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: '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 ...

Write On: Appendage Writer/Director Anna Zlokovic

October 10, 2023

“The Fly was our biggest reference," first time feature writer/director Anna Zlokovic tells Final Draft's Write On podcast about her inspiration for her horror film Appendage. The spooky thriller is about a young fashion designer who sprouts a myster...

How to Get Back in the Saddle After the WGA Strike

October 6, 2023

Maybe you’ve been out on the picket lines towing the line or at home refreshing your inbox a hundred times a day to see if a deal had been made, either way it’s probably been a while since you've been writing in a regular stride since the WGA Writer’...