Death or Story
@deathorstory.bsky.social
Write your story or die trying. 🤘 Getting professional help with your screenplays & stories is not a sign of weakness. It's a short cut to success. We are Paula Tiberius & Dominique Buda - & work with clients at any stage 🙌🏼
https://www.deathorstory.com/
https://www.deathorstory.com/
In Jonathan Tropper’s crime thriller "Lucky," Lucky wants to get out of 'the life' but the con is all she knows, and her father attachment is pathological. How do you create fascinating, complex characters like this? Start with three simple questions.
#Luckytvshow #deathorstory #televisionscripts
#Luckytvshow #deathorstory #televisionscripts
October 7, 2026 at 10:01 PM
In Jonathan Tropper’s crime thriller "Lucky," Lucky wants to get out of 'the life' but the con is all she knows, and her father attachment is pathological. How do you create fascinating, complex characters like this? Start with three simple questions.
#Luckytvshow #deathorstory #televisionscripts
#Luckytvshow #deathorstory #televisionscripts
Katie Dippold created Widow’s Bay, a series nearly 20 years in the making, inspired by childhood memories of being scared and delighted in equal measure - her personal stew of taste and sensibility is what makes it work. #widowsbay #screenwritingtips #screenwriting #writingclass #deathorstory
October 2, 2026 at 1:10 PM
Katie Dippold created Widow’s Bay, a series nearly 20 years in the making, inspired by childhood memories of being scared and delighted in equal measure - her personal stew of taste and sensibility is what makes it work. #widowsbay #screenwritingtips #screenwriting #writingclass #deathorstory
In honor of Tim Curry‘s extraordinary genius, here is a dissection of the three-act writers log line for the Rocky Horror Picture Show! #timcurry #rockyhorrorpictureshow #screenwriting
September 23, 2026 at 6:46 PM
In honor of Tim Curry‘s extraordinary genius, here is a dissection of the three-act writers log line for the Rocky Horror Picture Show! #timcurry #rockyhorrorpictureshow #screenwriting
May el-Toukhy’s “Woman Unknown” competed at this year’s Venice Film Festival.
Of the 21 films in Competition, Woman Unknown was the only one solely directed by a woman.
P.S. It took home the Golden Lion.
#mayeltoukhyofficial #venice.fi #filmmaking #screenwriting #deathorstory
Of the 21 films in Competition, Woman Unknown was the only one solely directed by a woman.
P.S. It took home the Golden Lion.
#mayeltoukhyofficial #venice.fi #filmmaking #screenwriting #deathorstory
September 16, 2026 at 6:30 PM
May el-Toukhy’s “Woman Unknown” competed at this year’s Venice Film Festival.
Of the 21 films in Competition, Woman Unknown was the only one solely directed by a woman.
P.S. It took home the Golden Lion.
#mayeltoukhyofficial #venice.fi #filmmaking #screenwriting #deathorstory
Of the 21 films in Competition, Woman Unknown was the only one solely directed by a woman.
P.S. It took home the Golden Lion.
#mayeltoukhyofficial #venice.fi #filmmaking #screenwriting #deathorstory
In honor of Dolly Parton, we’re highlighting the brilliantly structured midpoint of her 1980 hit movie 9 to 5, written by Patricia Resnick & Colin Higgins. It upends the action & changes the context of the journey to amp up the action in this feminist classic! #9to5 #screenwriting #deathorstory
September 10, 2026 at 1:57 PM
In honor of Dolly Parton, we’re highlighting the brilliantly structured midpoint of her 1980 hit movie 9 to 5, written by Patricia Resnick & Colin Higgins. It upends the action & changes the context of the journey to amp up the action in this feminist classic! #9to5 #screenwriting #deathorstory
When writers work with events from their lives, they can feel compelled to remain faithful to what happened. But when we set out to tell a story, being faithful to the historical record is not the same as being faithful to what the experience has to say.
#chloearidjis #screenwriting #deathorstory
#chloearidjis #screenwriting #deathorstory
August 26, 2026 at 5:58 PM
When writers work with events from their lives, they can feel compelled to remain faithful to what happened. But when we set out to tell a story, being faithful to the historical record is not the same as being faithful to what the experience has to say.
