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So, I need a new screenwriting tool/software rec

Printed From: NYC Midnight : Creative Writing & Screenwriting
Category: GENERAL DISCUSSION
Forum Name: Screenwriting Bar & Lounge
Forum Description: Discuss NYC Midnight Screenwriting Competitions or Screenwriting in general.
URL: https://forums.nycmidnight.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=22706
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Topic: So, I need a new screenwriting tool/software rec
Posted By: Vernacula
Subject: So, I need a new screenwriting tool/software rec
Date Posted: 19 Jul 2019 at 5:31am
I've always just used Storywriter (which is gone now). I know, I know...it's kindergarten level, but I loved that it was dead simple and intuitive. I don't like to think about anything but writing or futz with bloated software. So, I'd appreciate any and all recommendations for the best replacement given my past preference and lazy tendencies.

I'm currently looking at Trelby as a download, and StudioBinder as a cloud-based solution. I lean toward online-based tools. Please help! This will be my first comp without my beloved, dumbed-down, goofy Storywriter. Thank you in advance.


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Replies:
Posted By: Vernacula
Date Posted: 19 Jul 2019 at 6:04am
I'm playing around with WriterDuet and it seems pretty good. Is this as simple as it gets?


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Posted By: steph9289
Date Posted: 19 Jul 2019 at 6:16am
I am SO upset about Storywriter going away. It was my favorite to use! Cry

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#amrevising


Posted By: bartelbysamsa
Date Posted: 19 Jul 2019 at 6:22am
I've been using Writer Duet for this competition and really like how easy to use it is. However, I would massively caution not to rely on the autosave feature - i.e. save manually periodically - and keep a word file or some other record of what you've written. I have lost work a number of times using it, which kind of undercuts any benefits...

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Posted By: Vernacula
Date Posted: 19 Jul 2019 at 7:09am
Originally posted by steph9289 steph9289 wrote:

I am SO upset about Storywriter going away. It was my favorite to use! Cry


RIGHT?! Meh.


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Posted By: Vernacula
Date Posted: 19 Jul 2019 at 7:10am
Originally posted by bartelbysamsa bartelbysamsa wrote:

I've been using Writer Duet for this competition and really like how easy to use it is. However, I would massively caution not to rely on the autosave feature - i.e. save manually periodically - and keep a word file or some other record of what you've written. I have lost work a number of times using it, which kind of undercuts any benefits...


That sounds terrifying. I'll have to remember to save in a Word doc and give myself enough time to reload/reformat if necessary.

Gosh, I miss Storywriter. Cry


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Posted By: NYCNewbie
Date Posted: 19 Jul 2019 at 8:57am
Hey Verna,

I've just sent you a PM about this.

Paula :)

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Posted By: Joni
Date Posted: 19 Jul 2019 at 9:19am
I love writerduet. I started with the free version for the first comp, but since it will only save up to three in the free version, I upgraded so that I pay monthly at $6.99 for unlimited. This keep the cloud version, but also allows you to install the program on your computer and you can auto-save to it. I have the app for it on my phone, which is cloud-based as well. So I can work on a script on my computer, then if I'm out somewhere and have an idea or thought, I can pull up the app and work on the script right then, which will be easily accessible when I get back to my computer later. I tried a couple of other programs, but once I played around with this one I really liked it. It has a lot of cool features, but it's pretty user-friendly, imo. It does still have bugs every now and then, but it's a really small company, and I've had to contact them with questions/issues on facebook, with an almost immediate response and really helpful answers. 

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Posted By: T.E. Bradford
Date Posted: 19 Jul 2019 at 12:55pm
I actually started with Trelby, and switched to WriterDuet -- which I find MUCH easier, although like Joni I'll probably have to man up and get the paid version at some point. Plus you can download your finished product into multiple file types, which is nice.

--Tracy (the other one). ;-)


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--Tracy
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Posted By: manifestlynot
Date Posted: 19 Jul 2019 at 12:59pm
I’ll give a rec to Celtx - you only get three projects at a time in the free version, but within those projects you can add as many scripts as you want.

