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.

Character Archetype: The Femme Fatale

June 16, 2023

The femme fatale is a notable character archetype in cinema history. Think Catherine Tramell from Basic Instinct or Amy Dunne from Gone Girl. A true femme fatale is as captivating as she’s conniving, and desirable as she is deadly.

How to Harness Dan Harmon's Story Circle to Tell Better Stories

June 13, 2023

Loosely based on / inspired by the Hero's Journey story structure, Dan Harmon's Story Circle has gained a sizable following in recent years, particularly among writers of episodic television. But even feature script writers can benefit from using thi...

Write On: Wednesday Creators Al Gough and Miles Millar

June 7, 2023

The surprise hit and breakout role for Jenna Ortega as the titular character in Netflix's spin off of the Addams Family, Wednesday, was just as exciting to create as it is to watch. "The writer's room started the first week of lockdown, so writing a ...

Plot Device Cheat Sheet: How to Use Deus ex Machina

May 25, 2023

Every writer knows the meaning of the word "unmotivated." Some days, it's just an uphill slog to find the energy to even approach the keyboard, much less get actual words on a page.

The Great’s Tony McNamara on Making History Characters Feel Modern

May 23, 2023

Power. Sex. Identity. And comedy? Huzzah! Season 3 of The Great is finally streaming on Hulu and we’re heating up the borscht! If you haven’t seen the show, it’s about Catherine the Great’s (Elle Fanning) marriage to Peter III of Russia (Nicholas Hou...

History of the World, Part II Showrunner on Mel Brooks: ‘I Get Chills Every Time I Say His Name’

May 18, 2023

Editor's Note: This interview took place before the 2023 WGA strike. The year was 1981. Not sure if I should admit this, but I’m old enough to remember going to the movie theater, not the kind with stadium seating, but the kind with sticky floors and...

Final Draft Creates Template to Remove Barriers for Differently-Abled Writers

May 16, 2023

Films like Everything Everywhere All At Once, CODA, Inside Out, Champions, and Silver Linings Playbook all have something extraordinary in common: they include a spectrum of neurodiverse characters of differing abilities.

Guardians of the Galaxy: How Family, Humor and Music Equal Smash Hit

May 11, 2023

Who are the Guardians of the Galaxy? Ten years ago, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who knew anything about this group or was even interested in a movie about these unknown characters roaming the galaxy.

Write On: Daisy Jones & the Six's co-showrunner Scott Neustadter

May 4, 2023

The story of how Daisy Jones & the Six went from book to TV show is a fascinating one. Scott Neustadter, best known for comedies like 500 Days of Summer and The Disaster Artist, was sent the unpublished manuscript about the rise of a rock band in...