Ursula K. Le Guin, one of the great voices in science fiction, understood that words could build new worlds. She also understood that art unflinchingly speaks truth to power. #Resistance begins with words. #UrsulaKLeGuin #screenwriting #screenplays #inspiration #DeathorStory #TruthtoPower

NEW WORKSHOP DEC 6, 2025! We’ll break down the key beats—inciting incident, break into two, midpoint, crisis, climax, and more—that give your script momentum and shape. Cement these “rules” in your writer’s toolbox—so you can get creative and bend them in the best ways. #screenwriting #deathorstory

Have you seen “Spinal Tap - The End Continues” yet? It’s out in theaters this week! In honor of that 40-years-later sequel, let’s take a look at how the midpoint works in the original 1984 mocumentary “This is Spinal Tap!” #DeathorStory #screenwriting #midpoint #spinaltap #mockumentary

Film Director Mike Mills, known for intimate, deeply human films like 20th Century Women, Beginners, and C’mon C’mon, is getting at the core magic of story telling. You create, you share, then you let the audience finish the story as it lands with them. #MikeMills #screenwriting #DeathorStory

DAY 12! How to write a Christmas Romance movie - 12 pro tips in 12 Days! Final Tip: Happily Ever After! This is non-negotiable - the two leads must end up together in a freeze-frame of loving perfection. Find the best HEA! #DeathorStory #screenwriting #Christmasromance#ChristmasMovies #RomanceMovies

DAY 11! How to write a Christmas Romance movie - 12 pro tips in 12 Days! Today: SOFT CRISIS! Every story needs a crisis, but in a Christmas romance movie it can't be anything tragic or horrific... #DeathorStory #screenwriting #Christmasromance#ChristmasMovies #RomanceMovies

DAY 10! How to write a Christmas Romance movie - 12 pro tips in 12 Days! Today: CHRISTMAS COMES LAST! Christmas comes at the end of a Christmas romance movie. Full stop. Embrace this organic ticking clock! #DeathorStory #screenwriting #Christmasromance #ChristmasMovies #RomanceMovies

DAY 9! How to write a Christmas Romance movie - 12 pro tips in 12 Days! Today: TIE YOUR THEME TO CHRISTMAS! Consider themes like "family is more important than money" or "Love is about showing up." #DeathorStory #screenwriting #Christmasromance #ChristmasMovies #RomanceMovies

DAY 8! How to write a Christmas Romance movie - 12 pro tips in 12 Days! Today: VILLAINS! Don't be afraid to give your villains an arc. It can add a heartwarming element to have the villain redeem themselves. Remember the Grinch! #DeathorStory #Christmasromance #ChristmasMovies #RomanceMovies

DAY 7! How to write a Christmas Romance movie - 12 tips in 12 Days! Today: Don't Forget Christmas! Every home should have a tree with presents underneath, twinkle lights galore, snow globes, mistletoe, stockings hung on the fireplace. #screenwriting #Christmasromance#ChristmasMovies #RomanceMovies

DAY 5! How to write a Christmas Romance movie - 12 pro tips in 12 Days! Today: Cocoa & Kisses If your characters are drinking whiskey & having sex, you are writing a romantic comedy, NOT a romance movie... #DeathorStory #screenwriting #Christmasromance#ChristmasMovies #RomanceMovies

How to write a Christmas Romance movie - 12 pro tips in 12 Days! Today: Embrace the Low Budget Genre! Impress producers by writing unique but affordable locations. And definitely don't put expensive things into montages. #Christmasromance #ChristmasMovies #RomanceMovies

How to write Christmas Romance movies - 12 pro tips in 12 Days! Today: Tell, Don't Show. This breaks the golden rule of screenwriting, which is "Show, Don't Tell." but hear me out! #DeathorStory #screenwriting #Christmasromance #ChristmasMovies #RomanceMovies #RomComs #RomanceAuthors

How to write a Christmas Romance movie: 12 pro tips in 12 Days! Today: Keep your story engine simple! Though it's all about Emotional Stakes, you still have an "A" story that drives the action - but don't linger on it. #DeathorStory #screenwriting #Christmasromance #ChristmasMovies #RomanceMovies

