Final Draft Blog

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Final Draft Big Break Screenwriting Contest 2025 opens March 10

January 17, 2025

Is your screenplay or TV pilot ready for the Final Draft Big Break Screenwriting Competition? With dozens of screenwriting contests out there, it’s important to consider which ones are worth your time and money. Over the past 20 years, the Big Break ...

New Year's Writing Resolutions

December 30, 2024

Congratulations writers! You have reached the end of another writing year. Regardless of what stage you are at in your writing career, it’s important to take the time to recognize all you have accomplished in 2024.

How long does it take to write a screenplay?

October 21, 2024

An aspiring screenwriter might wonder: how long does it take to write a screenplay?

Killer Lines: How Dialogue Can Take Horror Scripts from Good to Great

October 17, 2024

Happy Halloween! 'Tis the season for falling leaves and pumpkin-flavored lattes. It's also the season for screenwriters to ponder such issues as ‘are machetes passé?’ and the relative merits of fast versus slow zombie pacing. In short, it’s horror mo...

Why Horror Never Dies

October 8, 2024

Scary is in. Fear is fashionable. Horror is hot. That’s what we’re told. Judging strictly by box office returns and critical acclaim—not to mention the occasional Academy Award® for best screenplay—horror does seem to be having a moment in the zeitge...

What Francis Ford Coppola Can Teach Screenwriters

September 27, 2024

At the 79th Academy Awards, three directors stood on stage ready to reveal the Best Director Oscar. The three directors all came up in the 1970s, stretching the limits of what film could be and dazzling audiences. Those three directors were Steven Sp...

Inspiring an Emotional Response Through Your Screenplay

September 24, 2024

It’s important to inspire an emotional response from people reading your screenplay for several reasons.

The Differences Between an Agent and a Manager

August 27, 2024

One of the most baffling questions for aspiring or newcomer screenwriters is the following: What are the differences between an agent and a manager?

6 Keys to Writing a Short Script

July 5, 2024

There are many reasons to write a script for a short film. Many emerging screenwriters will write, direct, and produce a short film to use as a calling card for their feature screenplays, either as a proof of concept for a specific feature script or ...