The mind is a story making machine, a story taking in machine. It converts reality to story form and it stores it in memory in exactly the same part of the brain where it stores all the fictual experiences it has. And so everyin o every novel you've ever read, plus all the experiences of your life, have all gone to the same location in your brain where that story form imbeds them. That would apply equally to non fiction as much as fiction.
Robert McKee is an author and screenwriting lecturer. His new book is Character: The Art of Role and Cast Design for Page, Stage, and Screen.”When I'm in conversation with others, I'm always aware—or sensitive, at least—to what they're really thinking and feeling. And writers must have that. They can't possibly create excellent nonfiction or fiction if they're not aware of what is going on inside of other people, really, even subconsciously, while they go about saying whatever they do consciously in the world. Because if you just recorded the surface, if you were just paying attention to the surface, you'd be missing the whole show.”
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Show notes:
@McKeeStory
mckeestory.com
Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting (Regan Books • 1997)
Character: The Art of Role and Cast Design for Page, Stage, and Screen (Twelve • 2021)
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