• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Marilyn Horowitz

Marilyn Horowitz

Screenwriting Classes, Coaching, and Resources

212-600-1115
  • Home
  • About
  • Writing Services
  • Writing Guidance
    • Writing Evaluation
    • Writing Guidance
    • Comprehensive Packages
    • Ongoing Coaching
  • Classes & Seminars
    • New York University Classes
    • Seminars
    • Free Video Tutorials
    • Movie Breakdowns
    • Online Stores
  • Books & Media
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Scripting
    • What is Scripting?
    • Scripting Cheat Sheet
    • Free Scripting Class

What makes your character despair?

April 12, 2010 by Marilyn Horowitz

A friend’s cat had to be put to sleep this weekend, and I have been feeling very sad about this event. I care deeply for the friend, and met the cat once, briefly at a party. I realized as I was dancing tango earlier, that aside from the natural sympathy I feel for my friend and his wife, I have been reliving the times I have had to put cats to sleep in my life. I have had cats since I was seven, so there have been a few. What I realized was that I wasn’t just being empathetic toward my friend, but rather I was having a post-traumatic stress response to hearing about his cat, because my experiences were so upsetting that I am still haunted, and this similar event brought everything back.

I saw this article about the cost of doing repeated service in Iraq, and thought that the parallel between the trauma of a cat’s death and war were interesting.

As an exercise:
What personal event or events has you main character experienced? Why was it traumatic for them? How does this new event remind them of their past? Is there a way to use a new similar event to create more inner conflict for your character?

Primary Sidebar

Sign Up

for our Screenwriting Newsletter and Receive Our FREE Gift How To Write a Treatment.

Testimonials

I’m very grateful to be able to learn from Marilyn, Her focus on the psychological and spiritual foundations necessary to… Read more ““…grateful to learn from Marilyn””

Marilyn’s techniques helped me stop overthinking and start writing! She gave me exercises to take the pressure off beginning a… Read more “The Scritping Writing Room”

You are always a light. Thank you.

Desiree

“Working with Marilyn Horowitz has challenged every aspect of my creative process from conception to preparation, and most importantly, execution.… Read more “– Larry Lowry”

- Larry Lowry
Writer/Producer, Nickelodeon

For the first time, in all my years of taking various classes, I feel like I have found “my teacher.”

Audrey M.
View All Testimonials

Television Writing Evaluation & Guidance

Screenwriting Evaluation & Guidance

Classes & Seminars

Footer

Connect

Contact

CLASSES

Contact the office at 212-600-1115

MEDIA & SPEAKING INQUIRIES

Contact Marilyn Horowitz at 212-600-1115

PUBLISHING & FILM INQUIRIES

Contact Koehler Books at 757-289-6006

  • Home
  • About
  • Writing Services
  • Writing Guidance
    • Writing Evaluation
    • Writing Guidance
    • Comprehensive Packages
    • Ongoing Coaching
  • Classes & Seminars
    • New York University Classes
    • Seminars
    • Free Video Tutorials
    • Movie Breakdowns
    • Online Stores
  • Books & Media
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Scripting
    • What is Scripting?
    • Scripting Cheat Sheet
    • Free Scripting Class
Copyright © 2022 · Marilyn Horowitz. All rights reserved.