Final Draft Blog

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Big Break Sci-Fi/Fantasy Winner Dustin Milligan Signs With Anonymous Content

May 23, 2023

If you’re a fan of quirky comedy, you most likely know Dustin Milligan as an actor on the Emmy-winning TV show Schitt’s Creek. Charming and handsome, he plays Ted Mullens, the love interest of the confounding Alexis Rose (Annie Murphy). What you prob...

How to Work Your Win: Catching Up with 2020 Big Break Winner Ben Johnson Jr.

May 8, 2023

Writer Ben Johnson Jr. had a very specific goal when entering Final Draft’s Big Break – to get repped. “Because I live in South Africa, I knew I needed a manager or agent to champion me and my work in the American market,” he shares. “So I researched...

What is Screenplay Coverage?

May 1, 2023

You’ve likely heard the term “coverage” used in reference to screenplays, but what is it and how do you get it? To put it in simple terms, coverage is feedback on your script from an industry professional.

You’ve Finished Your Screenplay. Now what?

April 21, 2023

In past articles, I gave advice on how to effectively start and finish a screenplay. Well, let’s say you followed all of my tips and you did it: your screenplay is finished!

Screenwriting Mentor Lee Jessup Says Entering a Competition is All About Gaining Industry Access

April 17, 2023

Lee Jessup is a career coach for screenwriters and has been mentoring winners of the Final Draft Big Break Screenwriting Competition (which is now open for entries!) for over a decade. Her experience in the industry and savvy for knowing what makes a...

Confessions of a Screenplay Contest Reader

April 10, 2023

After you click the final submit button when entering your screenplay into a contest, you might breathe a sigh of relief knowing that you’ve done everything to get your script ready for a reader to review, judge and provide feedback on your masterpie...

Big Break's Crash Course on Writing Loglines for Your Script

March 29, 2023

It's seemingly one of the simplest tasks connected with screenwriting. In comparison to writing a TV pilot or feature-length script, it's a minor chore, something to be dashed off hurriedly at the last moment when suddenly required. I'm talking about...

5 Tips To Better Spelling and Grammar

March 29, 2023

When I was in junior high I started writing short stories, but I wasn’t academically inclined and not a particularly good speller. My grammar was also less than stellar. This didn’t stop me; however, and I kept writing my short stories anyway (usuall...

Where Are They Now: Big Break Winner Greta Heinemann Has Since Worked For NBC, Apple and Netflix

March 27, 2023

Screenwriter Greta Heinemann was one of the Grand Prize Winners of the 2017 Big Break Screenwriting Contest for her thriller/horror feature script, "City Under Fire.”