Final Draft Blog

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Read interviews with the pros, catch up with industry news, and listen to Write On: A Screenwriting Podcast by Final Draft.

Write On: Wednesday Creators Al Gough and Miles Millar

June 7, 2023

The surprise hit and breakout role for Jenna Ortega as the titular character in Netflix's spin off of the Addams Family, Wednesday, was just as exciting to create as it is to watch. "The writer's room started the first week of lockdown, so writing a ...

The Great’s Tony McNamara on Making History Characters Feel Modern

May 23, 2023

Power. Sex. Identity. And comedy? Huzzah! Season 3 of The Great is finally streaming on Hulu and we’re heating up the borscht! If you haven’t seen the show, it’s about Catherine the Great’s (Elle Fanning) marriage to Peter III of Russia (Nicholas Hou...

History of the World, Part II Showrunner on Mel Brooks: ‘I Get Chills Every Time I Say His Name’

May 18, 2023

Editor's Note: This interview took place before the 2023 WGA strike. The year was 1981. Not sure if I should admit this, but I’m old enough to remember going to the movie theater, not the kind with stadium seating, but the kind with sticky floors and...

Write On: Daisy Jones & the Six's co-showrunner Scott Neustadter

May 4, 2023

The story of how Daisy Jones & the Six went from book to TV show is a fascinating one. Scott Neustadter, best known for comedies like 500 Days of Summer and The Disaster Artist, was sent the unpublished manuscript about the rise of a rock band in...

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...

How Ted Lasso Succeeds At Representing Female Friendships

April 7, 2023

The Emmy-award winning Apple TV series, Ted Lasso, is successful at a lot of things – like melding British and American humor, and making people care about the other sport called football.

7 Tips on Becoming a TV Writer from Showrunner Todd Slavkin

March 31, 2023

Writer Todd Slavkin has one of those long and fruitful television careers many of us dream about. He and his writing partner, Darren Swimmer, have been showrunners for numerous shows including Smallville, Melrose Place 2.0, Shadowhunters and The Myst...

Big Nate Writer Emily Brundige Shares What it Takes to Break into Animation

March 24, 2023

There is no single form of animation. Any parent can tell you about sitting through Cocomelon with their toddler then Big City Greens and Bluey with their kids before sending them to bed so they can watch South Park or Family Guy. That doesn’t even i...

The Bricks of Breaking In: Abbott Elementary Writer Brittani Nichols On The Importance Of Community As A Writer

March 17, 2023

How did WGA nominated and NAACP Image Award winning writer, actor and comedian Brittani Nichols (Abbott Elementary, A Black Lady Sketch Show) first fall in love with entertainment? Just like so many, her passion came from watching television. She exp...