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Posted By: Vernacula
Date Posted: 19 Jul 2019 at 1:00pm
Originally posted by NYCNewbie NYCNewbie wrote:

Hey Verna,

I've just sent you a PM about this.

Paula :)


Thank you so much! I guess the forum says I need to erase some messages before I can reply, so I thought I'd just say it here! :-)


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Posted By: Vernacula
Date Posted: 19 Jul 2019 at 1:06pm
Thank you Joni, Tracy and manifestly for the recs! I may come crying for help at some point in the next 30 hours. Haha.


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Posted By: T.E. Bradford
Date Posted: 19 Jul 2019 at 1:37pm
Originally posted by Vernacula Vernacula wrote:

Thank you Joni, Tracy and manifestly for the recs! I may come crying for help at some point in the next 30 hours. Haha.

As long as you don't mind if I do the same to you. ;-)
Methinks tomorrow is going to be CRAZY. I've never done a final before... Confused


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--Tracy
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Posted By: Vernacula
Date Posted: 19 Jul 2019 at 8:40pm
Originally posted by T.E. Bradford T.E. Bradford wrote:

Originally posted by Vernacula Vernacula wrote:

Thank you Joni, Tracy and manifestly for the recs! I may come crying for help at some point in the next 30 hours. Haha.

As long as you don't mind if I do the same to you. ;-)
Methinks tomorrow is going to be CRAZY. I've never done a final before... Confused


Of course, bug me! It won't actually be bugging me! I'm using a lot of exclamation points lately! LOL

If you're a pantser like me, the final won't feel that different. That's actually my best piece of advice; treat it just like any other round, but adjust your time down for each thing you normally do. I wrote my two qualifying scripts at the very last minute, but had time to ruminate. Thankfully the genre is usually open, which frees up a lot of mental real estate.

Hit me up whenever you need to! Wink


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Posted By: Vernacula
Date Posted: 20 Jul 2019 at 6:02pm
Originally posted by T.E. Bradford T.E. Bradford wrote:

I actually started with Trelby, and switched to WriterDuet -- which I find MUCH easier, although like Joni I'll probably have to man up and get the paid version at some point. Plus you can download your finished product into multiple file types, which is nice.

--Tracy (the other one). ;-)


How do you get page numbers to show up? And why does my pdf look so weird? Eek!


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Posted By: Tim G
Date Posted: 20 Jul 2019 at 6:32pm
Sorry I only know Final Draft which is supposed to be industry standard but doesn’t seem anyone uses it!

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Posted By: Vernacula
Date Posted: 20 Jul 2019 at 6:45pm
Originally posted by Tim G Tim G wrote:

Sorry I only know Final Draft which is supposed to be industry standard but doesn’t seem anyone uses it!


Ha. I won a copy of it in the early 2000s and never even opened it. And I lived in L.A.! I just swore I'd never become a screenwriter. Sigh. The folly of youth. 

I always number my pages, but only just noticed in the rules it says pages MUST be numbered. I can export as Final Draft and most other programs, so maybe as a last resort someone will take pity on me and upload it, get the numbers on there, and send it back.


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Posted By: Andrea
Date Posted: 20 Jul 2019 at 6:49pm
Originally posted by Tim G Tim G wrote:

Sorry I only know Final Draft which is supposed to be industry standard but doesn’t seem anyone uses it!

I use FD Tim. Bought it eons ago, when it was one of the only games in town. I love it, but it’s pricey to get. That said, the monthly fees on some of the other ones would add up.  

I think it’s amazing there are so many options available now. 


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Posted By: T.E. Bradford
Date Posted: 20 Jul 2019 at 7:12pm
Originally posted by Vernacula Vernacula wrote:

Originally posted by T.E. Bradford T.E. Bradford wrote:

I actually started with Trelby, and switched to WriterDuet -- which I find MUCH easier, although like Joni I'll probably have to man up and get the paid version at some point. Plus you can download your finished product into multiple file types, which is nice.

--Tracy (the other one). ;-)


How do you get page numbers to show up? And why does my pdf look so weird? Eek!

