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"As your central character pursues his object of desire, the roles around him should have their own ideas that either align with, or contradict, his purpose." |
- ROBERT MCKEE - |
Why Every Character Should Have a Desire |
Picture a cast as a solar system with the star role blazing at the center. The most influential characters cycle closest to the protagonist; less impactful minor roles rotate further out; and at the farthest reaches, one-scene-only bit parts, non-speaking walk-ons and crowds-on-streets expand the social cosmos. From the protagonist’s point of view, these additional characters either help him or hinder him. Some influence events to the positive, others to the negative. They further or block his efforts, bending him either toward or away from his object of desire. Why? No matter their role in your story, every character wants something. In order for a story to be credible, regardless of genre, it must make a beautiful sense. Audiences must believe the characters could be doing what they're doing, reacting the way they're reacting, beacuse every action is properly motivated. Everyone wants reasonable control over their own existence and the events that impact it, including the outer reaches of your cast. You should be able to isolate any one of your characters and be able to answer the question: What do they want? In other words, every character should have a desire. |
Registration Now Open! |
Robert McKee's 2025 |
SUMMER PROGRAM |
The world’s foremost authority on storytelling returns this July to deliver a specially curated program of writing masterclasses. Over the course of four weeks, you’ll learn the secret to creating captivating characters, the art of crafting rich and meaningful dialogue, the unrivaled strength and variety of long-form storytelling, and the poetic power of imagery in fiction. |
Book individual webinar series or bundle and save up to $75. |
CHARACTER JULY 1 - 3 |
DIALOGUE JULY 8 - 10 |
TELEVISION JULY 15 - 17 |
IMAGERY IN FICTION JULY 22 - 24 |
Union, Student and Repeater discounts available. |
Clarifying the Object of Desire |
A protagonist may want something and not know it, or may want something and be completely aware of it. Things are different for the writer. Robert McKee teaches the importance of knowing your character's Object of Desire, with reference to ROCKY. |
Quote of the Week |
"You create a bunch of characters and let them start bouncing into one another. That’s how a good story happens." |
- DENNIS LEHANE |
Award-Winning Author |
SHUTTER ISLAND MYSTIC RIVER |
The McKee Collection |
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