May 26, 2023 I would like to take this occasion to salute my late stepfather, Alton Johnson III, who served in three wars, and for his courage and valor received many medals. Wherever you are, Al, I salute you and thank you for your service both to your country, and for being a wonderful father to me! May you rest in peace. Word of the Day Webinar It's not just for writers! The next Word of the Day Webinar meets Wednesday, June 7, at 7:00 pm EST via Zoom. Discover
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Thank you. If it hadn’t been for you Marilyn, I don’t think I would have made the Woodstock film which will be at the psychedelic film festival at the producers club in November. I got it done, and you gave me the encouragement to do it. Nancy Cohen-Writer/Director Woodstock: A… Read more “Nancy C.”
The following is not hyperbole: Marilyn Horowitz changed my life, and it only took her a few months. For ten years (!) I was imprisoned with an idea that I had a deep passion for but felled by a lack of confidence and living with a belief that I had… Read more “Brian G.”
Whatever doubts or second thoughts you’re having, don’t listen to them, because Marilyn’s class is worth it. I’ve taken a few different screenwriting classes over the years (and have paid a lot of money), but haven’t been able to find one where I actually finish my screenplay. Marilyn’s teaching style… Read more “Emma D.”
Marilyn’s techniques helped me stop overthinking and start writing! She gave me exercises to take the pressure off beginning a new piece of work and opened me up to finding and following through on ideas. Thanks! ~Lauren D.
I’m very grateful to be able to learn from Marilyn, Her focus on the psychological and spiritual foundations necessary to create was integral to my ability to produce a first draft. The tools and structure she teaches made writing easier than I thought it could be! Much gratitude, Kellen
Marilyn’s techniques helped me stop overthinking and start writing! She gave me exercises to take the pressure off beginning a new piece of work and opened me up to finding and following through on ideas. Thanks! ~Lauren D
“Working with Marilyn Horowitz has challenged every aspect of my creative process from conception to preparation, and most importantly, execution. By doing so, she has demolished barriers, limits, and shortcomings I didn’t even know I had. In the one year of tutelage, under Marilyn, I have grown from not understanding… Read more “– Larry Lowry”
“Part wish-fulfillment romantic comedy, part edge-of-your-seat end-of-the-world action thriller: it’s as if Nora Ephron wrote The Bourne Identity, but even she probably wouldn’t have handled this mix of genres with the dexterity of Horowitz. In fact, her storytelling —twisty, sexy, smart — is so skillful; it’s hard to believe this… Read more “– Michael Zam, former Associate Director of Programs in Humanities at NYU is also an award winning instructor, screenwriter and playwright.”
“Marilyn Horowitz paints a rich picture of lapsed Jews, angels, and people having miraculous abilities to survive, foretell, and sometimes alter the future. Her book plays at the borders of the normal and the supernormal, of lust and faith.”
“This provocative novel weaves together suspenseful action, torrid sex, wrenching emotion, Jewish mysticism, and the deepest fears at the heart of our times.”
“The Book of Zev reads like Carl Hiaasen at his best, transplanted from Florida to New York with more deft plotting and far greater stakes. Wherever they are, Elmore Leonard and Donald Westlake will be fighting for the first copy of this wildly entertaining, timely thriller.”
“A spellbinding story of international intrigue, suspense, love and survival. Prepare for sleepless nights.”
“The Book of Zev is a devilishly delicious feast. A deeply imagined comedic thriller, it blends Kabbalah, the Bible, contemporary times, geopolitics, and life’s absurdities in Portnoyesque fashion. It’s a thriller evoking both laughter and nail-biting tension with each turn of the page. It’s pure gold from a very talented… Read more “– Mark Rubinstein, award-winning author of Mad Dog House and Love Gone Mad”
“The Book of Zev is a fast paced political thriller that never loses sight of its heart; a skeptical women searching for love and a faith she can live with, all while saving the world. A truly original heroine.”
“THE BOOK OF ZEV is a dark comedic thriller that revolves around Zev Bronfman, an angry, virgin, atheist cab driver, Sarah Hirshbaum, a depressed, redheaded, God-hating kosher chef, and Sarah’s former lover and the current Iranian head of state, who believes he must bring on Armageddon and the Second Coming.… Read more “– DP Lyle, award-winning author of the Samantha Cody and Dub Walker thriller series”
“Sometimes a woman’s gotta do what a woman’s gotta do. A sharp psychological thriller of high intellect about a woman making some hard choices for the right reasons to stop an international catastrophe.”
“Just wanted to say I read your book and think it’s terrific. You took a process that can seem overwhelming and made it very accessible. One of my favorite quotes is this: “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” You really know your material and… Read more “Allison-Author 101 University”
“It is such an amazing ride to take your classes. Your generosity, insight and gracious support inspires me in so many ways. Not just as a writer but more importantly as a person with desires to live genuinely. Thank you so much! I look forward to learning from you again… Read more “Levin Lee”
“Professor Horowitz offers amazing insights and tools to keep the writer focused, disciplined and thinking out the box.”
“In 2011 I heard Marilyn speak and she massively influenced me during her talk. I then went to meet with her and she help me and worked on the book I was writing. Not only was my book published by Wiley Publishing House giving me a cash advance, but it… Read more “Sam Cawthorn, Motivational Success Coach”
“Marilyn Horowitz, full-time writer, producer and script doctor conceived this step-by-step programme that will genuinely get your first script completed.”
“For over a decade I have been recommending Marilyn to anyone with the intention of writing a screenplay (or a book or a memoir or…). Her 10-week workbook is one of the clearest and most-efficient methods around. I have used it in my own work both as a teacher and… Read more “Michael Zam, Emmy Nominated Writer (Feud)”
“Rather than bringing yet another set of theoretical tools to the table, she leads the student to the living tools already within us.”
“Marilyn Horowitz is a multi-tasking rock star. Whether giving advice, coaching writers or teaching classes, she goes big. Like her new novel, The Book of Zev, which we have the privilege of publishing in December. The book is big. Zev is big. Marilyn is …. not as big as Zev!… Read more “John Köehler, publisher at Köehler Books”
“It was my pleasure meeting with you at Author 101 University…You have impacted many authors and so many told me of your success. I would love to have you on my radio show and to promote the people who you are training.”
“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.”
“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… Read more “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… Read more “Nick B.”
“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… Read more “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.”
“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… Read more “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… Read more “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… Read more “Rich”
“HOROWITZ IS A ROCK STAR!!!”

