I’m (slowly) writing the script for a stage play. During my first draft, I sampled the various software apps that are designed to help a writer to produce a stage play, screen play, comic book script, etc. I thought I would blog some of my thoughts, in case anybody else out there finds them interesting.
Here’s what I’m looking for
When I’m writing, I want a comfortable, intuitive interface. I don’t want to fuss around with a bunch of complicated interface controls. I don’t want to spend my time on the formatting of the script; that’s the software’s job. This is very important to me, because I want to be comfortable when I write. It’s worth noting too, that in an age when I can buy a beautifully designed and intuitive app for $1 on my phone, I’m really not impressed by a $30 program that looks like it was designed when I was in High School (i.e. Windows 95). Design is a small point in this case, I know, but it matters to me.
I also want to be sure that whatever I’m writing in this special software is “portable” so that I can export it to an industry standard file type, change the margins and typesetting, or edit the document in another software application altogether. More technically speaking, I need my software to import/export file formats like Final Draft, Microsoft Word, Movie Magic Screenwriter, PDF, TXT or RTF. Why? Because I’m just now drafting my script, and I’m unsure what I’ll need to do with it later. I want my options open.
Scripwriting Apps
I tried out a lot of different apps, with help from demo versions and from friends. Here is a list, in order of my preference.
Celtx
This one tops the list because it is basically free, and totally usable. Celtx is designed to help you write a variety of scripts, including two standard formats for stage plays. The basic package is free. Plugins to add extra features are reasonably priced. In addition to basic scriptwriting, Celtx also has features for storing notes, visualization, formatting templates… This thing does a lot for free. The interface is simple and easy to understand. What it won’t do is import/export to very many standard file types, at least not out of the box. They probably make you buy a plugin for that. I haven’t looked into it. They also have an iphone app, but I don’t want to write on my phone, thanks.
Scrivener
I had a lot of fun using this application. For Windows users like myself, though, it is still in Beta, so there are some glitches. In addition to “word processor” mode, Scrivener also has tools to help you organize your notes, scenes and even the other documents you might be using as source material, etc. I found those extra features to be very helpful with my first draft. The Mac version of this is $50, but the beta for windows is currently free. You will want to go through the tutorial on this one, to learn all the useful features, but then you can get right down to writing with a nice interface. Be warned though: once the beta expires, you’ll have to upgrade, so save your work often or be prepared to upgrade. The beta can export to most, but not all, of the usual file types.
MovieMagic Screenwriter
Despite the irrelevant name of this app, I liked it. The word processing features are easy to use. The support for file formats is good. MovieMagic Screenwriter handles notes and scenes fairly well. It also integrates with Dramatica, so you can start there to hash out a rough outline. I found that this app, of all of them, gave me the best ability to write dialog quickly, while preserving format. Unfortunately, it costs $245.95, but if you’re going to spend hundreds of dollars on scriptwriting software, I think this is the best investment.
Dramatica Pro
Dramatica Pro deserves mention on this list. It isn’t going to help you write dialog, etc. but it is a nice brainstorming tool. It’s user interface is in very bad need of a complete and total overhaul, but once you get the hang of it, it might be useful. The software walks you through a sort of plot philosophy that seems to be designed to help you write a Hollywood blockbuster, but I found it to provide useful prompts for thinking about character interactions and plot complexity. It ain’t cheap, though.
Adobe Story
This is more like a web app. It supports standard formats. Adobe Story is easy to use. It works online and offline. It’s definitely worth a try. It’s free, for now, I guess?
Final Draft
Final Draft is one of the “industry standard” scriptwriting apps. It’s also very expensive. For your money, you get a word processor with minimal features to make it unique for writing scripts. The features that are there are very powerful. For example, the large number of formatting templates, the character names database, and collaboration mode. You’ll be able to dive right in, here and get the work done. It’s also worth noting that this app’s native file type is a very popular one.
There are others…
These were listed on Wikipedia but I haven’t tried them out yet. Your results may vary, so I’ll simply list them here.
- FiveSprockets
- Montage software
- Movie Outline
- Page 2 stage
- Plot Builder
- Plotbot
- Scripped
- ScriptTeX
- WriteItNow
- MovieWriterPro
If anybody knows of any others, or has reviews to share, please do post them in the commetns. As you can tell by now, I’m a windows user, but I welcome my Mac friends to share any notes about the software they like to use.
Dylan, I tried Scrivener during National Novel Writing Month (November). The features for organizing (reorganizing) were very helpful. The fact of its being beta made me jittery, but I plan to use it again when it’s released for sale.
As of last year NaNoWriMo was offering a nice discount for Scrivener to anyone who wrote 30K words during November – I think something similar for success in National Script Writing Month (April).
Did you find some apps were better for creating and others for giving “insider credibility” to finished work? Could you see migrating your work from the former to the latter at some stage of polishing? Should NOT be necessary, but curious….
I’m not so interested in “insider credibility” as I am in a format that is usable everywhere. I mean both the formatting of the text on the page but also the file type.
I wanted software that would help me with both of those issues, without being an annoying hassle.
But to answer your question, I guess I could see migrating from one to the other. In fact, during my frist draft, that’s exactly what I did. I started with Scrivener and Dramatica, to hash out some ideas. Then, as the ideas started to take shape, I didn’t need brainstorming tools so much anymore. I moved over to Screenwriter at that point. I think I might make a final switch, for editorial fine-tuning, in Microsoft Word, before all is said and done.
I think it’s because of all that switching around that I’m so interested in a standard format.
Thanks for your reply, Dylan. Yes, a standard format would be great. Then software like Scrivener that’s so helpful in the early stages would also work for the final draft. No switching needed.
I didn’t mean to sound like a cretin about credibility. I’m just wondering if, when strangers look at work received digitally, they replace the face-to-face cues with something else that clicks (or doesn’t) before they read a word.
I think that is an important consideration. In place of the face-to-face cues, I think that a cover letter can go a long way, and of course the avoidance of technical difficulty.
I’ve never sent out a script for strangers to read. I’m not there yet. I have sent other things, though.
It turns out that there are tons of apps for managing submissions, too! I wrote some reviews of those as well, at http://nocategories.net/ephemera/writing/writing-submission-tools/
Dylan, You got me thinking about a submission manager like submishmash that removes all formatting beyond capitalization and paragraphing. I suppose it takes away all face-to-face – other than the cover letter as you point out. I wish it left italics. They’re sometimes very useful – not for emphasis which should be handled by the writing, but for overlapping texts, dialogue in shorter pieces, etc. -not referring to scriptwriting, which I don’t know about, but poetry or prose.
Most of the time, Submishmash will allow you to send an attachment. If you send your submission as a PDF file, or whatever, you’ll be able to keep your formatting, in the submission itself. Sadly though, your cover letter would have to be in a plain text format. If you send a message to the Submishmash people about this, they’re very likely to respond. I’ve found them to be very helpful.