Act One

How the Character Map Works
Using the Emotional Toolbox

By Laurie H. Hutzler

In Act One -
The Beginning of the Story

	The fear drives the character to create his or her mask.

	The character lives in his or her false self and tries to hide or “mask” his or her fear.

	Then, something happens to upset the character’s balance or initiates some kind of change in the character’s situation.

	The character pursues a simple want putting all of his or effort into obtaining a very particular concrete, and often, selfish or self-centered goal.

	A gap opens or a turning point event occurs and there is no going back. The character feels compelled to move forward in pursuit of the want.

The Character's Want is:

		A clear simple ego-driven goal.

		Often the object of the character’s selfish or self-centered desire.

		The objective or object that must eventually be surrendered along with the character’s strongest traits.

i The want is a simple, concrete, actual “thing” that could be achieved or obtained with a bit of concerted effort. For example—Find the car, pay the rent, or win the tournament. i The character’s want isn’t an abstract concept. For example—Become a better person, become more tolerant, become more forgiving, become more honest or responsible.

Click here to go on to Act Two.

Distribution Agreement

Author: LAURIE H. HUTZLER
Copyright holder: © 2004, LAURIE H. HUTZLER. All Rights Reserved.

The copyright holder retains all rights to this work. This article may be freely copied and redistributed electronically, provided that the file contents (including this Agreement) are not altered in any way and that it is distributed at no cost to the recipient. In addition, all copies must contain the following information
(All links must actively be live).

Author’s website:
www.EmotionalToolbox.com

Author’s email:
Laurie@EmotionalToolbox.com

It will be much appreciated if you could email me the location of where this article has been used.

Laurie Hutzler’s Emotional Toolbox approach incorporates many of the same materials Laurie uses in her popular courses at the famed UCLA film school. It’s the same method Laurie uses in her own work and in all of her international consulting.

The Emotional Toolbox makes intuitive sense—it’s based on universal truths we all know and understand instinctively. Learn to use these principals consciously to make informed creative choices. The Emotional Toolbox is easy to use, and most importantly, it works.

“Emotional Toolbox” and “Get to the Heart of the Story” are trademarks of Laurie H. Hutzler. All rights reserved.

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