Script Tip: How Does Your Character Feel About Martin Luther King, Jr.?
One Monday each January we celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., a great man, a hero, a martyr, and most of all, a human being. As a New Yorker, I grew up with Civil Rights as a critically important topic, and so this day means a lot to me. As a Jew, I have also experienced prejudice, and while there are plenty of heroes in my own heritage, Martin Luther King, Jr. has always inspired me to try to affect change in the world.
The reason I am sharing this thought is so that perhaps you will take a moment to see what Martin Luther King, Jr. meant to you, if anything, and how that feeling ties back in with your own ethnic and religious background. The next step is to ask the same question of your hero or heroine.
Here is the exercise:
Step 1: Set a timer for 10 minutes.
Step 2: Write a mini-essay on “What Martin Luther King means to me.”
Step 3: Reset the timer for 10 more minutes.
Step 4: In the first person voice of your hero or heroine, write a second mini-essay on “What Martin Luther King, Jr. means to me.”
If you have time, repeat Steps 3 and 4 for your villain, obstacle, or love interest.
It’s always fascinating to find out what are characters are thinking about.
