I did not win an award at the Omaha Film Festival, but tbh I’m impressed I got as far as a Finalist placement with a new, early draft script of AFFORDABLE CARE!

Visiting other midwestern cites is fascinating because what to you MEAN someone just told me that folks from “out west” are scared to come to this part of Omaha when it looks like this at nearly midnight on a Saturday

Film Festival Frands @leahfromsd.bsky.social

Let the record show that @leahfromsd.bsky.social just found me in a crowd at a whole film festival because her partner said “is your Chicago friend little?” And: I am 🤣

Going to a film festival tomorrow, what should I know about networking as a screenwriter? Wrong answers only

I’m loosely acquainted with a woman who has two small children, one just a few months old. The kids’ first names, when combined, make the full name of a television character popular with our age cohort and like— she has to know, right?? I wish I knew her well enough to just ask!

I’m really excited for the Omaha Film Festival this weekend but man, trying to plan what to pack for a Midwest trip in mid-March is a huge challenge Will it be 65 degrees and sunny? Will it be 30 degrees and snowing? The answer changes hourly!

Literally what is HAPPENING though??

Sent a script to a Canadian production company a week and a half ago; suddenly getting hits on my website from a few visitors from Canada today. It's okay, guys, you can reach out. Don't be scared. Let's talk! 🤣

Any screenwriting friends with experience having endometrial biopsies? Asking for a terrified me 🫠

HELP his lil hands too short for his sleeves 🥹🥹🥹 A TINY FIGHTY ANGEL

Listen, I very much love doing my screenwriting podcast ("The Writer's Cut" - you should all listen!), but tbh if I didn't have a whole podcast I would probably have so many more completed feature screenplays lol

I had a really invasive medical procedure today and it took twice as long as it had to because I go to a teaching hospital and my technician was training so she did everything once and then the supervisor had to do it again and wowwww that sucked!

One time I made a batch cocktail for a house party, with the option to add a splash of Tabasco to your cup to make it *spicy* My friend from Wisconsin had a glass and said “whew, that really is spicy!” And I was like “I mean how much hot sauce did you add??” (1/2)

👀

Got one of those kinds of ultrasounds coming up where I’ve already determined that it’s cancer based on my own googling and literally nothing else I’m sure all medical professionals love when you come in with this mindset

This tarot card has been turning up a lot for me lately in my writing career readings, across different decks The card of perseverance, and not giving up because you’re so close to the finish line I’m almost there!

The sleepy face of a perfect angel who just scared herself with her own farts.

I submitted my stage play to a local storefront theater in February *2025*. Followed up in April 2025, no response, figured it was a pass and moved on. I just got an email in March 2026 updating me that they haven’t had a chance to read my material yet 🤣

Wahoo! Happy March :)

Decided to take a taxi home from work and it smells like popcorn inside, which is really the best of the best when it comes to possible taxi smells

We love a script request from a production company on a beautifully warm nearly-spring day!

The fun thing about working in entertainment but not being super hyper keyed in to entertainment is that occasionally a friend will say something like "how is your cast right now? i'm afraid of [actor]" and you get to be like wait, are they like, in things I should know about lol

If an irl writing acquaintance (think screenwriter meetups) has sent me an unsolicited script with no context or prior discussion, is it polite to say: “I’d really appreciate it if in the future you ask me if I have the bandwidth to read before sending me any scripts” ??

Planning my meals while I'm in Omaha for their film festival next month is almost as fun as planning which movies I'm going to see! Apparently there's a Chinese restaurant with a good gluten-free menu and like... I can't even get gf Chinese food in Chicago. Tell me your secrets, Omaha.

I had a general with a development exec a while back who told me how impressive it is that I’ve accomplished so much with my writing considering I only just started in 2020. I’m glad she said it because it’s a really nice reminder when everything feels like it’s moving at a snail’s pace!

Premise: a body horror feature as allegory for all the ways I’ve lost control of my physical form since going through cancer treatment (This is as far as I’ve gotten in the brainstorming stage)

Having a physical body is a never ending nightmare and I wish I could simply become a sentient non-corporeal floating energy orb

My coworker died. He was sick for a little while and then he died. I hope if I take anything from this it’s that my mentally ill brain will stop wishing I was dead?? Because here I am sobbing over a man I spoke to directly maybe a dozen times over three years. People will miss you.

Today was a Bad Day at work and tomorrow likely will be as well, please share something good if you have anything good to share

Love to get a script request for BREAST IN SHOW on this, the day of my breast cancerversary 💖

As of today, it's been eight years since my breast cancer diagnosis, and I'm ✨manifesting✨ good news about my breast cancer dramedy feature screenplay BREAST IN SHOW. Wanna give it a read? Let me know! Logline below:

Me one second after midnight into my eight-year cancer-diagnosis-anniversary I swear every year I am Worse™️

The r/cta subreddit is randomly eliminating one L station every day on one of those wheel-spinner-randomizer things, and god damn if it isn't the stupidest thing I need to sit and watch in its entirety every time a new one is posted Addison Blue Line stop supremacy!

Tomorrow is the eight year anniversary of my breast cancer diagnosis and if a production company decided to snatch up my breast cancer dramedy BREAST IN SHOW that would be an incredible gift ✨

When my husband and I went to Rome a few years ago, the front desk employee checking us in at the hotel assumed we were Belgian at first. Tbh not being immediately clocked as American while in Europe is one of my favorite compliments I've ever received.

The audio head at work has a little jingle she sings with one of the actors while she’s placing his mic and honestly it’s so fucking charming to see every day

Always a blast to have your medical PTSD deeply, deeply triggered at the very start of your work day and then you have to just. Do your job.

Woohoo!

Someday I will be brave enough to buy the entire Chicago Screenwriter Meetup a Malört shot Today was not this day But someday

Post-tattoo session thoughts: oh right because it looks sick as hell (Still a little more colorizing to go, I had to tap out!)

Tattoo session break thoughts: whyyyyy do I keep doing this to myself!!

A pretty consistent note I tend to receive when I submit to contests or screenwriting feedback services falls along the lines of "but what about the MEN?!?" Sorry, in my writing women and other under-represented genders are the entire point.

The absolute best part of going to the Omaha Film Festival is that I’m not going to be in Chicago for the river dyeing day 🙌 (It’s not bad at home but when I have to commute downtown for work the train is always a horrifying drunken disaster)

My husband has called me “bird” as a pet name for a really long time. For a while that transformed into “bird o’ mine” Which has recently become “Birdo” And you know what That’s me alright

Thanks for the newsletter, @leahfromsd.bsky.social!!!!!

When I was very small, I collected stickers for fun but was always too nervous to commit to sticking them anywhere, so at the end of the day I ended up sticking them all in a small notebook in exactly the order and organization they came in the sticker pack. (1/2)

Are we still doing #FirstPageFriday? Here's page one of my latest rom-com AFFORDABLE CARE, which just earned a spot as a Finalist in the Omaha Film Festival. Not bad for an early draft!

My time off request at work was approved - I’m going to the Omaha Film Festival next month! Time to see if my new feature script AFFORDABLE CARE is a winner :)

What do you do when someone you know extremely casually has suddenly decided that they are entitled to a larger portion of your time/energy/response than even your closest friends receive? Like what's the polite version of "I don't know you like that, please leave me alone"?