#chloearidjis #screenwriting #deathorstory
#chloearidjis #screenwriting #deathorstory
Here’s the writer’s logline for “The Invite.” What begins as a story about inviting neighbors to dinner becomes a story about exploration, and finally a story about a relationship reaching its breaking point with a possibility of renewal.
#screenwritingtips #screenwriting #WritingClass #deathorstory
#screenwritingtips #screenwriting #WritingClass #deathorstory
August 19, 2026 at 5:23 PM
Here’s the writer’s logline for “The Invite.” What begins as a story about inviting neighbors to dinner becomes a story about exploration, and finally a story about a relationship reaching its breaking point with a possibility of renewal.
#screenwritingtips #screenwriting #WritingClass #deathorstory
#screenwritingtips #screenwriting #WritingClass #deathorstory
Screenwriting often becomes the process through which the intention of the filmmaker’s vision is tested, complicated, and sometimes abandoned. The screenplay starts to have a say in what it wants to be.
#AlexanderPayne #screenwriting #filmmaking #deathorstory
#AlexanderPayne #screenwriting #filmmaking #deathorstory
August 12, 2026 at 3:47 PM
Screenwriting often becomes the process through which the intention of the filmmaker’s vision is tested, complicated, and sometimes abandoned. The screenplay starts to have a say in what it wants to be.
#AlexanderPayne #screenwriting #filmmaking #deathorstory
#AlexanderPayne #screenwriting #filmmaking #deathorstory
Structurally speaking, the crisis of #stevenspielberg ‘s 1975 summer hit #Jaws happens at the 4th of July event when the shark threatens the beach - & Brody's own children. Then the climax is the actual showdown that ensues between man and shark.
#deathorstory #summerblockbuster #screenwriting
#deathorstory #summerblockbuster #screenwriting
August 6, 2026 at 5:16 PM
Structurally speaking, the crisis of #stevenspielberg ‘s 1975 summer hit #Jaws happens at the 4th of July event when the shark threatens the beach - & Brody's own children. Then the climax is the actual showdown that ensues between man and shark.
#deathorstory #summerblockbuster #screenwriting
#deathorstory #summerblockbuster #screenwriting
It’s the jagged edges that make a character feel real. We don't connect with characters because they're perfect—or even because they're good. We connect because their weaknesses, contradictions and flaws are what we recognise as humans.
#PhoebeWallerBridge #Fleabag #screenwriting #deathorstory
#PhoebeWallerBridge #Fleabag #screenwriting #deathorstory
July 30, 2026 at 9:59 PM
It’s the jagged edges that make a character feel real. We don't connect with characters because they're perfect—or even because they're good. We connect because their weaknesses, contradictions and flaws are what we recognise as humans.
#PhoebeWallerBridge #Fleabag #screenwriting #deathorstory
#PhoebeWallerBridge #Fleabag #screenwriting #deathorstory
Wim Wenders' Perfect Days follows Hirayama, a public toilet cleaner whose life is about simple pleasures & profound appreciation of the everyday. Yet we see glimpses of sadness & tragedy. This character sketch shows how his strength is also his flaw...
#perfectdays.movie #WimWenders #deathorstory
#perfectdays.movie #WimWenders #deathorstory
July 22, 2026 at 4:05 PM
Wim Wenders' Perfect Days follows Hirayama, a public toilet cleaner whose life is about simple pleasures & profound appreciation of the everyday. Yet we see glimpses of sadness & tragedy. This character sketch shows how his strength is also his flaw...
#perfectdays.movie #WimWenders #deathorstory
#perfectdays.movie #WimWenders #deathorstory
Spend long enough with a script and you settle into its logic, its assumptions, its cadence. Before long, the current version starts to feel inevitable. You stop seeing what else it could be. Then someone reads your story….
#RashidaJones #TheInvitemov #screenwriting #writingclass #deathorstory
#RashidaJones #TheInvitemov #screenwriting #writingclass #deathorstory
July 15, 2026 at 6:09 PM
Spend long enough with a script and you settle into its logic, its assumptions, its cadence. Before long, the current version starts to feel inevitable. You stop seeing what else it could be. Then someone reads your story….
