Final Draft Blog

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How long does it take to write a screenplay?

October 21, 2024

An aspiring screenwriter might wonder: how long does it take to write a screenplay?

Inspiring an Emotional Response Through Your Screenplay

September 24, 2024

It’s important to inspire an emotional response from people reading your screenplay for several reasons.

What is a Spec Script?

May 9, 2023

If you're a new screenwriter you might be wondering what a spec script is. Well, it's spelled S-P-E-C, it's pronounced "speck" and it stands for "speculation."

Air Screenwriter Shares What Made His Spec Script Rise Above the Rest

April 5, 2023

The new film Air tells the story of how the iconic partnership between Nike shoes and basketball player Michael Jordan came to be way back in 1984. It’s one of those partnerships that really wasn’t supposed to happen, but when it did, it changed the ...

What Genre Is My Screenplay?

March 27, 2023

Knowing what film genre you’re writing in is important for several reasons. Whether or not you’re playing into genre conventions or defying them, it’s useful to know what tropes have frequently appeared in certain kinds of films. Also when submitting...

5 Tips To Staying in Screenwriting Shape

December 22, 2022

It’s not always easy to stay inspired and maintain a creative mindset on a regular basis. Many times screenwriters feel burnt out or spent after an extended period of writing. They’ll stare at an empty page and not feel the same excitement they initi...

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.

Do you have to live in LA to be a Screenwriter?

September 16, 2022

This is a question that’s commonly asked by many aspiring screenwriters: do you have to live in LA to be a screenwriter? Speaking from my own personal experience, I know you don’t need to live in LA to land your first screenwriting job or sell your f...