Many people have an idea for a screenplay so they rush out to buy and start writing in a special screenwriting word processor right away. Trying to go from a rough idea to a polished screenplay is a near certain path to frustration. Don’t do it. A far better solution is to create your story […]
One mistake novices make is that they think if they buy a screenwriting program like Final Draft, they can become a screenwriter. That’s only partially true. Final Draft (or any screenwriting program) can help you write a screenplay but you still need to develop the skill necessary to tell a great story. The company that […]
There are plenty of software programs on the market to help you write stories and screenplays. While all of these products work, don’t make the mistake in thinking that these software programs will make you a better writer. You have to become a better writer by practicing the craft of screenwriting first. For example, the […]
There’s a huge difference between dedicated screenwriting word processors like Final Draft and Fade In Pro, and organizing tools like Scrivener 3. Dedicated screenwriting word processor are best for writing and formatting your screenplay, or collaborating with others by tracking changes. Organizing tools like Scrivener 3 are best for planning your story. While you can […]
For a limited time until the end of March, you can get my “How to Write a Great Script with Final Draft 10” video course on Udemy for just $10.99. Not everyone finds learning to use a program like Final Draft easy by reading a book so that’s why I created this video course that […]
There are plenty of fine screenwriting word processors on the market such as Final Draft and Fade In Professional. While these programs can make the process of writing a screenplay easier, you still have to know how to use them properly. Look at any construction site and you’ll see a variety of different tools. If […]
If you want to write a screenplay, you don’t want to waste your time customizing an ordinary word processor like Microsoft Word or Pages. While you can do this, it’s clumsy and makes writing harder. Instead, get a dedicated screenwriting word processor. In the past, Final Draft has been the Hollywood standard because so many […]
The most popular (and expensive) screenwriting program around is “Final Draft” ($249) along with its most popular rival “Movie Magic Screenwriter” ($249). However, don’t think you absolutely need either program when you’re first starting out. Paying for the screenwriting programs used by professionals is like learning golf by buying the expensive golf clubs the professionals […]
I initially started with an MS-DOS screenplay formatting word processor called ScriptThing, which later evolved into Movie Magic Screenwriter. Both ScriptThing and Movie Magic Screenwriter were decent products and I enjoyed using both of them. Eventually my old version of Movie Magic Screenwriter got so far behind in features that I had a choice of […]
In Hollywood, Final Draft is the standard for screenwriting, so if you’re using Final Draft 9, you may be interested in my latest e-book, “How to Write a Great Script with Final Draft 9,” which explains how to plan and organize your screenplay ideas. Although you can plan and organize your ideas using any word […]