Intense. That's probably the word I'd choose to describe the Robert McKee Story Seminar I attented last friday, saturday and sunday in London (Regent's College). Exhausting would be another accurate description.I arrived a bit late (which I later learned is never ever a good thing to do when McKee's lecturing), but I was just in time to hear the Story-guru utter the words I remembered so vividly from Brian Cox's performance as McKee in Spike Jonze & Charlie Kaufman's brilliant ADAPTATION: "Years from now, you'll be at a cocktail party congratulating yourself on how you spent three days with an asshole from Hollywood for your 'art'".
Well, I'm very much looking forward to that particular cocktail party, but an asshole Mckee surely is not. He has a certain demanding presence, sure - and he'll take ten pounds from you if you're stupid enough to leave your mobile phone on during the lecture - but this guy knows he has 'only' (mind that word) 30 or so hours to teach us screenwriters, novelists, directors and other creative folk the principles of story. And that's no easy feat.
The weekend, exhausting as it was, provided me with countless insights into the world of creative writing. I think Marije will probably hit me in the face one of these days for ranting on and on about the things I learned.
Yep, I felt like swinging at him after only one day! My word, I figured he would be to tired to talk after those exhausting days. But no!
But seriously, I'm so happy he got so much out of this seminar. I'm sure it will benefit his writing.
Marije