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.

‘Come Play’ Pays Homage To the Spooky Amblin Tales of Yore

November 9, 2020

If you're looking to continue your spooky season during the spookiest year of them all, or you're an Amblin fan, Come Play is a worthy watch. The movie's writer-director Jacob Chase is living a filmmaker’s fairy tale; his short film Larry blew up the...

5 Screenwriting Takeaways: ‘The Undoing’ and Female Thriller Writing Tropes to Embrace and Avoid

November 9, 2020

The Undoing is flashy and feels familiar. But that also feels by design. The HBO show shares writers with Big Little Lies and sells itself on wealth, cheating and suspense. If it will be as big a hit as Lies is yet to be determined, but it’s a good c...

History of TV: ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ Beams Us To a Whole New World of Understanding

November 5, 2020

Star Trek: The Next Generation is the first show I remember watching weekly. I also distinctly remember being in grade four and a boy named Michael telling me that I wasn’t allowed to like Star Trek because I was a girl. How I wish I’d responded? Tha...

Writer-Director-Star Juliet Landau On Narcissism and 'A Place Among the Dead'

November 4, 2020

Juliet Landau’s directorial debut, A Place Among the Dead, isn’t your typical vampire movie. Dubbed a “revealing and terrifying meld of fact, fiction and the fantastical,” the film stars Landau as Jules, a woman who embarks on a journey at the potent...

Write On with Emmy® Nominated Writer and Director Leslye Headland

November 3, 2020

Emmy® nominated writer-director-producer Leslye Headland joins our host Phil Galasso to discuss her transition from playwright to screenwriter, her time working on the cult-classic The Terriers, the unique challenges of writing Russian Doll, and much...

Q&A with Emmy® Nominated Writer and Director Leslye Headland

November 3, 2020

5 Screenwriting Takeaways: 'The Queen’s Gambit' Makes Chess Sexy, Compelling, and Addicting

November 2, 2020

The Queen’s Gambit has the master challenge of making chess a visually watchable game, and it has largely succeeded. How did the screenwriters do it? An infinitely watchable character, the themes of addiction and obsession, and embracing the visual l...

Write On with 'The Wolf of Snow Hollow' Writer-Director-Star Jim Cummings

October 30, 2020

The Wolf of Snow Hollow writer-director-star Jim Cummings discusses his unique writing process, what inspired him to become a filmmaker, scary movies, and much more. Set in a small, quiet, and snowy town, a werewolf starts killing people. Cummings st...

Afro Horror: 3 Tips on Writing a Balanced "Final Girl"

October 30, 2020

What makes the ultimate final girl? As you sit down to outline your horror, you may be asking yourself this same question and the answer is actually really simple. But before we deep dive into the makings of the next Sidney Prescott, let’s take a qui...