Final Draft Blog

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How to Write a Short Story: 7 Elements to Always Remember

March 15, 2024

Short stories, sometimes called “flash fiction,” are incredibly popular right now. Call it a symptom of our busy lives or our limited ability to focus, but short stories can capture our imagination in a way no other narrative experience can.

The Type Stuff: The History of the Typewriter in Screenwriting

February 12, 2024

For decades, the typewriter was the tool most screenwriters would use to write their scripts.

5 Unconventional Things You Can Do to Inspire Your Writing

February 2, 2024

The volume and frequency of screenplay work we are expected to complete before we’re considered “serious” writers is almost unfair. After all, the conventions often expected of a professional screenplay can leave us feeling like we’re dodging a minef...

Web-Based Screenwriting Success Stories: Learn from the Best

January 2, 2024

As writers, we could all use some motivation from time to time (more like all the time). Finding inspiration from other screenwriters’ success stories can be a good starting point as it shows what you want to experience is actually possible.

8 New Year's Resolutions for Screenwriters

December 29, 2023

2024 is upon us and it’s time to make a New Year’s resolution.

25 Famous Quotes on Writer's Block

October 24, 2023

Writers’ block. We’ve all experienced it from time to time. Staring at a blank page, watching a blinking cursor, and yet…not a single sentence feels right. Such is the curse of the writer.

How to Get Back in the Saddle After the WGA Strike

October 6, 2023

Maybe you’ve been out on the picket lines towing the line or at home refreshing your inbox a hundred times a day to see if a deal had been made, either way it’s probably been a while since you've been writing in a regular stride since the WGA Writer’...

When Writing Isn't Fun Anymore...

October 3, 2023

The inspiration for a new story is always exciting and motivating until, of course, it’s not. As poet Dorothy Parker once famously said, “I don’t like to write, but I love having written.” The eagerness we brought to the computer screen in the beginn...

10 Struggles Only Screenwriters Understand

September 29, 2023

We’ve all been there. You’re hyped to start writing, under the naively confident impression that your creative juices are flowing and you’re about to type up masterful scene after masterful scene. Step One: Open your latest project in Final Draft. St...