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 From Regina King's 'One Night in Miami'

January 22, 2021

The date is February 25th, 1964. The location: Miami, Florida.

History of TV: Politics and Olivia Pope Define Shondaland Hit ‘Scandal’

January 21, 2021

I resisted watching Scandal when it originally aired. I’m not into politics. But the premise is screenwriting genius — not really surprising coming from its creator, acclaimed showrunner Shonda Rhimes. Scandal is about a former White House communicat...

5 Screenwriting Takeaways: HBO Max's 'I Hate Suzie'

January 19, 2021

HBO Max has brought the darkly funny laugh-cry British hit I Hate Suzie to American audiences, and it's a cathartic watch to go down the rabbit hole with a woman likely having a worse existential crisis than you (pandemic and political crisis aside)....

A California Christmas' filmmaker Lauren Swickard is a #WomenInFilm powerhouse

January 19, 2021

I happily stumbled upon an actress recently who was not only the lead in one of Netflix’s top Christmas movies last year, but wrote the screenplay and produced it as well. As if writing a screenplay isn’t a feat in itself! At the age of twenty-seven,...

Is Screenwriting For Me?

January 18, 2021

As I sit down to write another article focusing on questions asked by new screenwriters, I truly hesitated about writing on the topic inspired by the question, "Is screenwriting for me?" It's probably one of the most difficult questions to answer.

Writer-Director Eugene Ashe on Classic Love Stories and 'Sylvie's Love'

January 18, 2021

Craving a distraction from the 24-hour news cycle, I had the opportunity to find sanctuary in Amazon Prime's Christmas Day release, Sylvie's Love, about a woman working at her father's Harlem record store in the late 1950s who meets an aspiring saxop...

Afro Horror: A Recap of 2020's Best Tips For Writing Horror That Thrills

January 15, 2021

It’s a new year, so let’s kick 2021 off right by revisiting some of the tips and rules for the horror genre I've written about in this space. It has been my honor to talk shop with you, so I thought I'd pause for a moment to give you a round-up of my...

The Enneagram For Writers: Characters and Careers: Part II

January 15, 2021

Welcome to part two of our deep dive into the Enneagram for writers! We’re taking a look at how the nine Enneagram types can be used for character inspiration, as well as provide insight on bad habits writers may have.

Looking Beyond Labels With Isabel Sandoval: Part 2

January 15, 2021

In Part 1 of our interview with Isabel Sandoval we discussed her latest film Lingua Franca, the power of the trans female gaze and giving women agency on screen, as well as making films as an immigrant in the era of Trump. We continue our conversatio...