So.Try not to mess up.įor Windows Surface users.Sorry. Be warned, however, that while the app has an overall four star rating on the Google Play Android store, numerous people have run into trouble with the lack of an Undo button and Confirm Delete prompt. If ads are unbearable, there's a $1.99 version that removes them. The only caveat to the price tag: ads. If you're good at ignoring these (I know I am!), then have ads. Still, it's free, so.Īs far as no-cost Android screenwriting apps go, there's My Screenplays, which boasts a ton of features found on apps like Celtx and ScriptPro (which I'll get into in a minute). A serviceable way of working, but definitely not the most efficient. Also, there's no special keys built into the on-screen keyboard, so if you find yourself without your external Bluetooth, you'll have to tap the screen two times (not a double tap, but a tap, then tap) and select Element Type to switch between action, character, dialogue, etc. A (beat) can only be placed directly after the character name. By this I mean, you cannot write in a (beat) in the middle of a massive monologue. A mid-dialogue parenthetical is impossible to execute. There are some other downsides to this app, however. However, for a no-cost screenwriting app, Scriptly is pretty nice if you don't mind a little extra legwork. To own all of them, you'd end up spending about $20, and at that point, you may as well purchase software that automatically integrates all these features from the get-go. You can add the ability to create multiple projects, as well as other bells and whistles like outline mode, scene cards, and detailed character bios via in-app purchases, though the add-ons cost $4.99 apiece. However, if you're monogamous toward your writing projects, then this shouldn't be an issue. Polyamorous screenwriters need not apply. Because this application is free, there are some limitations, the biggest being that you can only actively work on one script at a time. One no-cost app I discovered for iOS is called Scriptly. ![]() Just know that in general they'll all work roughly the same way.Īs always, I like to start out on the free side of things. Unless there are marked differences between the apps' interfaces, I won't discuss these elements in too great detail. A return after dialogue takes you back to your farthest left margin for more scene/action descriptions. One tab from the farthest left-hand margin automatically moves the cursor into the character field a return from this area goes straight into dialogue, unless you tab again for a parenthetical. All the apps I'll discuss below feature more or less the same tab functions. If I've lost you, that's okay, it's pretty technical, but it's a viable option for those of you interested in having one word processor to rule them all.ĭedicated screenwriting software, however, does all the formatting and thinking for you, so you can focus solely on writing. You can also utilize the Fountain formatting rules in a plain text document, then open the file in a Fountain-fueled editor for iOS, like Writing Kit for instance, or DubScript for Android, and let those apps handle the formatting for you. ![]() If you've already purchased one of those apps, and you know the specific spacing required for a properly formatted screenplay, by all means, go that route. I discussed five good ones for tablets and smartphones in a previous column. It's worth mentioning before I get into this that you can technically use any word processor for screenwriting purposes. Whether you're just starting out, or you're a seasoned pro on the desktop side of things, there's a fitting mobile solution for you. As you know, I'm all about utilizing my tablet for writing, so I've sought out numerous mobile screenwriting apps that work just as well as your desktop varieties (Final Draft, Movie Magic, etc.), and now I will share my findings with all of you fellow film scribes out there. Though I've since decided to pursue that old dream of writing short stories and novels, I haven't forgotten about my screenwriting roots. in Film Studies and took three years of screenwriting, learning the nuts and bolts of storytelling-plot points, character arcs, beats-from the likes of Robert McKee and Syd Field, rather than Strunk and White. I've certainly been guilty of this oversight, having written two columns about mobile applications and practices for aspiring/established novelists. We pay a lot of attention to fiction writers here at LitReactor, with a few nods here and there to comic authors and playwrights, but we rarely discuss the art of screenwriting.
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