DAY 2! Christmas Romance Movie screenwriting tips: 12 Days/12 Days This one’s all about Emotional Stakes…the A story “plot” is not why people watch these feel-good movies! #christmasromance #romancemovies #christmasmovies #screenwriting #deathorstory

New Campaign! How to write a Christmas Romance movie - 12 pro tips in 12 days. Today’s tip is about keeping your love interests on the screen together - EVEN IN ACT ONE! Not always easy… #DeathorStory #Christmasromance #ChristmasMovies #RomanceMovies #RomComs #RomanceAuthors #RomanceWriters

Death or Story's Paula Tiberius speaks with Simon Applebaum on the "Tomorrow Will Be Televised" podcast all about writing Crossroad Springs - the new GAC / Brain Power Studios series that premieres today on Great American PureFlix! #deathorstory #CrossroadSprings #scriptdevelopment #familydrama

Psycho-analyze your main characters! Make sure YOU know what they want, what they need, and their biggest flaw... this is your short cut to a satisfying transformation. #screenwriting #screenplays #storytelling #filmmaking #WritingClass #Hacks #DeborahVance #DeathorStory

In film, once you’ve made your point—whether it’s a line, a look, or a single image—you’ve done your job. Say it again, and the story stops moving and shuffles in place. If the moment needs more, don’t repeat it—build on it so the story moves forward. #JaneCampion #screenwriting #DeathorStory

If you want to grab an audience, don’t start with answers—start with questions. Not random ones, but the kind that power a plot and pull us in deeper at the same time. The television series Severance is a masterclass in exactly that. #screenwriting #storytelling #WritingClass #Dialogue #DeathorStory

We believe telling stories is an existential act - how we make sense of the world. We dive deep into character, theme & structure to uncover your story and shape it into its most powerful form. And we’re not judgy assholes. We’re really nice. #screenwriting #storytelling #filmmaking #DeathorStory

With these three questions, David Mamet offers a quick test for whether a scene has real dramatic purpose by keeping scenes focused on conflict, consequence and momentum, rather than filler or idle conversation. #DavidMamet #GlengarryGlenRoss #AmericanBuffalo #playwright #screenwriting #DeathorStory

Don’t short-change your characters by skimping on their biographies! Backstories are the key to making your writing feel specific and specificity is the only way to engage people! Example here: #screenwriting #screenplays #storytelling #filmmaking #WritingClass #Dialogue #DeathorStory

Structure isn’t a trick — it’s human instinct. Even in a quick story to a friend, we set the scene, build to the moment, and land the ending. Structure is how we turn experience into meaning. #GretaGerwig #screenwritingtip #screenplays #storytelling #filmmaking #inspiration #DeathorStory

Still talking about writing that screenplay??? Take our shortcut! 3 easy steps to mapping it all out… #screenwriting #screenplays #storytelling #filmmaking #WritingClass #Breakingstory #DeathorStory

#minnehahafalls is a metaphor for your screenplay! Sorry no subtitles - the rushing water is too loud! #deathorstory #structure #screenplay

Is your screenplay premise strong enough to drive your story to the end? Use these 6 criteria to assess and answer that question. #screenwritingtip #screenplays #storytelling #filmmaking #inspiration #DeathorStory

Spanning the globe, we're introducing ourselves! Saying hello from LA and Prague! And if you've had a burning desire to know why we call ourselves Death or Story-you'll find out in the video. #screenwriting #DeathorStory, #prague #Losangeles #writingworkshops @zizkov #noho #davidcerny #vinohrady

New Death or Story workshop! BREAK YOUR SCREENPLAY in 3 EASY STEPS! Learn how to write 1. a log line that works as a mini map of your script 2. a basic character sketch and 3. your rudimentary plot structure. Enroll now at www.deathorstory.com/workshops #screenwriting #filmmaking #WritingClass

The midpoint of the Wizard of Oz is when Dorothy meets the wizard - it changes the context of her journey. She was off to see the wizard, but now that she's met him, she must bring him the witch's broomstick - same goal, different focus. #wizardofoz #screenplays www.deathorstory.com/post/midpoin...