Try exporting it in another format vs. *.PDF and see if that works better. I seem to recall the exports being a bit funky. I think I exported to word and then saved as PDF, or some such. I'm going to export mine in a few and I'll add another post if I confirm or find other info...

UPDATE:
Okay - at the bottom of the panel on the left is a download button - it shows a down arrow over a line. It's in the same section as the B (bold) and I (italics). When you click on this, you can select to export the whole document (includes your title page) and format. Select PDF. The formatting should be better and the page numbers will show (except title and page 1).

As a note, I usually put my logline (synopsis) in as the author name so that shows up on the title page instead. Then I have to click on File and go to the title page to make sure the name and address info at the bottom are removed and the spacing looks okay.

Let me know if you still have trouble from there. :)


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--Tracy
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Posted By: stephenmatlock
Date Posted: 20 Jul 2019 at 7:22pm
I've tried a few of the freeware/shareware tools. Yes, Storywriter was a great little product, but the bean counters must have said it wasn't profitable to do something nice just for the cause of niceness. :(

Trelby drove me nuts. I tried it, and it was so harsh in what it made me do. Yes, there are rules to follow in scriptwriting, but Trelby was like the bed of Procrustes to anything I did.

I know there's MovieMaker (sponsor of these contests!) and Final Draft, but I've found a good inexpensive and easy-to-use product in Fade In. Maybe if I become the professional screenwriter with my own podcast I might choose something more elevatory, but for my quick and dirty work I use Fade In.

The best time to have to choose a new software package and learn it is during a contest, don't you think?

Best of luck!


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Posted By: NilesPerry
Date Posted: 20 Jul 2019 at 8:44pm
I'm facing a similar problem when I update my operating system on my Mac -- my Final Draft 9 will cease to function, forcing me to do one of two things: don't upgrade my OS, or shell out a hefty sum to get the latest version.

One of the writers here introduced me to WriterDuet, the free version, and it basically does all that I need it to do, and it's pretty flexible in saving to other file formats, like Final Draft, Celtx and PDF. So, as soon as I update my OS, I'll be switching over to WriterDuet full time and saying goodbye to a very old friend.


Posted By: manifestlynot
Date Posted: 20 Jul 2019 at 8:57pm
I rescind my recommendation of Celtx. My new opinion is that it is buggy garbage and I will now be following this thread to make a switch before short screenplay LOL

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Posted By: Random
Date Posted: 20 Jul 2019 at 9:17pm
Originally posted by manifestlynot manifestlynot wrote:

I rescind my recommendation of Celtx. My new opinion is that it is buggy garbage and I will now be following this thread to make a switch before short screenplay LOL

I'm in the Final Draft camp.  Expensive, but so is time.  Especially during contests. 

By the time the contest ends I remember how to use it again.  Big smile


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Posted By: Vernacula
Date Posted: 20 Jul 2019 at 9:18pm

Tracy – I’m using that little download button. My numbers just won’t show up. Blargh. I can fix it manually this time, but I’ll have to figure out why it isn’t working for me. Figuring out the title page was another ball of fun. Ha. Hope things are running smoothly for you!

 

Stephen – You’ve sold me on not looking at Trelby anymore. Thank you! I haven’t investigated FadeIn, but I’m going to look at MovieMaker after this contest. Yes, the final round of competition is a super fun time to try and learn something completely new. It hasn’t caused me any anxiety at all, no way. LOL Thanks for the good wishes!



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Posted By: andromedae17
Date Posted: 09 Oct 2019 at 7:27am
I got a student discount on Final Draft, which has served me through 2 screenwriting short courses and another competition and IMO has therefore already justified its cost. 


Posted By: bcatarino
Date Posted: 11 Oct 2019 at 8:57am
I'm surprised no one suggested FadeIn or Highland 2. 

