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.

The Midpoint: It Doesn't Have to Be Where Your Screenwriting Dream Goes to Die

February 4, 2023

As a former screenwriting student and now as a current screenwriting instructor, one of the most common problems I've seen writers struggle with is the middle of their script. I stopped keeping track years ago of how many times I encountered a screen...

Character Breakdown: ‘Living’ Explores How a Terminal Man Finds the Meaning of His Life

February 3, 2023

What would it take for you to change your life? It’s often the basis for a plot for film and TV shows: a protagonist receives grim news about their health and becomes determined to alter how they live their life. Impending death = motivation. Living,...

Screenplay Options vs. Screenplay Sales

January 31, 2023

Most aspiring screenwriters dream of selling their script. However, many times — especially in the earlier days of a screenwriting career — a writer is more likely to have their script optioned by a producer or production company. But what exactly is...

How Watching Movies Taught Quentin Tarantino and Can Teach Screenwriters

January 30, 2023

It’s important for aspiring screenwriters to watch movies: older films as well as current ones. Many of the films of today have been inspired by films of the past, and in some cases, this knowledge can lead to box office success, multiple awards, and...

5 Tips To Finishing a Screenplay

January 30, 2023

In my article “5 Tips To Starting a Screenplay,” I offered advice on how an aspiring screenwriter can start writing, which is often the most difficult part of the process. However, a lot of writers — whether they’re aspiring or seasoned professionals...

Take 5: How ‘M3GAN’ uses the dark side of technology to scare

January 22, 2023

Dolls are creepy, especially when they get a mind of their own. The new film M3GAN follows in the footsteps of other possessed doll-like creatures such as Chucky, Annabelle and Slappy where a child’s toy comes to life and all hell breaks loose. What ...

5 Tips To Starting a Screenplay

January 22, 2023

You’re a fan of movies, TV shows, or mini series and have thought: ‘I’d like to be a screenwriter.’ It’s only natural to want to take part in something you enjoy and the prospect of getting paid to do so would no doubt be a dream job. Maybe you even ...

Write On with Screenwriter Dana Stevens of The Woman King

January 20, 2023

Written by screenwriter Dana Stevens, The Woman King is a historical epic about an all-female warrior unit that protected the West African kingdom of Dahomey during the 17th to the 19th centuries. The film is set in the 1820s and stars Viola Davis wh...

Write On with Ruben Ostlund of Triangle of Sadness

January 19, 2023

Triangle of Sadness is a satirical black comedy from writer/director Ruben Ostlund. The film, staring Woody Harrelson, takes the world of luxury boating to the next level with its wry comedy that exposes many upstairs/downstairs differences among the...