Final Draft Blog

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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.

Why You Should Write Dark Comedy

July 19, 2023

Dark comedy, also known as black comedy, is a style of comedy that finds humor in serious or taboo subjects. At its best, dark comedy can be cathartic, helping people confront the absurdities and injustices of existence while making them laugh.

Write On: Joy Ride's Screenwriters Teresa Hsiao and Cherry Chevapravatdumrong

July 14, 2023

When one woman's business trip turns into a quest to find her family, things get super funny in the new comedy Joy Ride, a raunchy road trip movie with a global spin. The film stars Oscar-nominee Stephanie Hsu, Ashley Park, Sherry Cola and Sabrina Wu...

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...

What Does "Breaking the Fourth Wall" Mean?

July 11, 2023

What is "breaking the fourth wall?" You may not know what it means or where the phrase originated — but you've definitely seen plenty of examples of it in movies and TV shows.

12 Villains That Every Screenwriter Should Study

July 7, 2023

Villains come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes they are hidden behind masks and wielding knives, other times they are conniving and cause destruction. And then, sometimes they’re just mean.

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.