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.

Big Break Winner Joseph Greenberg’s advice for screenwriters

April 2, 2025

Breaking into Hollywood as a screenwriter can seem almost impossible at times, like a hero trying to enter an impenetrable fortress. But Joseph Greenberg’s journey, from contest winner to having his scripts set up with major talent attached, offers a...

How are Movies Made?

April 2, 2025

Ever watched a movie and wondered “How did they make this?” From a screenwriter first getting an idea to a director delivering a final cut, there are numerous steps in the making of a movie and not every journey from page to screen is the same. Some ...

How to Write Outside your Comfort Zone

April 1, 2025

Most of us are creatures of habits, and one of the biggest reasons for this is comfort. It’s comforting to know you’ve got a certain activity or way of doing something that’s a fixture of your life. In a similar fashion, many screenwriters get comfor...

'Black Bag': How to Write a Spy Movie that Sells

March 28, 2025

International intrigue. Secret agencies. Clandestine operations. Who doesn’t love a spy movie? From big action blockbusters like the Mission: Impossible and the Bourne Identity series, to smaller scale arthouse films like The Imitation Game and even ...

Write On: Paul William Davies - Creator and Showrunner of 'The Residence'

March 27, 2025

“I didn’t really set out to make Cordelia (Uzo Aduba) quirky. I just wanted to make her distinctive. I just really thought about who I wanted her to be and how I thought [birdwatching] would be an interesting way for her to approach her job. And the ...

How 'Severance' Changed a Writer’s Career

March 26, 2025

Dan Erickson is currently one of the hottest TV writers in the business. He created, co-writes, co-produces and serves as showrunner for the popular and acclaimed Apple TV+ series Severance (starring Adam Scott and executive produced and primarily di...

Playwriting vs. Screenwriting: What’s the Difference?

March 25, 2025

To the average person, screenwriting and playwriting may seem like interchangeable terms, with the only difference in their eyes being that a screenwriter is writing for the movies while a playwright is writing for the stage. The truth is that the tw...

How to Write Your Screenplay’s Opening Scene

March 24, 2025

The opening scene or sequence is perhaps the most important element of a screenplay, especially when it comes to beginning screenwriters trying to break into the industry. It’s the moment where an experienced industry insider reading your script can ...

‘Novocaine’: How to write an Action Movie with a Twist

March 21, 2025

It’s hard to write an original action movie. How different can car chases really be? And hasn’t a fight in a restaurant kitchen been done countless times already? Action movies can be a lot of fun, but creating a truly good story with action can be r...