Final Draft Blog

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Read interviews with the pros, catch up with industry news, and listen to Write On: A Screenwriting Podcast by Final Draft.

5 Things Screenwriters Can Be Thankful For

November 27, 2024

When many of us think of Thanksgiving, several things come to mind. Visiting family and loved ones, watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, football or Planes, Trains and Automobiles, a turkey dinner with stuffing, sweet potato, cranberry sauce,...

5 Things I Did to Become a Professional Screenwriter

November 26, 2024

I broke into screenwriting 16 years ago thanks to a big spec sale. I was able to make a career out of it, selling other scripts and landing various assignment jobs over the years. Do you know what I was doing before I sold my first screenplay? I was ...

Write On: TV Writing with Laura Eason

November 25, 2024

“About 12 years ago, I had my very first meeting to staff. It was a show being run by a playwright named Beau Willimon and he’d done one season of a show that hadn’t dropped yet and they were going to do this crazy new model where the whole season wa...

How to Write a Great Dinner Scene in Your Screenplay

November 25, 2024

Dinner tables can be more than a place to eat. From the mundane conversations that reveal character dynamics to the rising tension that happens when everyone is forced to sit down and share a meal, dinner scenes create the perfect setting for pivotal...

How to Write a Musical Like ‘Wicked’

November 22, 2024

Musicals might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but they have a long history of being Hollywood darlings. From the first part-talkie musical, The Jazz Singer, to the latest adaptation of Wicked, movie musicals can transport us to gravity-defying worlds....

Write On: 'Colin From Accounts' Co-Creators Patrick Brammall and Harriet Dyer

November 21, 2024

“We never wanted to make a show about dogs. We wanted to make a show about people. And then secondary to that, people who love dogs. We made sure we had some of Colin [the dog, in season two], like there’s that lovely episode in seven where Gordon be...

Structure, Structure, Structure

November 21, 2024

Imagine a world without structure. The idea may be compelling to some rebels, but the reality is a nightmare.

How to Write a Subversive Holiday Movie Like ‘Red One’

November 21, 2024

If you’re looking for a pure, wholesome Christmas movie, you’ll want to spend your time on the cable channels like Hallmark Channel or UPtv. However, most modern, bigger-budgeted holiday films will subvert the genre to make it more original, enticing...

How Long Should My Movie Script Be?

November 19, 2024

‘How long should my movie script be?’ is a question many beginner screenwriters ask, and it’s an important one because it can impact your script’s marketability. Below I explain why script size matters, reveal the ideal page range, and give tips on h...