Memo from the Story Department: Secrets of Structure and Character

by Christopher Vogler, David McKenna

Memo From the Story Department offers a battery of story-generating engines and story-improving tools, and reliable methods tested on hundreds of Hollywood productions. It goes far beyond the standard advice given in most screenwriting manuals. Drawn from sources as varied as vaudeville, classical Greek comedies, and Russian fairy tales, the book outlines a series of practical templates for creating believable characters and emotionally satisfying plots.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Psychology, Film

290 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2011

About the author

Christopher Vogler is a Hollywood development executive, screenwriter, author and educator, best known for working with Disney and his screenwriting guide, The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure For Writers, from 2007.

Reviews

[Денис Немеров · Rating 3 out of 5]

Первая часть книги меня в свое время супер подкупила и оставила неизгладимое впечатление. Хотелось прям всматриваться и разбирать фильмы на детали. Но сейчас оказалось, что это лучшее, что было в книге. С практической точки зрения, она, скорее всего, оч Крутая и полезная. Но как вариант для общего понимания у нее оч низкий потолок и первые 100 страниц слишком высоко поднимают планку, а остальные 250 страниц топчутся на месте и пытаются рассказать тебе хоть что-то приближенно интересное, но это плохо выходит

[Masatoshi Nishimura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I took this book to potentially improve my general communication skills from blogging, YouTubing to presentation. It was a good choice. The book is packed with practical tips.

One concept I liked the you are making a contract with the audience. They are expecting to see somethign from you. That thing has to be at least entertaining. It could be also speed, movement, terror, and sexiness.

The polar opposite also helped me make sense why Rich Dad Poor Dad has been the best selling finance book.

[Simon Kearney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I now know what sort of writer I am, a formalist. This book is very good at breaking down the mystique of writing, which I've always felt was overblown, and put it in terms of a meal. Even great chefs still have to combine the right ingredients in a time-honoured process to create a tasty meal. All you can ask of a book about writing is to leave you better off than when you started, and this does that admirably.

[Katya Korolyova]

What else left to say except for that, "The great work begins," from Tony Kushner's famous play. At least, that should be the attitude. We all, the readers, should bear in mind that that work takes much more effort than reading one particular book, though interesting enough and, indeed, inspirational.

[Andrew Haile · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had some really interesting content but it was pretty tough to get through even though it had less than 300 pages. I read it thinking it would be more relevant to books but really it was more oriented toward the big screen. Good information, but kinda boring.

[May Papa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sure, Vogler and McKenna give a lot of tips, but, more than that, they also teach the reader to read story structure critically with lots of great, accessible examples. The book is a light read, and it reads like a conversation between friends about a topic they both love.

[anonymousreader]

to-read

[Victoria Smereka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Поки краще, що довелос прочитати на тему сценарної майстерності

[Anton Shanaurin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Небезынтересно.

[Jennifer Lara · Rating 5 out of 5]

So engaging and informative! If you ever wanted to write or even wanted to understand the deeper inner workings of a story, I highly recommend this book!

[Steven Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book, I would recommend this book to any of my friends

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a helpful book, so easy to ready, such a nice combo of academic background and pointers to further research AND practical exercises. <3

[Emma Sea · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of information is repeated from The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers, but still some useful new (to me) material.

[Larry Fogel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know that everyone loved The Writer's Journey, but this book has been so incredibly helpful to me. The polar opposites and the parts on characterization have radically altered my understanding of how to create 3 dimensional characters and best serve the interests of the story.

[Toni · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for any aspiring filmmaker.

[Russell Traughber · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as his great book, The Writer's Journey.