Final Draft Blog

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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...

5 Trends in the Screenwriting Marketplace Every Screenwriter Should Know

October 15, 2024

For over two decades, Lee Jessup has been coaching the careers of both emerging and professional screenwriters with the goal of helping them take their career to the next level. You may also know that Jessup has been mentoring winners of the Final Dr...

THE SUBSTANCE and how to write Body Horror

October 11, 2024

Hormones. Puberty. Weight gain. Cancer. Aging. Menopause. Mental decline.

Why Joker is the Greatest Comic Book Movie Character

October 10, 2024

What makes Joker, the Clown Prince of Gotham, the best comic book movie character of all time? Not just villain. Character. He's evil, maniacal and misunderstood – and yet, he’s the greatest comic book character to consistently appear in movies.

Co-Writer of REZ BALL Talks Writing Sports Drama And Embracing Tropes

October 10, 2024

It can be incredibly difficult to venture into an established genre like the sports drama. It’s a tried-and-true narrative with some equally tested—and beloved—tropes. Sometimes the team is a ragtag group of misfits, the underdogs no one believes in....