Q&A: Tips for Analyzing Stories

Original Post Date: February 21, 2014 - Robert McKee discusses the questions you should ask when analyzing films and TV shows.

[@alycreeper]

1. Who's the protagonist of the story? Who makes the crisis decision or climactic action? 2. What does this character want consciously and subconsciously? 3. Is there a conflict between what they think they want and what they really want? 4. Where do the forces of antagonism come from? 5. What values are at stake in the scene? 6. What is the core value? What is the story essentially about? 7. How do these values change of their charge from positive to negative and vice versa? 8. How are payoffs set up?

[@flat_foot9017]

I learned so much from you over the years. Thank You

[@nikkinewbie6014]

I really like the idea of exploring whether the conscious desire of the protagonist is in direct conflict with their unconscious desire. I would also escalate that concept by substituting what they unconsciously want with what they NEED and/or misbelief in order to address their wound - whether they are aware of it or not. I could see a story where a woman is in an abusive marriage but the older generations of her family have never gotten divorced and have been together for decades. In her family, marriage is for life no matter what. That’s been drilled into her since was a little girl and the obvious consequence is extreme disapproval of her family. This would take place in the 1940s or 1950s when divorce was really taboo. Or maybe the woman and her family are devout Catholics. So at the beginning of the story her outward goal would be to make the marriage work despite the abuse which gets progressively worse throughout the story. Maybe first she’d try to find a way to change him which wouldn’t work. Then maybe she’d try to change herself so that he doesn’t want to abuse her etc. That wouldn’t work either. Finally, when she ends up in the hospital after he beats her / and her family STILL try to convince her to stay with him, that is her aha moment about the husband AND her family. Her outward goal would be to find a way to STAY when what she subconsciously wants and NEEDS is to leave the marriage. The values at play would be honoring your wedding vows versus self-preservation at the cost of the love and validation of your family and friends. But conditional love at the cost of your own well-being and life is not a worthy goal. This is in the spirit of Enough and Sleeping With The Enemy where they felt their only solutions were to escape because the husbands were in complete control of their lives and had threatened to kill them if they left. This would have to be fleshed out quite a bit of course but this scenario rings true in that many times people know deep down what they need to do and what’s best for them, but they let fear and misbeliefs stop them from changing course.

[@Stratword_]

Studying other writers and their brilliantly written screenplays is a must.

[@hersheyandres3017]

thankyouuuu sir! this is so helpful, i learned a lot!

[@KHALIDHAJJI-ll1zf]

1. **Identify the Protagonist**: Determine who the protagonist is by looking at the character making the crisis decision at the climax. This character often appears most frequently but might share the spotlight with others. 2. **Understand the Character's Desires**: Analyze what the protagonist consciously wants and explore any subconscious desires that may contradict their conscious goals, leading to inner conflicts. 3. **Analyze Choices and Antagonism**: Study the protagonist’s actions and the sources of antagonism they face, which can stem from inner conflicts, personal relationships, societal issues, physical struggles, and core values like truth, love, and justice. 4. **Examine Core Values and Themes**: Identify the essential values at the heart of the story and determine how the absence of these values would affect the narrative. Look for the story’s core value that drives the plot. 5. **Track Changes and Turning Points**: Observe how the protagonist’s situations and values shift from positive to negative or vice versa throughout the story. Analyze the turning points in each scene and recognize the setups and payoffs that showcase the writer’s technique.

[@bluebellbeatnik4945]

love jazz