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.

Afro Horror: How To Write Black Characters

August 21, 2020

So, you want to write a horror film with Black characters but you’re not Black? How do you do that without making them flat and stereotypical, and above all, without being racist? It’s probably easier than you think. To figure out how to do it better...

5 Screenwriting Takeaways from Hulu's 'Normal People'

August 19, 2020

There is no doubt that American entertainment has long failed its audience in the intimacy department. Violence, no problem, you’ll probably get a PG-13 rating, but anything beyond a kiss and you’re looking at a hard R. This has often caused intimacy...

Fear the Pitch... and Do It Anyway

August 19, 2020

Most screenwriters will tell you that pitching is their least favorite part of the job. Sure, there may be one or two who claim to find the experience fun, but they are most definitely in the minority. What all screenwriters will agree on is that pit...

The Weekend Movie Takeaway: NBC’s Latest Move Reflects The Diminishing Role of Broadcast Television

August 18, 2020

As America heads into election season and the ramifications of COVID-19 on the film industry continue to be felt, larger trends in the business of screen narrative are making themselves known, showing 2020 to be a turning point for the industry in mo...

Write On with Shudder's "Cursed Films" Writer-Director Jay Cheel

August 18, 2020

Shudder's Cursed Films writer-director Jay Cheel discusses what writing a documentary really means, how he chose the films for the series, how he got his start in filmmaking, and much more. Cursed Films is the 5-part documentary series that explores ...

The Fast Five: The ‘90s Are Back, and So Is That Episode of ‘Black-ish’

August 18, 2020

Two years after it was pulled from ABC the week it was intended to air, the infamous Black-ish episode that was censored for unknown reasons has finally been made available through Hulu. The show is incredibly tame when looked at through a 2020 lens,...

Weekend Writing Inspiration: Don't Take It Personally — How to Thrive While Receiving Feedback On Your Script

August 14, 2020

Receiving quality feedback on your screenplay is an invaluable step in the process of crafting a story that works. You’re only able to see so much about what’s working and what’s not working when you’re deep inside a story. Getting a fresh look from ...

Developing Your Screenwriting Brand Part 1: The Statement

August 13, 2020

I once had a job helping actors create short films to beef up their reels. I handled most of the creative decisions for the shorts, which meant I would have to ask the client about their career; their goals and, most importantly, how they saw themsel...

Dialogue: The Art of Subtext

August 12, 2020

For me, writing dialogue is the most fun part of writing a screenplay. Action generally stays the same; the same tone, same sentence structure, same grammar. Dialogue, on the other hand, can be wildly varying, depending on the characters populating y...