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.

How Using Clichés Can Actually Elevate Your Writing

August 22, 2023

When writers hear the word “cliché,” they often cringe because they associate clichés with stories and characters that have been played to death. Corrupt cop: seen it. Prostitute with a heart of gold: seen it. Dumb jock: seen it. But what if I told y...

What To Do When You’re Lost in Your Script

August 11, 2023

Nowadays, if you’re out and about and you happen to get lost, it’s pretty easy to find your way. Everyone is just a few clicks away from opening a map and finding directions on their phone.

5 Steps for Developing Great Characters

August 8, 2023

Let’s say you have a great concept for a feature film or a television pilot, but you haven’t considered the characters yet. More often than not, aspiring screenwriters will populate their scripts with “stock characters,” meaning the characters are de...

What is a Subplot?

July 21, 2023

You've almost certainly heard the term "A story." This self-evidently means the main plot of a movie or TV show. The one the logline is about. That protagonist who wants something and the major obstacles, etc. etc. etc.

How to Write Action According to Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning

July 14, 2023

In a cinematic world where superheroes fly effortlessly through multiple universes and the tentpole summer films have been a staple for decades, how does a movie stand out for its action sequences? For screenwriters, the thought of creating an action...

Internal Conflict Vs. External Conflict

July 4, 2023

Over the years, I’ve read my share of scripts from aspiring screenwriters. If it’s a character-driven drama, there is plenty of internal conflict; if it’s an action/adventure, sci/fantasy or thriller/horror there’s a good deal of external conflict.

What is the Iceberg Theory and How Can It Help Your Writing?

June 27, 2023

Ernest Hemingway was not a screenwriter.

Worldbuilding 101 Using the Star Wars Model

June 23, 2023

“Worldbuilding” is when writers create a world for their characters to inhabit and story to take place.

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.