Dialogue: The Art of Verbal Action for Page, Stage, and Screen

by Robert McKee Narrated by Robert McKee

Overview

The long-awaited follow-up to the perennially bestselling writers' guide Story, from the most sought-after expert in the art of storytelling.

Robert McKee's popular writing workshops have earned him an international reputation. The list of alumni with Oscars runs off the page. The cornerstone of his program is his singular book, Story, which has defined how we talk about the art of story creation.

Now, in Dialogue, McKee offers the same in-depth analysis for how characters speak on the screen, on the stage, and on the page in believable and engaging ways. From Macbeth to Breaking Bad, McKee deconstructs key scenes to illustrate the strategies and techniques of dialogue. Dialogue applies a framework of incisive thinking to instruct the prospective writer on how to craft artful, impactful speech. Famous McKee alumni include Peter Jackson, Jane Campion, Geoffrey Rush, Paul Haggis, the writing team for Pixar, and many others.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"Writing dialogue is a challenging art. McKee's book DIALOGUE is a great tool for writers."—John Lasseter, chief creative officer, Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios

"McKee's DIALOGUE is a mother lode of insight and inspiration for any writer. His teachings have changed my career and changed my life. Robert McKee is in a category of one."—Steven Pressfield, bestselling author of The Legend of Baggar Vance, The War of Art, and Gates of Fire

"McKee teaches what is not yet taught. He shines his unwavering analytical light on the structure and invisible substructure of dialogue. He takes a craft that is often considered instinctual or magical and reveals its chemical secrets."—Terry Johnson, writer/director, winner of the Olivier Award, Critics' Circle Theater Award, WGA, and BAFTA

"DIALOGUE is a masterwork. There's nothing harder to teach. Now this book exists. McKee has written an essential book akin to The Elements of Style for all writers."—Margaret Nagle, winner of the Writer's Guild Award, Emmy, NAACP, Golden Globe, and Pen

"I used to think great dialogue couldn't be taught. You either had an ear for it or you didn't. That was before I read McKee's DIALOGUE. He's a wizard at explaining the unexplainable."—Sarah Treem, writer/producer, co-creator and showrunner of Golden Globe-winning TV Series The Affair, winner of the Writers Guild of America Award and Emmy Award nominee

"Bob McKee's approach to writing dialogue, as with every other aspect of storytelling he has taught, reflects his great breadth of experience and mastery of his craft. Clear, precise, ad rich in insight, it will prove indispensable to both the aspiring writer and the seasoned professional."—Patrick McGrath, author of Asylum and Spider

"An essential purchase destined to be replaced over the years as generations of aspiring writers wear out the copies with extensive study."—Library Journal (Starred Review)

Kirkus Reviews

2016-04-30
How to write dialogue that is convincing, effective, and original.A popular lecturer in the art of story, McKee (Story: Substance, Structure, Style and the Principles of Screenwriting, 1997) brings considerable expertise to this detailed, informative guide to creating dialogue for stage, screen, TV, and prose fiction. The book is organized into four parts addressing the art of dialogue, flaws and fixes, character-specific dialogue, and a sophisticated analysis of dialogue design. Although he usefully explicates specific excerpts of dialogue from many sources, McKee assumes that his readers are knowledgeable practitioners who will fill in references to works as diverse as George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, Guillermo del Toro's film Pan's Labyrinth, Seinfeld, Frasier, and The Godfather. The author distinguishes three levels of communication: the said (what a character expresses to others), the unsaid (a character's inner thoughts and feelings), and the unsayable (a character's subconscious urges). A writer "must master the double dimension of dialogue—the outer aspect of what is said versus the inner truth of what is thought and felt." McKee offers many examples of "true-to-character talk," contrasting it with generic, predictable dialogue; he cautions against using trauma—sexual abuse, for example—as explanation "for virtually any extreme behavior." Case studies highlight scenes that are successful and those that "feel lifeless or false." Although McKee cautions that "no one can teach you how to write," he succeeds in defining "the shape and function of a scene" and laying out its components and inner workings. "Creativity is choice-making," the author writes, and choices derive from the writer's needs and goals. "This book," he claims, "explores the forms that underlie dialogue but never proposes formulae for writing it." Nevertheless, exercises and abundant examples provide much guidance in giving voice to characters. A rich and useful companion for practicing writers.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170108565
Publisher:	Hachette Audio
Publication date:	07/12/2016
Edition description:	Unabridged

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