FadeIn is what I've been using for years. It costs around $50 (a lot less than Final Draft) and it has production tools to lock pages, revisions, etc (if you need those). I think there's also a free version, not sure what it has, since I ended up buying a copy a few years ago.
https://www.fadeinpro.com/" rel="nofollow - https://www.fadeinpro.com/

Highland is developed by screenwriter John August, and costs around $20 I think. I never really used it, but I think it doesn't have as many features as FadeIn, but it's also very lightweight. It's based on fountain, which is just a plain text "language" for writing screenplays, that most softwares these days understand (not sure about Final Draft, though, but the ones I mentioned, WritersDuet, and anything recent does).
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/highland-2/id1171820258?mt=12" rel="nofollow - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/highland-2/id1171820258?mt=12

Since I mentioned fountain, I'll say you can also write your screenplay simply on Word, Notepad, or any plain text editor without having to worry about formatting it. Just write it using the "fountain" rules:  https://fountain.io/faq" rel="nofollow - https://fountain.io/faq , then when you're done, import the .fountain file to whichever screenwriting software you use, and it will be properly formatted in 2 seconds. It's also the most lightweight option to write screenplays on a phone or tablet, since the screenwriting softwares for mobile are generally crap or slow (or both).

I currently write all my first drafts in fountain (because it's fast, and frees me from any concern that's not words on the page), then import to FadeIn when I'm done and it's time to revise.

Hope it helps.


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Posted By: cheezopath
Date Posted: 11 Oct 2019 at 9:14am
dropping in to represent final draft gang. well worth the price for no problems or strings attached.

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Posted By: NilesPerry
Date Posted: 11 Oct 2019 at 2:40pm
Originally posted by Vernacula Vernacula wrote:

I've always just used Storywriter (which is gone now). I know, I know... it's kindergarten level, but I loved that it was dead simple and intuitive. I don't like to think about anything but writing or futz with bloated software. So, I'd appreciate any and all recommendations for the best replacement given my past preference and lazy tendencies. 

I'm currently looking at Trelby as a download, and StudioBinder as a cloud-based solution. I lean toward online-based tools. Please help! This will be my first comp without my beloved, dumbed-down, goofy Storywriter. Thank you in advance.

I used WriterDuet for the first time when I helped John Adams during the last competition. I actually liked it a lot (I'm a diehard Final Draft user facing having to pay an upgrade fee if I update my Mac operating system to the latest). WD gave me a script that looked just like it would have if I used Final Draft, so if I decide to not re-up on the new FD version, then I'm migrating over to WriterDuet.

They do have a fee-based version, but I looked at the list of features I'd be gaining if I paid a subscription, and there was nothing that I couldn't live without. The free version does all that I need it to do.


Posted By: DContara
Date Posted: 15 Oct 2019 at 3:46am
FWIW, a good word on Writer Duet from someone that had never written a screenplay before and just took part to the Short Screenplay challenge this past weekend. Signed up on Thursday, read the NYC Midnight primer on screenplay format the same night, and a link there took me to the WD website. It turned out a lifesaver: I was on the go for most of the weekend and I literally typed (er, tapped) most of my screenplay between an iPad and an iPhone. I would not have met the deadline any other way. Syncing across devices was (almost) seamless, and export to pdf quite reliable. Export to word would change the format and get me beyond the 5-page limit, though. Speaking of which, other than for the word export, all versions of the software (web, iPad, iPhone) did a good job at maintaining the text on the same pages, which was helpful when working against a tight page limit.

Somehow it never crossed my mind to try the screenplay template provided by Scrivener, which I own and use for long projects - I love how it lets me organize all my material in one place. Does anyone have any experience with using Scrivener to write screenplays? I’ll try it out.

Moving forward, if the Scrivener option doesn’t pan out, I think I’ll consider a paid subscription to WD.


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Posted By: northernwriter
Date Posted: 15 Oct 2019 at 7:57am
Another vote for Writer Duet. I’m still relatively new at this and it’s super easy and intuitive. And I’ve never lost anything on it, even with auto save. Good luck!

-Alex


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Microfiction 2021: 4th place overall
Flash Fiction 2020: 8th place overall


Posted By: Random
Date Posted: 15 Oct 2019 at 8:27am
Originally posted by dcontarato dcontarato wrote:


Somehow it never crossed my mind to try the screenplay template provided by Scrivener, which I own and use for long projects - I love how it lets me organize all my material in one place. Does anyone have any experience with using Scrivener to write screenplays? I’ll try it out.

