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.

What is Screenplay Coverage?

May 1, 2023

You’ve likely heard the term “coverage” used in reference to screenplays, but what is it and how do you get it? To put it in simple terms, coverage is feedback on your script from an industry professional.

Write On: Blindspotting's Rafael Casal on Hiring Writers for his Room

April 25, 2023

Final Draft's Write On podcast series sits down with co-creator Rafael Casal on the second season of his half-hour comedy series Blindspotting. The show centers on Ashley, who lives in Oakland, Calif. When her partner (who is also the father of her s...

Screenwriting Homage Vs. Screenwriting Stealing

April 25, 2023

Many screenwriters like to insert homages to past films into their screenplays, but the king of the cinematic homage has to be Quentin Tarantino.

You’ve Finished Your Screenplay. Now what?

April 21, 2023

In past articles, I gave advice on how to effectively start and finish a screenplay. Well, let’s say you followed all of my tips and you did it: your screenplay is finished!

What is Chekhov's Gun?

April 18, 2023

Chekhov's Gun was intended to be advice for playwrights and novelists, from a writer working in a time before there even were movie theaters and televisions.

Screenwriting Mentor Lee Jessup Says Entering a Competition is All About Gaining Industry Access

April 17, 2023

Lee Jessup is a career coach for screenwriters and has been mentoring winners of the Final Draft Big Break Screenwriting Competition (which is now open for entries!) for over a decade. Her experience in the industry and savvy for knowing what makes a...

What Is Irony in Literature and How Can It Enhance Your Screenwriting?

April 14, 2023

Over the years I’ve read my share of unproduced screenplays by aspiring screenwriters, and I noticed that many of them lacked something very important — something that’s usually found in abundance in produced screenplays.

5 Things ‘Air’ Can Teach You About Screenwriting

April 11, 2023

Nike and basketball seem like a foregone conclusion, but in the new movie Air, the filmmakers look back to the 1980s when a fledgling basketball division at an Oregon-based running shoe company teetered on the brink of disaster. What makes the story ...

Confessions of a Screenplay Contest Reader

April 10, 2023

After you click the final submit button when entering your screenplay into a contest, you might breathe a sigh of relief knowing that you’ve done everything to get your script ready for a reader to review, judge and provide feedback on your masterpie...