Final Draft Blog

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Big Story, Small Budget

December 16, 2022

Many aspiring screenwriters don’t consider budgets when writing a spec script, even though it’s a major factor to why certain scripts get bought and produced.

‘The L Word: Generation Q’ showrunner Marja-Lewis Ryan on voice and making room for everyone to be heard

December 16, 2022

Marja-Lewis Ryan wears a lot of hats behind the scenes of Showtime’s The L Word: Generation Q: creator, showrunner, executive producer, director, screenwriter, advocate, fresh voices champion, and all-around television fangirl.

The Bricks of Breaking In: Julie Sagalowsky Diaz On Finding Your Voice

December 9, 2022

Julie Sagalowsky Diaz (Surfside Girls, The Shannara Chronicles) always found herself interested in performing as she did a lot of choir and musical theater in her youth. She recalls, “That was kind of my avenue into television, film and the arts at l...

Turning Your Personality and Taste Into a Brand

November 27, 2022

In a highly competitive and constantly growing marketplace, it’s important to stand out if you want a career writing for film or television. Many of the most sought-after screenwriters have memorable or larger than life personalities.

Rising Through the Ranks: 'Equalizer's' Vanessa Herron

November 11, 2022

“I’m excited to wake up in the morning and do what I’ve dreamed of doing for so long: Make a decent living as a writer.”

How To Avoid a Second Act Slump in Your Screenplay

October 4, 2022

Over the years, if it’s one thing I’ve heard screenwriters struggle with the most, it’s the second act of their script. Even if they think they have a great concept and strong first act, they suddenly get to the second act and they find their creativ...

There Isn’t a Perfect Screenplay

September 28, 2022

There isn’t a perfect screenplay.

5 Tips to Writing a Great Opening

September 7, 2022

In my article 5 Clichés to Avoid in the Opening of Your Script, I stressed the importance of grabbing industry professionals in the first couple pages of your spec script. Whether it’s a feature screenplay or a television pilot, most managers, agents...

Right Story, Right Character

September 7, 2022

In my article about National Lampoon's Vacation, I wrote that one of the reasons for the film’s success was it paired the right character with the right story. Sometimes there is a tendency for screenwriters to focus more on plot and less on the prot...