Writing Software

Because scripts have so many complicated formatting rules about centering, spacing, and margins, we recommend downloading a piece of scriptwriting software before you begin. The software will get you writing in the right format in a flash. Here are some we've tried and liked....


Final Draft
Regular Cost: $229.00
Script Frenzy Discount Price: $169.00

To get Final Draft and other items on Script Frenzy special, go to https://www.finaldraft.com/specials and use code: 8frenz. Final Draft will kindly donate 15% of every sale, which uses our code, to Script Frenzy.

Final Draft is The Man when it comes to scriptwriting. If you aim to write scripts professionally, you'll need to buy a copy of Final Draft at some point. It is, as they say, the industry standard. You can save Final Draft scripts as PDFs, so your trusted readers don’t need to own a copy to review your work and give you their loving feedback.

A few Final Draft features we like:

  • Easy of use: As soon as you’ve installed the program you can start writing. The intuitive software not only automatically formats your script, but has a nifty SmartType tool. Enter a few letters of a name, location, etc., and the rest will automatically be filled in.
  • Great panel view: There are a few ways to view your script in panel form. It’s like getting a bird’s eye view of your entire script.
  • Bookmarks and ScriptNotes: As your story gets longer bookmarks are an easy to way to jump around in your script with one click. ScriptNotes keep your thoughts in line, can be printed separately and do not affect your total page count.
  • Final Draft opens the file on the page you were on when you last closed the document. If you jump around in the sequence of your script this can be very helpful!

    • We would like to thank Final Draft for their generous in-kind donation to Script Frenzy this year!



    Celtx
    Cost: free

    Celtx is a powerful, free piece of downloadable scriptwriting software that functions a lot like a stripped-down version of Final Draft. And if you want to take things to the next level, Celtx also contains planning tools, storyboarding, and other ways to collaborate with an entire production team.

    Some of our favorite Celtx features are:

  • Cost: Its free! Okay, we already mentioned that, but its good enough to say again.
  • Idea outline tool: This is a great place to start making your ideas more concrete. Location, character and scene development worksheets really help to kick-start your story. And, you can augment your thoughts with sound files, pics, and video clips.
  • Storyboard: Upload your images (in batches!), tag them with text, and play them to help visualize your project.
  • Index Cards: In a glance you can see multiple scenes. I like printing them out and tacking them on my wall.
  • Breakdowns: When April's over and you're ready to move from development to pre-production Celtx tools allow you to breakdown your script. Tag things like props, wardrobe items, and cast members with notes, pictures and sound files.





    • Cost: free

    Zhura.com is a web-based screenwriting application for writing in screenplay format, and comes close to Final Draft-like functionality on the web. In addition to privately working on scripts, Zhura allows writers to work privately, or collaborate in public or in private groups using tools like authorship tracking and history. You’ll find social networking features like discussion boards, user profiles, internal webmail and instant messaging. We enjoyed the online feature tour.

    Some of our favorite Zhura features are:

  • Free! And (like all the online solutions) available from any computer.
  • Auto-suggest: Character names and scene headings are "remembered" and can be quickly changed everywhere in your script
  • Page Count: It's easy to figure out when you've reached your 100 pages!
  • Import/Export: Move a script to and from Final Draft, Movie Magic, etc., etc. Even create PDFs with or without title page and scene numbers!
  • Collaboration: Changes are constantly tracked, so you can see who wrote what and easily revert to an old version if something goes wrong. You can even do real-time collaboration, just like Google Docs.



    • Scripped
    Cost: free

    Scripped.com is a web-based scriptwriting software tool that requires no downloading of software to your computer. Because it's web-based (think: Google Docs) you can access your script anywhere there's an internet connection (hello, secret workplace writing sessions!).

    It has a time-saving, tab-based interface like Celtx, so switching between character names, dialogue, and scene description is a snap. The downside: You need to actually be online to work on your script.




    Cost: free

    Plotbot.com offers a more collaborative take on free, web-based scriptwriting software because it is built with writing partners (or writing groups) in mind. If you're sharing writing duties with someone during the Frenzy, Plotbot makes it easy to comment on and revise your script in an intuitive way.

    The fun site also has a vibrant community of amateur scriptwriters, and lots of creative tagging features. The downside: The Plotbot interface requires you insert each script element piece by piece, which can be time-consuming. Like Scripped.com, you will need to have a live internet connection to work on your script.