Moving forward, if the Scrivener option doesn’t pan out, I think I’ll consider a paid subscription to WD.


Never thought of that.  I have FD whater-the-latest-version is, which was using way too much CPU on my machine and gets used twice a year.  I also have Scrivener, which I use for long projects, though my 'notes' still go in Word because I use the headings to sort things.  I should probably get better at sorting things in Scrivener and bite the bullet.  Particularly given my opinion of Microsoft.

Won't be too many more years and they'll make you use their recurring revenue products for office, like Adobe.


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Posted By: alexdsut
Date Posted: 15 Oct 2019 at 8:47am
To throw my thoughts into the mix, I'm one more vote for Fade In. Out of all the software I've used in the past, I'd say Fade In is the best value for money. It has a lot of functionality, is very easy to use, and is reasonably priced. Win-win-win!

Go team Fade In! 

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Posted By: steph9289
Date Posted: 15 Oct 2019 at 9:10am
Originally posted by alexdsut alexdsut wrote:

To throw my thoughts into the mix, I'm one more vote for Fade In. Out of all the software I've used in the past, I'd say Fade In is the best value for money. It has a lot of functionality, is very easy to use, and is reasonably priced. Win-win-win!

Go team Fade In! 

I just tried the Demo Version of Fade In and it was great! Until I tried to export to PDF and it left a giant watermark on each page. A forumite helped me get rid of the watermarks and then all of a sudden I had half a page to play with! So I was able to add some extra details. :)

I will definitely need to buy the full version before Challenge 2! :)


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#amrevising


Posted By: alexdsut
Date Posted: 15 Oct 2019 at 9:16am
Originally posted by steph9289 steph9289 wrote:

Originally posted by alexdsut alexdsut wrote:

To throw my thoughts into the mix, I'm one more vote for Fade In. Out of all the software I've used in the past, I'd say Fade In is the best value for money. It has a lot of functionality, is very easy to use, and is reasonably priced. Win-win-win!

Go team Fade In! 

I just tried the Demo Version of Fade In and it was great! Until I tried to export to PDF and it left a giant watermark on each page. A forumite helped me get rid of the watermarks and then all of a sudden I had half a page to play with! So I was able to add some extra details. :)

I will definitely need to buy the full version before Challenge 2! :)


Oh yeah, the watermark on the free version of Fade In is hideous. I saw it the other day when my friend sent me a PDF script written on it -- urgh! Other than that, glad to hear you enjoyed it! 

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Posted By: Tim G
Date Posted: 15 Oct 2019 at 9:34am
Final Draft for meeeee. 

It's so freakin' easy.


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Posted By: rossinny
Date Posted: 15 Oct 2019 at 9:53am
I think for anyone just dipping their toe into the water of screenwriting, the free version of WriterDuet has everything you need and is extremely intuitive to use. If you're in it for the long haul, sounds like Final Draft might be well worth the investment. I'd say I'm somewhere in between at the moment!

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Posted By: ROS
Date Posted: 15 Oct 2019 at 10:15am
I use Writer Duet and I'm more than happy with it. Upgraded to a paid package since the free version only allows three free scripts and I knew I would be using it fairly regularly.

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Posted By: beckyrcollins
Date Posted: 15 Oct 2019 at 10:25am
I have Final Draft through work, but if I were to try something myself I'd go for Fade In. 

Final Draft is the traditional version and set the industry standard. But it's got SO many features that it's clunky and bugs out for me. It's been updated so many times, layer upon layer, it just doesn't make as much sense for current tech. Whereas Fade In is literally made for now and simplifies screenwriting (and it's actually affordable...).

Still, aside from the odd crash, Final Draft does the job. Can trust the formatting completely.

