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: Joy Ride's Screenwriters Teresa Hsiao and Cherry Chevapravatdumrong

July 14, 2023

When one woman's business trip turns into a quest to find her family, things get super funny in the new comedy Joy Ride, a raunchy road trip movie with a global spin. The film stars Oscar-nominee Stephanie Hsu, Ashley Park, Sherry Cola and Sabrina Wu...

How to Write Action According to Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning

July 14, 2023

In a cinematic world where superheroes fly effortlessly through multiple universes and the tentpole summer films have been a staple for decades, how does a movie stand out for its action sequences? For screenwriters, the thought of creating an action...

What Does "Breaking the Fourth Wall" Mean?

July 11, 2023

What is "breaking the fourth wall?" You may not know what it means or where the phrase originated — but you've definitely seen plenty of examples of it in movies and TV shows.

12 Villains That Every Screenwriter Should Study

July 7, 2023

Villains come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes they are hidden behind masks and wielding knives, other times they are conniving and cause destruction. And then, sometimes they’re just mean.

Internal Conflict Vs. External Conflict

July 4, 2023

Over the years, I’ve read my share of scripts from aspiring screenwriters. If it’s a character-driven drama, there is plenty of internal conflict; if it’s an action/adventure, sci/fantasy or thriller/horror there’s a good deal of external conflict.

How To Make Genre-Bending Work in Your Screenplay

June 30, 2023

Sometimes you have an idea for a screenplay, but it’s not suited for just one film genre. In fact, it might contain tropes from two different genres or even multiple genres! If this is the case, you’ve just dreamed up a genre-bending screenplay.

Write On: Cruel Summer's Showrunner Elle Triedman

June 28, 2023

Spoiler Alert: This podcast interview may contain spoilers about Cruel Summer. With an excited fanbase and even more exciting plot twists, the drama/thriller series Cruel Summer is back for Season 2 on Freeform. Final Draft sat down with showrunner E...