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Marilyn Horowitz

Marilyn Horowitz

Screenwriting Classes, Coaching, and Resources

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Halloween: Characters, Insights and Development

October 31, 2022 by Marilyn Horowitz

Happy Halloween!

I was thrilled to attend the premiere of Hunter is F**ked, a short film made by my friend Rick Mowat. It’s a 20-minute comedy about an imaginary encounter between Hunter Thompson and a young female assistant.

I was an associate producer on the film, and it was very gratifying to see it on the big screen with an audience of over 100 people. The amount of work getting this film done was extraordinary. Rick, Marty, and Paula convinced me that real courage isn’t about doing daring deeds, but rather is about resoluteness and a refusal to give up until the project is complete.

Kudos to them and everyone else who worked on the shoot. To find out more about the film, here’s a link.

Word the Day Seminar 10-26
The class this week was also fantastic. We completed another character study for a minor character. This helps students get an insight into their plots because the main character is just trying to maintain the status quo. In contrast, the other characters have their own agendas.

Word of the Day Group
Kim Groshek, a student in the WOTD seminars, is hosting a 15-minute WOTD meeting to share the morning practice and discuss the results. If you are interested in joining, please get in touch with me.

Word of the Day Practice
If you’re unfamiliar with this powerful creation method, here is a link to the WOTD Practice Sheet. If you have any questions and want to learn more, email me, and we can schedule a time to chat.

New Halloween Opportunity

I would be remiss if I did not mention an opportunity for writers that presents itself during Halloween. I am going through the process of re-imagining my life and had fun getting online to explore all the costumes I might wear. This is not an innocent pursuit because each expression of the “self” reveals something about your character and how you feel. This is also true for your story characters. For example, the character in my new book has several options: Marilyn Monroe, a belly dancer, the oracle of Delphi, a Greek goddess, and a red devil. I’ll let you know what she decides in my next newsletter.

Exercise
Imagine your characters at a Halloween party. Who would they be dressed up as, and why did they choose that costume? If you can animate the exercise and imagine what they are doing at the party, that will further open your understanding of the character.

Next Free Word of the Day Webinar
The next FREE Word of the Day Webinar is scheduled for Wednesday, November 9 at 7:00 pm via Zoom. In this meeting, we will use the WOTD technique to explore the main character in your story. Email me if you would like to attend.

Here’s to your successful writing,

Professor Marilyn Horowitz

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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… Read more “Nancy C.”

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