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.

5 Screenwriting Takeaways: 'The Black Phone' dials up tension by drip-feeding clues

August 31, 2022

On the surface, The Black Phone is a story about a 13-year-old boy named Finney who is kidnapped by a serial killer known as the Grabber, but something more mysterious haunts him throughout this story. In the soundproof room where he and many others ...

5 Clichés to Avoid in the Opening of Your Script

August 25, 2022

Sometimes in life — when talking and expressing ourselves to the people around us — clichés are unavoidable. There are only so many ways to convey the most common feelings and situations that we all go through. When writing a screenplay, however, it’...

Write On with 'Me Time' Writer-Director John Hamburg

August 25, 2022

Starring Kevin Hart and Mark Wahlberg, Me Time follows a stay-at-home dad (Hart) who joins an old friend (Wahlberg) on a wild birthday adventure while his family is away. Writer-director John Hamburg discusses his approach to balancing character and ...

Saving and Backing Up Your Screenplay Files

August 19, 2022

The importance of a screenwriter saving and backing up their work cannot be stressed enough. Creativity is a precious thing and you have to seize those sometimes fleeting moments of inspiration. If you’re in the zone writing something you’re particul...

5 Screenwriting Takeaways: ‘The Gray Man's’ character development can level-up your craft

August 19, 2022

Moviegoers love characters who specialize, especially in violence. It’s even better if they’ve been part of a secret government program and can focus their specialty on someone more vicious than they are.

Write On with 'The Inhabitant' Writer and Big Break Finalist Kevin Bachar

July 29, 2022

Photo courtesy of Kevin Bachar 2017 Big Break Category Winner Kevin Bachar stopped by the Write On podcast to discuss his new feature, The Inhabitant, starring Dermot Mulroney and Leslie Bibb. "It's a relative of Lizzie Borden set in modern times," s...

Unearthing the History of Black Spectacle in Jordan Peele’s NOPE

July 28, 2022

Equipped: Tips and Quips from creator and executive producer Samm Hodges

July 27, 2022

What makes a successful writer tick? How do they handle bad news? How have others changed their lives and how do they pay it forward? If you want to learn from the best, you’ve come to the right place.

Characters That inspire: Arthur Dent from 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'

July 27, 2022

Which characters inspire your writing? Nottingham-based screenwriter, filmmaker and festival programmer Sam Kurd shares a special kinship with a great literary character and their archetype.