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: 'Nyad' Writer Julia Cox

November 6, 2023

The new film Nyad tells the true story of athlete Diana Nyad (Annette Bening) who, at the age of 60 and with the help of her best friend and coach Bonnie (Jody Foster), commits to achieving her life-long dream: a 110-mile open ocean swim from Cuba to...

10 Direct Questions to Ask Yourself About That Script You're Writing

November 3, 2023

It was tough to finish that mammoth of a spec script, but you did it – congrats! And now that you have a completed draft of a screenplay, what do you do next? We sat down with UCLA Extension screenwriting instructor Beverly Gray, who focuses on guidi...

Write On: 'Anatomy of a Fall' Writer/Director Justine Triet

November 2, 2023

“Starting to write a project like this, we always begin with a set of very strong personal desires,” says Anatomy of a Fall writer/director Justine Triet, adding, “I’m quite reticent of scripts that are too clever or that clearly have the intention o...

Write On: 'Suitable Flesh' Writer Dennis Paoli

November 1, 2023

“I’m not happy with a script unless I can look through it and find at least five or six pages where there’s no dialogue – where the story tells itself through imagery,” says horror screenwriter Dennis Paoli. Feeling strongly that the screenwriter’s j...

25 Famous Quotes on Writer's Block

October 24, 2023

Writers’ block. We’ve all experienced it from time to time. Staring at a blank page, watching a blinking cursor, and yet…not a single sentence feels right. Such is the curse of the writer.

How Writer Gabe Polsky Crafted the Wild World of 'Butcher's Crossing'

October 20, 2023

When writer-director Gabe Polsky first read Butcher’s Crossing, the 1960 Western novel by John Edward Williams, in 2007, he knew he wanted to make it into a movie. Set in 1873, the book follows an Ivy League dropout named Will who has come to Butcher...

'Tripped Up': A Story About Friendship (and Screenwriting)

October 19, 2023

They say, “Write what you know.” And that’s exactly what scribes Cristina Catanzaro and Carrie Shaw did.

How to Develop Your Unique Voice for YouTube

October 17, 2023

If you think YouTube has passed its peak as a social media platform, think again. It is the second most visited website in the world, just behind Google and way ahead of Facebook. Part of the appeal of YouTube is that it has such a wide variety of co...

'In The Fire' Writer/Director Conor Allyn on Writing for Amber Heard

October 13, 2023

Set in the late 19th century, the new film In the Fire puts a young boy at the center of a battle between science and religion. Directed by Conor Allyn (No Man’s Land), and written by Allyn, Pascal Borno and Silvio Muraglia, the film explores themes ...