A screenplay editor that formats as you type
Screenplays follow a strict layout: scene headings in capitals, character names indented to the middle of the page, dialogue in a narrow column, transitions on the right, all in 12-point Courier. That format isn't just tradition. It's what lets a reader estimate running time at about one page per minute, and it's what producers, competitions and actors expect to receive.
This free editor handles the layout for you. You write plain text and it recognises each element from how you type it, using the open Fountain format, so your script is never locked into one app.
How to use it
- Start a scene with a heading:
INT.orEXT., the location, a dash and the time of day, e.g.INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT. - Press Enter to move to the next likely element: after a heading comes action, after a character name comes dialogue.
- Press Tab to switch the current line to another element, such as from action to a character cue.
- Type a character name in capitals on its own line, then their dialogue on the next. A line in brackets under the name is a parenthetical.
- End a line with
TO:in capitals (CUT TO:) for a transition. - The bar above the page shows the page count, an estimated running time, scenes and words. "Print / PDF" lays it out on US Letter in standard format; choose "Save as PDF" in the print dialog. "Export .fountain" saves a plain-text copy.
Fountain in one minute
Fountain is plain text with a few conventions. A blank line separates elements. A line in capitals before dialogue is a character. Force an element by starting the line with a symbol: . for a scene heading, @ for a character name with lower-case letters, > for a transition, and > text < to centre text. Notes go in double square brackets and don't print. Because it's just text, a .fountain file opens anywhere and imports into most screenwriting software.
Tips for formatting a screenplay
- Write only what can be seen or heard. "She hesitates" works; "she remembers her father" doesn't, unless we see it.
- Keep action paragraphs to three or four lines. White space makes a script read fast.
- Introduce a character in capitals the first time they appear, with a few words that tell us who they are.
- Use parentheticals sparingly, for delivery the line itself doesn't make clear.
- Avoid camera directions in a spec script. Leave the shots to the shot list and storyboard.
- For a short film, aim for 5–15 pages. The page count tells you where you are.
Keep going
The free course lesson Writing the screenplay covers scene craft and dialogue, and Structure for short films helps you shape the story. Stuck on the idea itself? Try the logline generator first. When the script is done, plan it with the shot list template.