1992 in New York. I had only just discovered screenwriting and was sucking in every bit of knowledge I could scrape together. Attending McKee seemed a must - so raided my bank account (it was 430 bucks back then - it's no doubt steeper now) and signed up.

Ever seen Adaptation - Charlie Kaufman's beautifully woven tale of a screenwriter struggling with a gig? If you haven't, shame on you - snap to it! If you have, you'll know that Kaufman wrote Robert McKee into his story - and the portrayal of McKee (it's a small part, lovingly brought to life by Brian Cox) is right on the money according to my own experience.

My own experience stems from a few days almost twenty years ago! Not only do I vividly remember how I felt during that weekend, I've also kept the "Story Structure" class booklet. Never looked at it again, mind you - but I've never thrown it away either, unlike most other things you tend to toss over the course of many moves.

From what I've read recently, McKee hasn't changed - he travels with basically the same material and the same passion. He's 70+ years old now, a wealth of knowledge, a wealth of experience. He's fast, he's loud, he's abrasive. He goes through his routine, he would, back then, allow no interruptions - "Talk to me during the break". And those breaks were exactly on time, always, because he absolutely needed his cigarette fixes. Three extremely packed days, just one guy on stage, one guy and his passion for film, for story.

Even at the end of day one I had more insight than I thought I was able to handle - I barely managed to keep up taking notes - let alone make sense of it all. Day two brought my brain easily to its limits (mind you, that ain't saying much) - I was ready to call it brilliant and go home and sleep for a week. But of course I stuck with it - after all, I had paid enough for the damn thing! Day three delivered again and at the end of the seminar my head was as close to bursting as it's ever been. I was physically exhausted from just sitting there, listening, cramming it all in, trying to make sense of every knowledge crumb hurled at me.

What I got from it was his passion. It was as if, for three full days, every hour, every minute - he had talked directly to me, just me. You can read everything on screenwriting, on story, on structure - but you can't get that powerful dose of live McKee unless you pay up and sit through it. I walked out unsure whether I'd ever be able to deliver on half of what he'd talked about - and at the same time I walked out knowing that this was, without a shred of doubt, my path. Twenty years later, I'm still walking it and I'm still loving it.

McKee is far from being the one and all. He's a guru, there are others out there. But again - he's worth the dough. Get your dose of passion and see it as a challenge, too. One attendance will do the trick. If you take McKee and you walk out dejected - find yourself another profession. If you take McKee and you feel anywhere near the way I felt - keep at it! Write, write, write!


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