Free screenwriting resources
Guides, templates, and tools to help you write better screenplays.
Read this one first
The foundation for everything below. Learn it once, and the rest falls into place.
How to Write a Screenplay in Google Docs →
A complete guide to formatting professional screenplays in Google Docs, from page setup to export. The foundation for everything else.
Ready-made screenplay templates
Open one, make a copy, and start writing. Each is formatted like a real script.
Microsoft Word Template →
A free .docx with six paragraph styles that chain on Enter, a title page and page numbers. US Letter and A4, no macros, no email. Two written screenplays come with it.
Free Screenplay Template →
A ready-to-use Google Docs template with proper screenplay formatting. Just make a copy and start writing.
Short Film Template →
Optimized for films under 40 minutes. Tight storytelling tips and proper formatting for festivals and student projects.
Horror Template →
Genre-specific formatting tips for building tension, crafting scares, and using white space as a weapon.
Thriller Template →
Build tension and control information. Formatted with the opening of Prisoners (2013).
Comedy Template →
Timing, setup-payoff, and sharp dialogue. Formatted with the opening of The Nice Guys (2016).
Sci-Fi Template →
Concept as character, world-building through implication. Formatted with Ex Machina (2014).
Drama Template →
Raw emotion and precise dialogue. Formatted with the opening of Marriage Story (2019).
Action Template →
Clean action lines and controlled chaos. Formatted with Collateral (2004).
TV Pilot Template →
Setup world, characters, and conflict. Formatted with the Succession (2018) pilot.
Guides for writing screenplays
Plain-English walkthroughs, from writing on a Chromebook to getting your short film read.
How to Write a Screenplay on Chromebook →
Final Draft doesn't run on ChromeOS. Here's how to write professional screenplays on Chromebook for free.
How to Get Your Short Film Read by Producers →
The myth that producers don't read unsolicited scripts is mostly false. Real strategies and a real email that worked.
Google Docs vs Final Draft →
An honest comparison for beginners. Which tool should you use to write your first screenplay?
Writing Your First Feature
A step-by-step guide to writing your first feature-length screenplay, from concept to final draft.
Coming soonCharacter Development
How to create memorable, three-dimensional characters that drive your story forward.
Coming soonScene Structure
Master the art of writing scenes that move your story forward and keep readers engaged.
Coming soonTools that run in your browser
Nothing is uploaded, nothing is stored, no account. Each one ends in a document you can write in.
Screenplay Converter →
A PDF, a Final Draft file or a Fountain file becomes a formatted document. Six pairs are covered, including Final Draft to Google Docs and PDF to Final Draft.
Format Checker →
The notes a reader would write: margins, font, action blocks, monologues, a character spelled two ways. Blocking faults first.
Runtime Calculator →
How long your script will run on screen, and which way it leans. One page is fifty-five seconds.
Beat Sheet Calculator →
The fifteen Save the Cat beats on their real pages, scaled to the length you are aiming for.
Title Page Maker →
Four fields and you have a correct title page, in the industry layout.
Script Breakdown →
One line per scene: interior or exterior, day or night, set, cast, length in eighths. See also the character report and the logline writer.
Write your next script for free
Install Screenplay Editor and format professionally right inside Google Docs.
Install the Chrome extension