Highlights
The Marilyn Horowitz PANO Screenwriting Award-Finalists and Winner!
Congratulations to all of the writers who applied to The Marilyn Horowitz / PANO Screenwriting Award for a promising Woman writer with a strong original voice. Out of the many strong projects, I’m excited to announce the finalists and winner!
So Dramatic 1st
Lauren Ciaravalli
Pairs to the Floor 2nd
Lulenoxx
Tent city 3rd
Gillian Fritzsche
All finalists Include previous and:
Made in Heaven
Yiqing Zhao
Operatives Attract
Jacqueline Christy
Ladylike
Taylor Coriell
https://filmfreeway.com/MarilynHorowitzPANOAward
How To Write The Perfect Pilot in 30 Days
In this practical workshop, Marilyn will discuss the elements that make up a perfect half-hour pilot.
Click here to learn more!How to Write Screenplay In Eight Weeks
This intensive writing course takes you from story idea to first draft of a feature-length screenplay in just eight weeks. Using accelerated techniques that focus on character, learn to develop plots naturally. Because of the accelerated pace of this course, you are required to come to the first class session with a story idea, ideally written up in a synopsis no longer than one page. Then, guided by the instructor and the supportive community of the class, you will be expected to write 10 to 15 pages per week. Scripts will be complete by the final class meeting.
For more information and to enroll, click here.
Blog Updates

There’ll be days like this…
Happy Friday! It's been a very stressful week! For example, my Monday was such a disaster that I think it's the basis for, at the very least, an episode of the sitcom. Here goes: The first thing that happens is my toilet overflows—a mess. Next, I go out onto my little terrace to calm down, and suddenly there are jackhammers on the roof next to me, making a horrifying amount of noise. Then I go to do a stock trade; I hit the wrong button and buy instead of sell. I think

Mother’s Day Wishes
For all the mothers and the mothers-at-heart, thank you for your care and kindness. Happy Mother’s Day!

Who is your best partner?
Happy Friday! As always, it’s been an exciting week! Become Your Own Best Partner This week, the Word of the Day Club was a delight, with amazing new discoveries. The purpose of the WOTD Practice is to help us develop a better relationship with ourselves. It’s hard to break old habits of self-doubt and self-criticism, so creating a new and more appealing self-interaction is what the Practice does instead of trying to fix something that is surely broken. Imagine being able