# A Good Script Writing Program?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-good-script-writing-program/368358>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [August 11, 2006, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-good-script-writing-program/368358 "2006-08-11T21:39:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![teemingONE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b4bc9f/32.png) [@teemingONE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teemingONE)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-good-script-writing-program/368358/1 "2006-08-11T21:39:37Z")

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I’m trying to begin writing on a regular basis and I’m going through a script writing phase right now. What I usually do is type a couple pages out on word and then format it to the usual script format. However, I find this to be very very tedious.

Does anyone know of a good program that I can buy or, preferably, download? I don’t know how they work but the one thing I want the most is something that has the right format to begin with.

On second though, maybe anything made or marketed towards writers.

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**Author:** ![Tabula\_Rasa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a9adbd/32.png) [@Tabula\_Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabula_Rasa)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-good-script-writing-program/368358/2 "2006-08-11T21:47:30Z")

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It’s not the industry standard but it’s free and I like it: Celtx

Tabby

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**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-good-script-writing-program/368358/3 "2006-08-11T21:49:15Z")

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If you’re willing to drop a couple hundred bucks, Final Draft is what most pros use. It’s really easy once you learn the keyboard shortcuts, too.

TAB-TAB-TAB-TAB-TAB-TAB…

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**Author:** ![KSO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@KSO](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KSO)\
**Post date:** [August 12, 2006, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-good-script-writing-program/368358/4 "2006-08-12T00:03:34Z")

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I just read _Zen and the Art of Screenwriting_ by William Froug. There is an interview with Callie Khouri, who wrote _Thelma and Louise_ --she said she uses something called Movie Master.

I set the formatting to center everything and then manually format whatever shouldn’t be centered.

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**Author:** ![DooWahDiddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)\
**Post date:** [August 12, 2006, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-good-script-writing-program/368358/5 "2006-08-12T00:06:54Z")

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I second _Final Draft_. It has templates not just for films, but also for plays, sitcoms, etc…