Which screenwriting software should I use?
Just fucking pick one:
- Final Draft – the standard since the 90s
(also Final Draft files are the standard file format for collaboration in the industry, but most of these programs export smoothly to .fdr) - Fade In – also popular
- Highland 2 – good shit, free to try, Apple only
- WriterDuet – best tool for online collaboration, flexible pricing
- Scrivener – popular with people who also write books
- KIT Scenarist – freemium open-source software with paid-tier services
If you join UCLA’s WP Now program, you can get discounts on certain screenwriting software.
Do I need screenwriting software at all to get started?
Honestly, you can write your first draft of any screenplay on index cards or a yellow legal pad and it would probably be more useful than trying to learn new software at the same time you’re trying to learn how to tell a story in this way. You’re the only person who needs to see the first couple drafts of a script, so you don’t have to type it yet if you don’t want to. You only need standard formatting when you want to show it to someone in the industry.
Which screenwriting software is best?
Which screenwriting software should you use? That’s really not the first question you should be asking. “How do I tell a story in a way that gets someone to want to turn every page?” is the question you should be asking.
Don’t be asking everyone what to use, it’s a personal preference. Seriously, just fucking pick one.
