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.

Outlining Your Screenplay Your Way

February 6, 2024

Outlining your story before writing a screenplay is a vital tool that will save you time and energy. Not only will it help you in terms of structuring your narrative, you’re less likely to have a “second act slump” if you plotted all of the major sto...

Write On: 'Lawmen: Bass Reeves' Showrunner Chad Feehan

February 5, 2024

The Bricks of Breaking In: FBI: International Writer Kristina Thomas on Trusting the Process

February 5, 2024

FBI: International writer Kristina Thomas related her path into writing television to the famous image of a straight line to get you where you need to compare with the reality of a line all balled, jumbled, and twirled around that eventually gets you...

5 Unconventional Things You Can Do to Inspire Your Writing

February 2, 2024

The volume and frequency of screenplay work we are expected to complete before we’re considered “serious” writers is almost unfair. After all, the conventions often expected of a professional screenplay can leave us feeling like we’re dodging a minef...

Write On: 'Miller's Girl' Writer/director Jade Halley Bartlett

January 30, 2024

“Personally, I think writing is bleeding. It's blood magic. It's very hard to do,” says writer/director Jade Halley Bartlett of the new Southern gothic romance, Miller’s Girl.

The Big Picture: How to Navigate Every Element of Your Script

January 30, 2024

You need to have a multi-dimensional view of your script when screenwriting. You should know how everything is connected: scenes, characters, locations, etc. I refer to this as “seeing the big picture in screenwriting.”

Read The 2024 Oscar-Nominated Scripts

January 26, 2024

Every great screenwriter knows the importance of taking the time to read screenplays. It takes a lot of focus and numerous rewrites to create a well-constructed screenplay that can be considered a work of literature. The ink on the page is the thing ...

Using Emojis in Your Script: Text Message Format and More

January 23, 2024

As our world changes, so does the way we tell a story.

5 Screenwriting Takeaways: Sundance Shorts Embrace It All

January 19, 2024

As the 2024 Sundance Film Festival approaches its 40th year, the best shorts in the independent film world will show on the silver screen in Park City, Utah. From January 18 through the 28 (with some titles available online from January 25 through 28...