[Questions] A Whole New Mind - pg. 100-116

1. What surprised you?
It surprised me that a young boy can now find the kind of information that a librarian at Cambridge University would have found fifteen years ago, just as fast. It was interesting to read that the author thinks that 'the hero's journey' is the underlying story of this book. Also I have never heard of Robert McKee. I think it is really cool that his students have gone on to win 26 Academy awards.

http://www.mckeestory.com/about.php <- Robert McKee's website


2. What did you already know?
I knew that some medical schools and hospitals are now trying to examine the patient's life, not just their illness alone. I also knew that many people are now incorporating stories into their business to attract people's attention.

3. New words
factoid: an insignificant or trivial fact
peril: exposure to injury
felicitous: well-suited for the occasion
encapsulate: to place in or as if in a capsule
abyss: a deep, immeasurable space
irascible: easily provoked to anger
nascent: beginning to exist or develop
touting: to solicit business, employment, votes, or the like, importunately

4. What connections to life?
I did not realize why I could remember things with stories better than a dull fact. When I look in the text book and see a picture or a diagram with a caption that tells a story, I can cleary remember it, whereas when I try to memorize definitions, it is much harder to recall.

5. Questions
-What does McKee have that is different from other 'teachers' of screenwriting?
-If learning to develope storytelling skills is extremely important, would little kids who read stories everyday be better at the job than adults who do not read very often?
-Although people criticize movies and novels that sound like only the names have changed from another movie or novel, isn't that the only way to link the story to people's lives?
(For example, people tend to not enjoy fictional stories like 'astroboy', but then most stories will sound similar to fit the 'relatable' standard)
-What would appeal to the majority more, realistic story or an interesting story?

6. Others
Nothing~