The Sixth Sense

Character - ‘As he chooses, he is’

I’m still thoroughly enjoying ‘Story’ by Robert McKee. I thought it might dry up somewhat as I got further into it, but it is just fascinating to read. I’m am learning so much about - you guessed it - story. As someone who is definitely wanting to become a better story-teller, it is really helpful and insightful.

Today I thought I’d share a few more great quotes on character:

“True character is revealed in the choices a human being makes under pressure - the greater the pressure, the deeper the revelation, the truer the choice to the character’s essential nature.”

“The only way to know the truth (about someone’s character) is to witness him make choices under pressure to take one action or another in the pursuit of his desire. As he chooses, he is.”

“Pressure is essential. Choices made when nothing is at risk mean little. If a character chooses to tell the truth in a situation where telling a lie would gain him nothing, the choice is trivial, the moment expresses nothing. But if the same character insists on telling the truth when a lie would save his life, then we sense that honesty is at the core of his nature.”

The context for these quotes is obviously related to building quality characters into a story. But I think these speak a lot of truth about being people of character too.

What do you think?

Tags: Character, Robert McKee, Story

Some great quotes from ‘Story’

As I mentioned on Friday, I’m thoroughly enjoying a book called ‘Story’ by Robert McKee. It is filled with some outstanding comments, insights, and observations. Here’s a few more I thought I’d share with you.

“Story isn’t a flight from reality but a vehicle that carries us on in our search for reality, our best effort to make sense out of the anarchy of existence.”

“When society repeatedly experiences glossy, hollowed-out, pseudo-stories, it degenerates. We need true satires and tragedies, dramas and comedies that shine a clean light into the dingy corners of the human psyche and society.”

“Master storytellers know how to squeeze life out of the least of things, while poor storytellers reduce the profound to the banal. You may have the insight of a Buddha, but if you cannot tell story, your ideas turn dry as chalk.”

“The world of a story must be small enough that the mind of a single artist can surround the fictional universe it creates and come to know it in the same depth and detail that God knows the one He created.”

Tags: Books, Quotes, Robert McKee, Story