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 with Amy Glazer and Sylvia Brownrigg of “Kepler’s Dream”

December 13, 2017

We recently chatted with director Amy Glazer and screenwriter Sylvia Brownrigg, the filmmakers behind Kepler’s Dream. They discuss working together to adapt Brownrigg’s young adult novel, their personal connections to the story of fractured families ...

Tech Tips: Creating Easy Access to Final Draft

December 1, 2017

After you install Final Draft, it’s easy to set up your computer so that you can open the program quickly.

Terry Rossio, Writer of Pirates of the Caribbean Part II: The Craft of Screenwriting

November 30, 2017

We talked at length with one of Hollywood’s most sought-after screenwriters, Terry Rossio, perhaps best known for Shrek and Pirates of the Caribbean.

Five Lessons Writers Can Learn From The Handmaid’s Tale

November 29, 2017

The Hulu series The Handmaid’s Tale recently swept the Emmys, winning 8 out of the 13 awards it was nominated for, including Outstanding Drama Series. Based on the 1985 novel by Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale tells the story of a future where h...

Terry Rossio, Writer of "Pirates of the Caribbean" Part I: The Business of Screenwriting

November 27, 2017

In the vast world of filmmaking, screenwriters have their own stars and heroes. One name that even freshman writers beginning their first scripts know is that of Terry Rossio.

Write On with Liz Hannah and Brian Duffield's Writers for Puerto Rico

November 22, 2017

We chatted with screenwriters Liz Hannah (The Post) and Brian Duffield (Insurgent) about Writers for Puerto Rico, a crowd fund the two started to raise money for those affected by the hurricanes that recently destroyed the region.

Filmmaker Insight: James Mangold Gives New Focus on Storytelling in "Logan"

November 14, 2017

Multi-talented James Mangold is known as the director/screenwriter for multiple feature-film successes such as Girl, Interrupted, 3:10 to Yuma, and the profound superhero film Logan which took the box office by storm in early 2017.

Five Things Writers Can Learn From Big Little Lies

November 13, 2017

Based on the novel by Liane Moriarty, Big Little Lies has been praised by critics and audiences alike for its depiction of strong, confident and complicated women. Nominated for 16 Emmy® Awards and winner of eight, the HBO mini-series was adapted by ...

Five Lessons Writers Can Learn From "Ray Donovan"

November 9, 2017

For five seasons, Ray Donovan has been one of the highest rated series on Showtime. Created by Ann Biderman, a screenwriter whose credits include Copycat (1995), Primal Fear (1996), and Public Enemies (2009), Ray Donovan is a crime-drama series focus...