The authors of the book Dating Your Character believe that all character work should actively explore your protagonist’s potential for more selfish, problematic, dark impulses.

It’s important to recognize your protagonist’s flaws, trauma and past history to round out their motivation and provide opportunities for action that shows them regress from their stated goals.

Join them as they lead in-class writing exercises to round out their discussion of TV and film examples of fascinating protagonists who fall along the spectrum from flawed antihero to outright baddie. All participants should be familiar with FX’s “The Old Man,” “Gone Girl” and HBO's “Succession.”

The event is 100% introvert-friendly (wear pajamas and eat snacks the whole time! We'll never know), cameras off, text chat only for attendees. You can participate as much as you like, or sit back and watch what your fellow creatives come up with.

This event will work on your smartphone, tablet,or laptop.

Can't make it live? Sign up and then watch the replay at the same link.

This event is hosted by book-to-film producers Marilyn Atlas and Elizabeth Lopez.

Marilyn R. Atlas is a talent and literary manager and award-winning producer. Her clients have appeared in shows such as Star Trek, Fringe, Pretty Little Liars, How to Get Away with Murder, 90210, Revenge, Hart of Dixie, NCIS:LA, True Blood, Dexter, Chuck, Castle, and Criminal Minds. She was film producer on Real Women Have Curves for HBO, which won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival; A Certain Desire, starring Sam Waterston; and Echoes, which won the Gold Award at the Texas International Film Festival.

In addition to producing a variety of programming for the cable/ pay TV market. In live theater, Marilyn co-produced the West Coast premiere of the musical God Bless You Mr. Rosewater by Ashman and Menken (the writers of Enchanted and Tangled).  She also co-produced the award-winning play “To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday.”

Marilyn herself has been in development on pilots for Showtime and ABC Family. In addition to Marilyn’s film/TV credits, she has sold (first time) novels Chasing the Jaguar to HarperCollinsto Hachette Book Ave Maria Bed & Breakfast  to Grand Central Publishing, and the Hungry Woman in Paris, Group, and the Last Ride of Caleb O’Toole to Sourcebooks  Her Lifetime movie The Choking Game based on the YA book by Diana Lopez aired in summer 2014.  She is also featured in the book Write Now! from Penguin/Tarcher. She is the co-author of a relationship-based, screenwriting guide called Dating Your Character, about an organic approach to character creation for Stairway Press’s Summer 2016 catalog.

Elizabeth Lopez attended Vassar College, majoring in English Literature. She started her Hollywood career as a story analyst for talent managers and production companies, including Vincent Cirrincione & Associates and The Little Company. As VP of Literary Development at Marilyn Atlas Management, she has been managing writing talent. She was a screenwriting fellow of the L.A. Latino Film Festival and has had several articles published online and in print for entertainment-oriented magazines such as Gideon’s Screenwriting Tips. She has taught screenwriting classes at the Ojai Writers Festival and at The Writers Store. She is the co-author of a relationship-based, screenwriting guide called “Dating Your Character,” about an organic approach to character creation for Stairway Press’s Summer 2015 catalog.

Dirtying Up Your Character with Book-to-Film Producers Marilyn Atlas and Elizabeth Lopez