Final Draft Blog

All the tips, tricks and information you need to inspire your writing!
Read interviews with the pros, catch up with industry news, and listen to Write On: A Screenwriting Podcast by Final Draft.

Creating a Sympathetic Monster

October 28, 2024

A Sympathetic Monster is an archetype that can be found in various “monster movies.” In addition to scaring us, these monsters also tug at our heartstrings, and we find ourselves caring about them despite the carnage they cause. Over the decades, the...

What Are Static and Dynamic Characters in Screenwriting?

October 25, 2024

Characters are essential to storytelling. They drive conflict, provide a point of view for the story, and become the audience’s reason to stay rooted in the experience. But what kind of character are you writing to motivate your story?

Write On: Seth Sherwood Horror Masterclass

October 24, 2024

“Comedy and scares are so similar. I’ve found that in a lot of my scripts, it’s almost like you’re taking the peaks and valleys of humor, and the peaks and valleys of scares, and flipping them on each other. So, you have the scare that you come down ...

Writing Visceral Horror: Interview with 'Daddy's Head' Creator Benjamin Barfoot

October 23, 2024

Benjamin Barfoot, a screenwriter, director, editor, and composer, is a self-taught filmmaker and self-proclaimed jack-of-all-trades. After getting his start in shorts and animation, he’s moved on to bigger and more ambitious projects—which brings us ...

How long does it take to write a screenplay?

October 21, 2024

An aspiring screenwriter might wonder: how long does it take to write a screenplay?

Write On: 'Hysteria!' Creator and Showrunner Matthew Scott Kane

October 18, 2024

“We wanted the whole series, but specifically the pilot episode, to lure you in with the kind of comfort and coziness of the 80s nostalgia and the trappings of John Hughes movies, and all of that, while also giving it the 80s heavy metal flavor, and ...

Killer Lines: How Dialogue Can Take Horror Scripts from Good to Great

October 17, 2024

Happy Halloween! 'Tis the season for falling leaves and pumpkin-flavored lattes. It's also the season for screenwriters to ponder such issues as ‘are machetes passé?’ and the relative merits of fast versus slow zombie pacing. In short, it’s horror mo...

SATURDAY NIGHT and how to write a historical drama

October 17, 2024

It’s likely that when Saturday Night Live premiered on October 11, 1975, even the show’s creator didn’t see it lasting 50 years. The chaotic start of the ‘not ready for prime time’ players was filled with uncertainty, confusion, hostility and a revol...

How To Scare Your Reader

October 16, 2024

The Horror/Thriller genre always thrives in the screenplay marketplace. This is largely because people enjoy being scared. It’s not unlike people enjoying a roller-coaster or haunted hayride. There’s a primal instinct — both exciting and cathartic in...