#RashidaJones #TheInvitemov #screenwriting #writingclass #deathorstory
#RashidaJones #TheInvitemov #screenwriting #writingclass #deathorstory
A "writer's logline" is the first step to defining what your story is about. It's not just a synopsis of the action - it's a blueprint for the entire story, act by act. Check out the writer’s logline for Your Friends & Neighbors! #deathorstory #yourfriendsandneighbors #jonhamm #screenwriting
July 8, 2026 at 10:59 PM
A "writer's logline" is the first step to defining what your story is about. It's not just a synopsis of the action - it's a blueprint for the entire story, act by act. Check out the writer’s logline for Your Friends & Neighbors! #deathorstory #yourfriendsandneighbors #jonhamm #screenwriting
Story is ravenous. It wants images to carry meaning, to deliver a message. But images have their own language and life. They hold mystery and contradiction. They beckon us to feel something before we understand it.
#wimwendersfoundation #screenwriting #deathorstory
#wimwendersfoundation #screenwriting #deathorstory
July 1, 2026 at 6:00 PM
Story is ravenous. It wants images to carry meaning, to deliver a message. But images have their own language and life. They hold mystery and contradiction. They beckon us to feel something before we understand it.
#wimwendersfoundation #screenwriting #deathorstory
#wimwendersfoundation #screenwriting #deathorstory
Today’s directive: Your characters do not, in fact, need to explain themselves.
We repeat: They do not need to explain themselves. Sometimes the most revealing line of dialogue is the one that never makes it onto the page.
#screenwriting #DepartmentofDialogue #deathorstory
We repeat: They do not need to explain themselves. Sometimes the most revealing line of dialogue is the one that never makes it onto the page.
#screenwriting #DepartmentofDialogue #deathorstory
June 26, 2026 at 3:27 PM
Today’s directive: Your characters do not, in fact, need to explain themselves.
We repeat: They do not need to explain themselves. Sometimes the most revealing line of dialogue is the one that never makes it onto the page.
#screenwriting #DepartmentofDialogue #deathorstory
We repeat: They do not need to explain themselves. Sometimes the most revealing line of dialogue is the one that never makes it onto the page.
#screenwriting #DepartmentofDialogue #deathorstory
Screenwriter Charlie Kaufman’s work is unmistakably shaped by his own interests, curiosities, fears & sense of humor. The subjects that compel you & the characters you gravitate to reveal how you see the world.
#CharlieKaufman #screenplays #adaptation #eternalsunshineofthespotlessmind #deathorstory
#CharlieKaufman #screenplays #adaptation #eternalsunshineofthespotlessmind #deathorstory
June 21, 2026 at 4:28 PM
Screenwriter Charlie Kaufman’s work is unmistakably shaped by his own interests, curiosities, fears & sense of humor. The subjects that compel you & the characters you gravitate to reveal how you see the world.
#CharlieKaufman #screenplays #adaptation #eternalsunshineofthespotlessmind #deathorstory
#CharlieKaufman #screenplays #adaptation #eternalsunshineofthespotlessmind #deathorstory
Act two of a feature film is so long that you have to keep it interesting, otherwise the dreaded second act sag will put your audience to sleep. Structural beams make your story work! Look how Simon Beaufoy does it in The Full Monty.
#thefullmonty #screenwriting #deathorstory
#thefullmonty #screenwriting #deathorstory
June 10, 2026 at 1:33 PM
Act two of a feature film is so long that you have to keep it interesting, otherwise the dreaded second act sag will put your audience to sleep. Structural beams make your story work! Look how Simon Beaufoy does it in The Full Monty.
#thefullmonty #screenwriting #deathorstory
#thefullmonty #screenwriting #deathorstory
Stories begin with a question, not an answer. We start from what we know, but we write in order to better understand what we don't.
#hamnet #maggieofarrell #writingtips #screenwriting #deathorstory
#hamnet #maggieofarrell #writingtips #screenwriting #deathorstory
June 8, 2026 at 12:53 AM
Stories begin with a question, not an answer. We start from what we know, but we write in order to better understand what we don't.
#hamnet #maggieofarrell #writingtips #screenwriting #deathorstory
#hamnet #maggieofarrell #writingtips #screenwriting #deathorstory
In Iñárritu’s 2000 film Amores Perros, a car crash ripples outward through multiple timelines and interconnected lives. Differing perspectives revisit the car crash, forcing the audience to act as if it is processing memory - piecing together the timeline.