For a free trial version, I'd recommend Celtx (just make sure it IS the trial version). Did my dissertation on it back in 2016 with no trouble, and the watermark is unobtrusive if I remember correctly. If it's turned to crap since then ignore this haha


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Posted By: beckyrcollins
Date Posted: 15 Oct 2019 at 10:32am
Originally posted by bcatarino bcatarino wrote:

Highland is developed by screenwriter John August, and costs around $20 I think. I never really used it, but I think it doesn't have as many features as FadeIn, but it's also very lightweight. It's based on fountain, which is just a plain text "language" for writing screenplays, that most softwares these days understand (not sure about Final Draft, though, but the ones I mentioned, WritersDuet, and anything recent does).
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/highland-2/id1171820258?mt=12" rel="nofollow - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/highland-2/id1171820258?mt=12


This is another one I'm super curious about! I listen to his podcast and really rate his opinions on screenwriting and the process of, so if he's created a lightweight software that does everything you need, I'm in tbh. Trust him as a screenwriter completely haha


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Posted By: lisafox10800
Date Posted: 15 Oct 2019 at 10:47am
I'm very happy with the Movie Magic Screenwriter software. I'm NOT techie and it's pretty foolproof.

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My short story collection, Core Truths, is now available wherever books are sold.


Posted By: alexdsut
Date Posted: 15 Oct 2019 at 10:59am
Originally posted by lisafox10800 lisafox10800 wrote:

I'm very happy with the Movie Magic Screenwriter software. I'm NOT techie and it's pretty foolproof.

I've been meaning to try this out. Might take it for a spin for Challenge #2! I actually don't think I know anyone who has used it though, so it never came up in any past discussions I've had. Good to hear you've had a positive experience with it! 


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Posted By: lisafox10800
Date Posted: 15 Oct 2019 at 11:35am
Originally posted by alexdsut alexdsut wrote:

Originally posted by lisafox10800 lisafox10800 wrote:

I'm very happy with the Movie Magic Screenwriter software. I'm NOT techie and it's pretty foolproof.

I've been meaning to try this out. Might take it for a spin for Challenge #2! I actually don't think I know anyone who has used it though, so it never came up in any past discussions I've had. Good to hear you've had a positive experience with it! 

I was terrified once Amazon Storywriter went away. I played around with this new software before one of the comps last year and it was really easy to learn. Of course, I haven't tried any of the real bells and whistles, but for the basics, it's perfect.


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My short story collection, Core Truths, is now available wherever books are sold.


Posted By: Emmageek
Date Posted: 15 Oct 2019 at 12:02pm
Originally posted by Vernacula Vernacula wrote:

I've always just used Storywriter (which is gone now). I know, I know...it's kindergarten level, but I loved that it was dead simple and intuitive. I don't like to think about anything but writing or futz with bloated software. So, I'd appreciate any and all recommendations for the best replacement given my past preference and lazy tendencies.

I'm currently looking at Trelby as a download, and StudioBinder as a cloud-based solution. I lean toward online-based tools. Please help! This will be my first comp without my beloved, dumbed-down, goofy Storywriter. Thank you in advance.
 
I have Scrivener and Movie Magic for my production software on my main home computer.  I just had to bite the bullet and get WritersDuet because 1) I've been using the free one for ever and 2) I travel for work and didn't want to learn another program since I like WD.  So WD will be my go-to on my travel chromebook.
 


Posted By: stephenmatlock
Date Posted: 15 Oct 2019 at 12:13pm
Pick what works for you, and try to do so before the comps!

I've used Trelby (as I've said earlier), WritersDuet, and Scrivener for writing scripts.

Trelby was just too harsh: YOU MUST DO THIS NEXT PART BECAUSE OF THE RULES. If you know screenwriting/scriptwriting, I suppose it's easier, but for a newbie, it's like having Sister Mary Martha smacking your knuckles at every single mistake.

WritersDuet looks good, but I found it hard to keep track of where my "stuff" was. Cloud or local? I got out of synch at one point.

Scrivener I love for long form writing (novels), but I did not like the scriptwriting feature. Way too may non-keyboard functions--that is, I kept having to take my hand off the keyboard to use the mouse.

I still love Fade In, and have paid for the upgrades as needed. (I think there was a jump between versions that required a new license fee, but boy howdy it is worth it.)