Cinema inspires us to connect. 🙌🏼🙌🏽🙌🏾 🎥 🍿 🎞️ #TildaSwinton #TheEnd #inspiration #screenwritingtip #screenplays #storytelling #filmmaking #DeathorStory

Happy 40th Anniversary, BACK TO THE FUTURE! Released on this day in 1985, Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis submitted the screenplay over 40 times and no one wanted it. BUT THEN…. #BackToTheFuture #80s #80sMovies #Screenwriting #WritingInspiration #DeathorStory #BobGale #RobertZemeckis

Do you know your main character? Build your character with these 3 questions! #character #screenwriting #deathorstory #americanfiction #screenplays #writingtips

Excellent film Thursday night called Designed by Preeti written by & starring @rashmirustagi.bsky.social!! It illustrates going specific to be universal beautifully! @danceswithfilms.bsky.social #indiefilm #designedbypreeti #screenwriting #deathorstory

Do you know the difference between the crisis and climax of your screenplay? It can be deceiving! #screenwriting #crisis #climax #movies

You finished your first draft! Woo hoo!.... Now what? You'll love these pearls of wisdom about your first rewrite in the latest Tale From the Brink... #screenwritingtips #writingclass #writing #firstdraft #rewrites #deathorstory www.deathorstory.com/post/what-to...

The first draft is just the beginning - Write, rewrite and rewrite! #jesseburton #authorquotes #storytelling #writingtips #rewrites

Want to know how to do a quick character sketch in 3 questions? Come learn how at our Saturday workshop June 14th. www.deathorstory.com #screenwritingtips #TVshows #deathorstory #screenplays #writingclass #writingworkshops

Want to write a show as good as The Bear? Create a one-sentence logline that encapsulates the series and acts as a story engine. Learn how to do it at our Saturday workshop June 14th. www.deathorstory.com #TheBear #screenwriting #TVshows #deathorstory #screenplays #writingclass #writingworkshops

Every one of these windows hides a wildly specific life. Get to know the nitty gritty of your characters - the more real they feel, the more we can relate to them. #JamesJoyce #screenwritingtip #screenplays #storytelling #filmmaking #inspiration

Writers! Ready to break your story? Learn how to write a logline that works as a mini map of your script and how a basic main character sketch and rudimentary plot structure can set you up for success! Enroll now at deathorstory.com #Screenwriting #Screenplays #WritingClass #DeathorStory

Sometimes a location can make your scene feel stale. Are you back at the bakery again with your protagonist and their love interest? Try moving to a place with more meaning for the characters. #locations #screenwriting #screenplays #screenwritingtips #storytelling #writerscommunity #deathorstory

Imagine selling your first screenplay and it goes to Cannes! Way to go Tory Kamen 💪 🎬 🙌🏽 #screenwriting #screenplays #storytelling #filmmaking #EleanorTheGreat #ToryKamen #ScarlettJohansson #Inspiration #Cannes2025 #DeathorStory

Learn how to write a logline that works as a mini map of your script and how a basic main character sketch and rudimentary plot structure can set you up for success. Create the map for your screenplay in 3 EASY STEPS! Enroll now at deathorstory.com #DeathorStory #screenwriting #WritingClass

#FranzKafka #screenwriting #screenplays #storytelling #filmmaking #inspiration

Paula appears on Tara Samuel's Zoom Course "Must-Know Script-Sale Stuff They Don't Tell You" at 5pmPT on Thursday May 15th where she will divulge key elements you should include in your query/pitch letters to get an agent, manager or prodco interested. Sign up: www.yourwritingchampion.com/workshops

#AlejandroGonzálezIñárritu #screenwriting #screenplays #directing #filmmaking #inspiration

#character #screenwriting #scriptwriting #featurescript #screenwritingtips #LegallyBlonde #BuildCharacter #ElleWoods #ReeseWitherspoon

#FrankCapra #screenwriting #screenplays #filmmaking #inspiration #drama

Happy Easter! 🐰 🐣 #JohnSteinbeck #screenwriting #screenplays #filmmaking #inspiration