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.

Write On 'Cobra Kai' Showrunners Jon Hurwitz, Josh Heald and Hayden Schlossberg

July 19, 2024

“We were all six or seven years old when [the first Karate Kid movie] came out. So all of us saw it in the theater and I think for all of us, it was probably the first time any of us had seen a movie where there was such an amazing twist that happene...

'Primos' Creator Natasha Kline Uses Her Own Multicultural Family as Inspo

July 17, 2024

Most of us have at least a cousin or two. But Natasha Kline grew up with a whopping 12 cousins who’d all spend summers at her house in the L.A. suburb of Fontana, camping out in her room and creating quite a bit of chaos for the shy, introverted youn...

Screenwriter Spotlight: How Labs Helped 'birth/rebirth' Writers Jumpstart Their Career

July 16, 2024

Sometimes all it takes to jumpstart your screenwriting career is someone believing in you. That definitely seems to be the case with writing duo Laura Moss and Brendan J. O'Brien, whose three-time Spirit award-nominated feature film birth/rebirth, a ...

Teaching Beat Board Techniques

July 11, 2024

This article will cover strategies for teaching Beat Board techniques to use as a tool in your classes on scriptwriting. For more comprehensive information on how to use the various functions of the beat board and story map, please check out this vid...

Write On: 'A Family Affair' Writer Carrie Solomon

July 10, 2024

“I came up doing improv where failure is the golden standard. And in improv, if you're not failing, you're doing something wrong. I feel really lucky that that was one of my bridges into entertainment and creativity, to have such a loving relationshi...

How Longlegs’ Terrifying Marketing Teaches You to Craft a Great Villain

July 9, 2024

Creating a killer is no easy task. Sure, writing villains can be fun as you dive into what makes them tick and what justifies their crimes against humanity. But making a villain terrifying is another story.

6 Keys to Writing a Short Script

July 5, 2024

There are many reasons to write a script for a short film. Many emerging screenwriters will write, direct, and produce a short film to use as a calling card for their feature screenplays, either as a proof of concept for a specific feature script or ...

How 'Space Cadet' Writer Turns Headlines into Female-Centric Comedy

July 2, 2024

Space Cadet is a new coming-of-age comedy starring Emma Roberts as Rex, a spunky young woman who’s always dreamed about becoming an astronaut and going into space. Unfortunately, her trajectory is thwarted when her mother passes away. Feeling a deep ...

Character Breakdown: Will Homelander Get a Redemption Arc in 'The Boys'?

July 1, 2024

The Boys is a chaotic and violent satire that explores a world where superheroes abuse their powers—and the most powerful supe of all is Homelander (Antony Starr). With abilities like superhuman strength, speed, hearing, and sight (including x-ray vi...