Practical Scriptwriter

Scriptwriting software for Stage, Screen, TV and Radio


Professional, industry standard script formatting every time.

Screenwriting software and more.

Practical Scriptwriter has been supporting amateur and professional writers since 2005. Originally developed to assist writers submitting to the BBC, it now supports worldwide industry standard formats.

Our major versions (1,2,3) represent complete rewrites to take advantage of the latest technology. Version 3 is now available which includes our best in class text entry system and autoformatting to produce professional result every time.

The original autoformatter

Not just a tweaked word processor. Practical Scriptwriter is the first autoformatter, a type of writing app which allows the writer to write once and format for any desired medium automatically.

Feb 2021 - New feature added - The Plotbuilder.

An easy to use note card system to use however you wish. Sketch out your plot or use it as a to-do list.

Download from the Microsoft store

Free trial available

Features

Instant autoformatting.
View your script as a screenplay, stage play, radio show or TV episode, instantly with no changes to your script.
Best in class autocomplete
Intuitive autocomplete for Character Names, Locations etc.
Automatic MORE/CONT'D
Just write your characters dialogue. Don't worry about writing continuation markers such as CONT'D when a characters speech is interrupted by stage direction or a page break. This will be handled automatically when you print preview.
Rearranger
Move a line, a conversation or a whole scene using drag drop.
Import sections
Import and drag/drop sections of fountain text. Allows you to write in any plain text app and easily import as a scene or just random lines.
Alerts
Set alerts for the word count in you script. Set daily word count targets.
Single, one off purchase.
No monthly fees - buy once and use on all your windows 10 pc's.
Editor style
Write with centered dialogue (screenplay) or left aligned dialogue (radio, TV and Stage). Switch styles whenever you choose.
Character filter
Display and edit a single characters dialogue. Useful to make sure you characters "voice" is as you intend.
Character lists
Auto generate character lists to submit with your script.
Inline notes
Add notes to remind you to do things. (Notes are not included in the formatted script)
Simple Tab key control
Use the tab key to insert and cycle through the different scene elements: Scene Header, Stage Direction, Dialogue, Transition or note.
Fountain support
Import and export fountain files
Backups
Create a zipped backup of your scripts in just two clicks. Save to a separate drive or OneDrive to guard against hardware failures.
And more
Script statistics, find/replace, spellcheck, print to PDF (MS driver), character notes
Version 3 live

We've completely rewritten Practical Scriptwriter to take advantage of the latest technology. Now with fast start time, clean uncluttered script editor and overall speed improvements.

Windows 10 Store

Practical Scriptwriter is now available exclusively from the Microsoft Store.

Users now benefit from seamless updates and availability on all windows 10 pc's.

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Why Practical Scriptwriter

If you are looking for scriptwriting software why should you choose us.

Writing software is very personal, we encourage you to look past the flashy websites and comparison lists of features. The only way to see if a particular app is right for you is to try it.

The whole aim of Practical Scriptwriter is to show your story in an industry standard format and give you the best chance to succeed. We concentrate on the writer and making things as easy as possible to allow you to be free to create.

Existing version 2.9 users

Version 3 is a complete rewrite and we have changed things from 2.9 including the file structure we use to save your scripts.

If you have scripts written using version 2.91 or earlier, you will need to export as fountain or plain text and then import to version 3.

Supporting writers since 2005

That's a lot of experience which is invested back into our software. We have pioneered many features by taking a different look at the writing process.

For example, version 3 contains an exclusive rearranger which allows you to drag drop rearrange lines, scenes or multiple scenes instantly.

Our Tab key control is simple and quickly becomes sedond nature

Three complete rewrites and regular updates confirm our commitment to producing innovative writing software.