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Posted By: Random
Date Posted: 15 Oct 2019 at 12:50pm
Originally posted by lisafox10800 lisafox10800 wrote:

I'm very happy with the Movie Magic Screenwriter software. I'm NOT techie and it's pretty foolproof.


I got a copy of this in 2002 or something like that.  Might get a new version to see if I like it better than FD (for my 3 screenplays a year  Confused )


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Posted By: DContara
Date Posted: 16 Oct 2019 at 1:58am
Originally posted by Random Random wrote:

Originally posted by dcontarato dcontarato wrote:


Somehow it never crossed my mind to try the screenplay template provided by Scrivener, which I own and use for long projects - I love how it lets me organize all my material in one place. Does anyone have any experience with using Scrivener to write screenplays? I’ll try it out.

Moving forward, if the Scrivener option doesn’t pan out, I think I’ll consider a paid subscription to WD.


Never thought of that.  I have FD whater-the-latest-version is, which was using way too much CPU on my machine and gets used twice a year.  I also have Scrivener, which I use for long projects, though my 'notes' still go in Word because I use the headings to sort things.  I should probably get better at sorting things in Scrivener and bite the bullet.  Particularly given my opinion of Microsoft.

Won't be too many more years and they'll make you use their recurring revenue products for office, like Adobe.

Thanks. Just gave a try at scriptwriting mode on Scrivener and it isn't quite as intuitive as other tools like WriterDuet - basically to switch between scene heading, action, dialogue, etc. one needs to either click some drop down menu or use a combination of TAB and ENTER to change item (this latter mode is actually not bad as it can replace mouse work, when one gets the gist of it). The options are all somewhat "hidden" in text at the bottom right corner of the editor, odd design choice compared to the pretty icons I've seen in WriterDuet or screenshots of other software packages...

It is nice to have the corkboard to organize/outline the scenes and all the other amenities that Scrivener provides (inspector, notes and so on for each scene, Finder-style folder view with reference material, etc.). Could definitely be useful to organize longer work, which is after all the main value proposition of Scrivener.


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Posted By: DContara
Date Posted: 16 Oct 2019 at 2:08am
Originally posted by stephenmatlock stephenmatlock wrote:

Pick what works for you, and try to do so before the comps!

I've used Trelby (as I've said earlier), WritersDuet, and Scrivener for writing scripts.

Trelby was just too harsh: YOU MUST DO THIS NEXT PART BECAUSE OF THE RULES. If you know screenwriting/scriptwriting, I suppose it's easier, but for a newbie, it's like having Sister Mary Martha smacking your knuckles at every single mistake.

WritersDuet looks good, but I found it hard to keep track of where my "stuff" was. Cloud or local? I got out of synch at one point.

Scrivener I love for long form writing (novels), but I did not like the scriptwriting feature. Way too may non-keyboard functions--that is, I kept having to take my hand off the keyboard to use the mouse.

I still love Fade In, and have paid for the upgrades as needed. (I think there was a jump between versions that required a new license fee, but boy howdy it is worth it.)

Thanks! Had a similar feeling about Scrivener when I tried to type out a few scenes with it tonight. As I posted in my reply to Random above, there is an option to just use TAB and ENTER to change between heading-action-dialogue etc. with little mouse work, which becomes not bad at all after a while.

I'm sold on WriterDuet for the competition, it just worked great for me in the first round (the quality of the output, or lack thereof, will be my responsibility only).

I did some research today on FadeIn and liked what I saw, including the price tag - I have a hard time justifying the $250 for FinalDraft at this stage. Certainly an option for the long run.


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Posted By: DContara
Date Posted: 16 Oct 2019 at 2:20am
Originally posted by rossinny rossinny wrote:

I think for anyone just dipping their toe into the water of screenwriting, the free version of WriterDuet has everything you need and is extremely intuitive to use. If you're in it for the long haul, sounds like Final Draft might be well worth the investment. I'd say I'm somewhere in between at the moment!

Dipping my toes is exactly what I'm doing, and as you say I found WD a great and simple option for that!


