Final Draft Blog

All the tips, tricks and information you need to inspire your writing!
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How To Write Naturalistic Dialogue

February 25, 2023

If it’s one thing I’ve seen aspiring screenwriters struggle with most over the years, it’s how to write naturalistic dialogue. Oftentimes their scripts might have good ideas or memorable sequences, but when the characters speak, their dialogue comes ...

Inserting Your Personal Life Into Your Screenplay

February 14, 2023

You shouldn’t be afraid to insert your personal life into your screenplay. Even if you’re writing about a zombie apocalypse or a high-adrenaline heist, the more of yourself you put into your script, the stronger impact it will have on readers. Not on...

5 Tips To Finishing a Screenplay

January 30, 2023

In my article “5 Tips To Starting a Screenplay,” I offered advice on how an aspiring screenwriter can start writing, which is often the most difficult part of the process. However, a lot of writers — whether they’re aspiring or seasoned professionals...

5 Tips To Starting a Screenplay

January 22, 2023

You’re a fan of movies, TV shows, or mini series and have thought: ‘I’d like to be a screenwriter.’ It’s only natural to want to take part in something you enjoy and the prospect of getting paid to do so would no doubt be a dream job. Maybe you even ...

How To Keep Your Protagonists in Peril

January 10, 2023

If you’re writing an action, thriller or horror script, it’s important to have your protagonists in constant peril. These genres rely heavily on audiences watching to see how a character survives or overcomes a perilous situation; more often than not...

5 Tips For Handling Exposition in Your Screenplay

January 10, 2023

One of the trickiest and biggest challenges for a screenwriter is how to best handle exposition. What is exposition exactly? It’s the insertion of expository information into a narrative; this information can be about the characters’ past or current ...

How a filmmaker used her low-budget skills to create a $50k union feature

December 22, 2022

What does “low budget” mean? It’s all based on context. One person’s $50,000 film might be low budget, but so would a $10 million dollar Ridley Scott studio picture.

How To Write a Topical Screenplay

December 21, 2022

Inserting topical issues into a screenplay can add an extra layer of depth and make your script fresher and more relevant. The best managers, agents and producers have their finger on the pulse, and if they think your script is reflecting our times a...

How to find the time to write your script when you have a full-time job

December 16, 2022

You love writing. You dream of finishing your screenplay. You dream of selling your screenplay. There’s just one problem – you have a full-time job. You might even have a family or other responsibilities. Life, to say the least, is busy. So how do yo...