Though I didn't feel like I was learning a lot of new information, I appreciated the clarity of the explanations.  I was familiar with almost all of the example films which were well used to make the concepts even clearer. I liked the diagrams and organization of the text. For the first time I understand the point of the speech in praise of the villain. And for me that made the whole book worth reading. I would highly recommend this book for people writing action screenplays.

Unique action sequences tailored for the specific story you are writing. McKee teaches how to construct memorable action that avoids cliched, regurgitated, mimicked, imitated and even stolen. A veteran of the writing world, tried and true, delivers another robust addition for writers to keep as a staple in their writers library. Recommended.

Action is a book about writing action into your book, screenplay or graphic novel. It methodically describes how all fiction follows an action methodology regardless of genre. Each genre is explained in excruciating detail. No prior knowledge is assumed. I would assume most writers or readers know that epic stories consist of a hero, a villain, and a victim. However, the author mentions it several times like it was a new idea.

Okay, you can tell I didn’t like the author’s pedantic tone. It did seem at first as if he was talking down to his reader. However, you can’t argue with success. He has trained many award-winning writers—according to his bio in the back. I do believe there is some great information here. I just wish I didn’t have to read all the rest of Action to get to it. 4 stars.

Thanks to Twelve and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.

Great addition to the other writing books by this author, I need to get physical copies of them all. Highly recommended for anyone who writes.

An excellent addition for any writer's ever growing pile of books. A perfect companion for when you’re in a stump, this book provides redirection and is a great cure for writer’s block to get you back on track. Helps you figure out your characters’ roles clearer and finish your plot, no matter what genre book you are writing.