Ron Kellermann is a film dramaturge, lecturer and author. As a green storytelling consultant, he supports screenplay and novel writers, journalists, editors and marketing experts in telling the story of global warming in a constructive and solution-oriented way.
He is the author of the books “Das Storytelling-Handbuch – Professionelles Storytelling in Journalismus, Unternehmen und Politik” (Zurich: Midas 2018) and “Fiktionales Schreiben – Geschichten erfinden, Schreiben verbessern, Kreativität steigern” (Cologne: Emons 2006) as well as the online course “Next Level Storytelling”.
His book “Hot Plot – Wie Spielfilme, Serien und Romane den Klimawandel erzählen” (“Hot Plot – How Feature Films, Series and Novels Tell the Story of Climate Change”) will be self-published in late summer 2025.
I am involved with Climate Fiction Writers Europe because, as a film dramaturge, I support not only screenwriters but also novelists in integrating climate change into their stories. I have analyzed over 50 feature films and series and several novels and identified six story patterns, each with several sub-patterns. I teach these in talks and seminars and will be publishing my book on the subject in late summer.
“Content is king.” We all know this hackneyed phrase. And yet it’s true: good content is the difference between success and failure, image and reputation, likes and shares, credibility and identification. But unfortunately, it only says that good content is important, not how to develop it.
The renowned film dramaturge, screenplay lecturer and storytelling consultant Ron Kellermann has an answer to this question: with dramaturgical thinking, a method of thinking that applies questions in such a way that the quality of content can be tested and defined. Dramaturgical thinking is rooted in fictional dramaturgy and is therefore also the professional basis of storytelling, the creation of content in the form of a story.
Nowadays, many call themselves storytelling experts, even if they are not. Yet storytelling is in our nature, because we humans have always been narrative beings. Storytelling may sound simple, but applying methods and concepts of film dramaturgy without actually understanding them only works to a limited extent. As a result, the much-vaunted storytelling often does not have the hoped-for success. Great visions vanish into thin air and the brilliant idea fails to materialize. Storytelling sounds simple in theory, but there are many pitfalls when it comes to implementation. This is where Ron Kellermann’s book comes in. On the one hand, he explains how dramaturgical thinking works in such a way that it can be applied to a wide range of areas. Secondly, he shows how dramaturgical thinking can be used to avoid typical storytelling pitfalls and tell better stories.
This practical guide shows how dramaturgical thinking can be used in journalism, corporate communications, politics and presentations to identify relevant topics, research more efficiently, develop interesting content and tell meaningful yet entertaining stories that people are emotionally moved by and identify with.
To write a novel, a screenplay or a short story, you need to be able to write, be creative and know how to develop a story. ‘Fictional Writing’ is dedicated to these three basic requirements of storytelling: writing talent, creative talent and narrative talent.
This book shows how stories work, how to develop vivid characters, plot development and how to establish the theme and message of a story. It explains how the fictional writing process works, how writer’s block can arise and be overcome, and how to organize your day-to-day writing. Based on the technique of free writing, the book shows how writing becomes an integral part of life and how new ideas can be generated through writing in a playful way.
The functions of an exposé are explained as well as the optimal use of important development tools. The book also provides tips for writing and offering exposés.