“Marilyn Horowitz, full-time writer, producer and script doctor conceived this step-by-step programme that will genuinely get your first script completed.” GQ – “The Hollywood Issue”
“Marilyn’s classes help writers stretch their minds and her classes push writers to pursue new patterns and designs. It is easy to get stuck and what a blessing it is to find someone who can help you break free. Thank you Marilyn!” -CC
“There is no bullshit with Marilyn. She calls ‘em as she sees ‘em. And she gets right to the core of what needs to be done to make your script better. When I worked with her, Marilyn’s invaluable advice helped me get my screenplay ready to go out in a matter of weeks. She’s driven and that drive is contagious when you work with her. Marilyn is like a combination of the toughest drill sergeant and the most inspiring muse! … I’ve written 5 more scripts in the last 2 years and one of them was just named a top 20 finalist in the Script Pipeline competition (out of over 3500 entries). I still am with CAA, and have a Hollywood manager too… Thanks again for all your help and direction.” -Jeff
-”Thank you for your help and inspiration (at Pichfest). We went straight home, completed three drafts of the screenplay you helped us on and eight drafts of a brand new work that is unlike anything we have ever written. Your reminder not to ‘pull our punches’ has been such a great help.” -Connie & Julie
“Thanks for your updates, they are appreciated as they spur me on to continue pursuing my writing goals!” -Agnes
Caytha Jentis, Writer/Producer (And Then Came Love): “Marilyn helped me turn my raw first draft into a marketable screenplay that I ultimately produced starring Vanessa Williams and Eartha Kitt and was sold to Warner Bros.”
Melinda Metz, Writer (Roswell): “Marilyn’s classes always leave me feeling renewed and inspired. She guides each writer toward the discovery of what they truly want to say in their work, and then helps them find the creativity, courage, and skill to say it in the way that will have the most impact. There’s nothing more I would want from a teacher.”
Deborah van Eck, Executive Producer (Boynton Beach Club): “Marilyn offers amazing insights and tools to keep the writer focused, disciplined and thinking out of the box.”
David Conway, Writer/Director (The Fire of Yoga): “Marilyn shows you the dramatic and mythic tools every great writer needs. Most importantly, she helps you see yourself, and to write with your own voice. Simply put, with Marilyn your writing is more sound and inspired.”
Adam Nadler, Writer/Director (The Magic Violin, Shoot George): “Whether you’re new to screenwriting or have a dozen scripts behind you, Marilyn’s method is an inspiration. When I feel trapped in the dark cave of a first draft, Marilyn’s book is the candle that leads me out.”
Shashi Balloja, Writer/Director (Ariana): “As a writing coach, she’s helped me overcome the challenges one faces with a screenplay, from Page 1 to production.”
Brad Winters, Writer/Supervising Producer (Six Degrees): “Rather than bringing yet another set of theoretical tools to the table, she leads the student to the living tools already within us.”
“Creative, Organized, Efficient and Professional. Every screenplay needs proper structure and Marilyn will make sure you have it. Characters need to be well-rounded and complex, Marilyn will challenge you to dig deeper. She’s a nurturer, motivator, but most importantly, if you want to get a professional screenplay finished, Marilyn will make you do it and do it in a reasonable amount of time.” Fay Ann Lee, writer, director and producer, Falling For Grace
“We are very happy with the way the film has turned out and I must say that the inspiration and guidance that you gave me in the writing (and re-writing) of the screenplay made a world of difference in the final product! Marilyn, you are a wonderfully talented and gifted instructor. I thank God that He led me to you and I look forward to our future collaborations.”–Shuaib M.
“I would like to let you know that I recently completed my first book ”Memories of Mom.” Your inspiration and encouragement helped made me stay positive and focused throughout. Please continue to inspire.” Alexia F.
“MH is the best. Scriptwriting is tedious to perform but she has brought me and many others to a certain place with four common questions…I would like to say that when I started off with the idea of writing screenplay, I totally had no idea what it looks like at all, but learning from MH online posts daily, from as far as Middle East (Dubai) has gotten me a place in the screenplay world…Actually, my latest script is on review with a producer as I’m writing to you now and I’m on another story.”–Edu O.
“I really don’t think I’d be writing today if it wasn’t for Marilyn and the way she’s taught me. Her methods, her 12-step map and really everything I’ve been learning from her in the five years I’ve been studying with her, it’s really made me into the writer that I am today.” Nick B.
“I’m just stoked to have known Marilyn, studied in her classes and I think she’s just a ‘given’ in my telephone book now.” Jeff G.
“Marilyn helped take a story that’s been in my head for 20 years and actually get it on paper. What she does that I think is really exciting is she provides you with a structure that I think enables you to actually connect personally with your story to make it richer and more exciting so that you actually want to watch your own film.” Cooper W.
“Marilyn— I thank you for your help. Your system for storytelling, along with the process of outlining, has enabled me to organize my thoughts and proceed to a finished initial draft, which is the single hardest hurdle in the writing process at least as far as I’m concerned.” Joe D.
“When I started reading The Four Magic Questions of Screenwriting, I couldn’t put it down. The book is easy to understand and gets right to the point. Marilyn encourages you to write and keep on writing. This book is a must have for screenwriters at any level. I have read many books on screenwriting in the past, but this one makes the most sense and has a positive tone of encouragement to help you through from start to finish.” Kristen
“I am working through the outline for my screenplay adaptation of “Great Falls, Virginia!” Very happy with the way it’s coming along. And yes, your input was helpful in structuring it – emotionally.
I am finding it much easier to decide what scenes are necessary and can stand alone, what plot points can be woven together into one scene to move along the story, and how to let the characters and/or the setting tell the story through atmosphere and actions rather than just words.
Also, rethinking the main character’s journey through how her feelings and thoughts drive her choices produces a much more compelling scene than just arbitrarily moving your character through a scene like a piece of furniture, achieving an arc of movement from Point A to Point B with dialogue being used as the modus operandi for getting the character to the end of it all.” – Kristi K.
“The pitching advice you gave me in your ‘Writing Villain First’ class helped me secure an actual request for my script… Later, at our script consultation, your observations concerning my screenplay conclusion confirmed doubts I had been having, and your suggestions for remedying the problem were astute and on-target. These two interactions with you alone were worth the price I paid to cross the continent and attend the Expo this year.” Rich