#AmoresPerros #screenwriting #deathorstory
#AmoresPerros #screenwriting #deathorstory
May 20, 2026 at 11:20 PM
In Iñárritu’s 2000 film Amores Perros, a car crash ripples outward through multiple timelines and interconnected lives. Differing perspectives revisit the car crash, forcing the audience to act as if it is processing memory - piecing together the timeline.
#AmoresPerros #screenwriting #deathorstory
#AmoresPerros #screenwriting #deathorstory
Emma proves a compelling protagonist in The Drama because her flaw is inseparable from her deepest longing. She wants love, intimacy, and a future with Charlie - but she also fears that being fully known will fundamentally alter how others see her.
#thedrama #kristogger #screenwriting #deathorstory
#thedrama #kristogger #screenwriting #deathorstory
May 13, 2026 at 5:27 PM
Emma proves a compelling protagonist in The Drama because her flaw is inseparable from her deepest longing. She wants love, intimacy, and a future with Charlie - but she also fears that being fully known will fundamentally alter how others see her.
#thedrama #kristogger #screenwriting #deathorstory
#thedrama #kristogger #screenwriting #deathorstory
#CelineSong points out that no amount of technical skill can solve a story problem if it’s not working at the human level. Story isn’t something you can engineer or pummel into place. If it’s not landing in an emotionally authentic way, no amount of structural rigor will save it. #deathorstory
May 6, 2026 at 2:34 PM
#CelineSong points out that no amount of technical skill can solve a story problem if it’s not working at the human level. Story isn’t something you can engineer or pummel into place. If it’s not landing in an emotionally authentic way, no amount of structural rigor will save it. #deathorstory
The 1983 switcheroo comedy Trading Places starring Eddie Murphy, Dan Ackroyd has a beautifully executed, hardworking midpoint that turns the plot on its head creating a whole new context. It also foreshadows the crisis. Check it out! #tradingplaces #screenwriting #deathorstory
April 29, 2026 at 2:30 PM
The 1983 switcheroo comedy Trading Places starring Eddie Murphy, Dan Ackroyd has a beautifully executed, hardworking midpoint that turns the plot on its head creating a whole new context. It also foreshadows the crisis. Check it out! #tradingplaces #screenwriting #deathorstory
Listen to #JimJarmusch & take the pressure off having to be “original” in some pure, untouched, and ultimately unattainable way. Instead, pay attention to what moves you and connect to it - that’s your voice.
#JimJarmusch #screenwriting #filmmaking #DeathorStory
#JimJarmusch #screenwriting #filmmaking #DeathorStory
April 22, 2026 at 6:37 PM
Listen to #JimJarmusch & take the pressure off having to be “original” in some pure, untouched, and ultimately unattainable way. Instead, pay attention to what moves you and connect to it - that’s your voice.
#JimJarmusch #screenwriting #filmmaking #DeathorStory
#JimJarmusch #screenwriting #filmmaking #DeathorStory
People often confuse the crisis and the climax of a film. But they do very different jobs. Take a look and see how the crisis and climax play out in Sentimental Value (written and directed by Joachim Trier and Eskil Vogt)
#sentimentalvaluefilm #screenwriting #deathorstory
#sentimentalvaluefilm #screenwriting #deathorstory
April 15, 2026 at 6:46 PM
People often confuse the crisis and the climax of a film. But they do very different jobs. Take a look and see how the crisis and climax play out in Sentimental Value (written and directed by Joachim Trier and Eskil Vogt)
#sentimentalvaluefilm #screenwriting #deathorstory
#sentimentalvaluefilm #screenwriting #deathorstory
Maggie Gyllenhaal’s Bride! sits at the intersection of horror, romantic thriller, and sci-fi, creating intentional tension. Playing with genre expectations gives filmmakers a shared language with the audience - then lets them surprise without confusion.
#MaggieGyllenhaal #filmmaking #DeathorStory
#MaggieGyllenhaal #filmmaking #DeathorStory
April 8, 2026 at 5:11 PM
Maggie Gyllenhaal’s Bride! sits at the intersection of horror, romantic thriller, and sci-fi, creating intentional tension. Playing with genre expectations gives filmmakers a shared language with the audience - then lets them surprise without confusion.
#MaggieGyllenhaal #filmmaking #DeathorStory
#MaggieGyllenhaal #filmmaking #DeathorStory