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Posted By: Emmageek
Date Posted: 16 Oct 2019 at 7:55am
Since I have MM on my home base computer and Scrivener, I do use the Scrivener for the corkboard and organizing feature.  I like to visual see things - especially during the prewriting stage when my ideas are mostly scenes in my head and no real place in the story at that time.  




Posted By: Winer
Date Posted: 20 Oct 2019 at 5:01pm
I am using Scrivener and love it. I already own it and it's like half or less the cost of Final Draft (which I used about 10 years ago). It works great and has a lot of features for big projects! It's also good for transcribing interviews. =)

Full disclosure: I am on an old Mac (2009) running High Sierra. When I upgrade to a new machine, the version of Scrivener I used for this challenge won't work (2.8.1), so I will have to upgrade (>3.0). I fully expect the new Scrivener to work as well as this ancient one.

I had no idea there were as many screenwriting options out there!

http://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview" rel="nofollow - https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview


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Posted By: DContara
Date Posted: 20 Oct 2019 at 7:50pm
Originally posted by Winer Winer wrote:

I am using Scrivener and love it. I already own it and it's like half or less the cost of Final Draft (which I used about 10 years ago). It works great and has a lot of features for big projects! It's also good for transcribing interviews. =)

Full disclosure: I am on an old Mac (2009) running High Sierra. When I upgrade to a new machine, the version of Scrivener I used for this challenge won't work (2.8.1), so I will have to upgrade (>3.0). I fully expect the new Scrivener to work as well as this ancient one.

I had no idea there were as many screenwriting options out there!

http://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview" rel="nofollow - https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview

My transition from Scrivener 2 to 3 was seamless, although I use it only for fiction and not for scriptwriting. You’ll love the cleaner interface and the simplified compile options. Also keep in mind that as an owner of v2 you will be entitled to a discount on v3. By the way, Scrivener 3 should work with High Sierra, although if you are considering a new machine anyway, you should probably wait for the hardware upgrade and start clean and reliably from there, rather than slowing down an old machine further Smile


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Posted By: Suave
Date Posted: 24 Nov 2019 at 3:49am
I started with Fade In and liked it - the free version.  When I came up against the wall of free limitations I did a trial of Final Draft and it was ok, then they made me a special offer I could not refuse, so I bought the FD.  Now, I am going to say that I like the FD - the only thing I would caution someone about is that they better make sure to set up the file handling and startup really well if they are going to work on more than one project at a time.  I went with the product settings for the first contest and ended up submitting the wrong version of my entry.  After that snafu, I am a crazy person for wanting multi saved copies, I went into the settings and made it so that no-longer did FD start up on what I last saved - it comes up blank and I have to go and find the file I want to open.  I also did not like them selling me the program then doing an update and wanting me to pay them another $80 within months - they said too bad when I complained.


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Posted By: Andrea
Date Posted: 24 Nov 2019 at 11:18am
Suave, I will say that I've had FD since their inception. I wanted to put in a good word for them because I have always found them to be fair, and I've also found their bookkeeping and customer service top notch. They've managed to keep track of me in their system, so when I've gone for long stretches (years) without using FD only to come back and find I needed to put it on a new computer (using a CD for a computer that didn't have one) they were able to find me and help me download. They are great. I cannot comment on the upgrade cost problem, but I've been very pleased. 

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Posted By: DContara
Date Posted: 30 Nov 2019 at 1:15am
After a month writing fiction on Scrivener for NaNoWriMo (yes! I did it!), I opened WriterDuet today to start practicing for next weekend’s 2nd challenge of the Short Screenplay contest. It welcomed me with a Black Friday/Cyber Monday offer for a $7.99/month subscription instead of the regular $11.99/month. As I used the free projects for the 1st challenge and was considering the subscription anyway, that was very timely Smile

For those of you out there considering a WD subscription, you might save some $ by looking into it this weekend!


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Posted By: Maiasatara
Date Posted: 02 Dec 2019 at 3:01pm
I’ve only ever used Movie Magic Screenwriter from my first screenwriting class and all through film school to today. My purchase price got me free updates but I’m not sure whether they do what MS does that I HATE which is basically rent you software forever. I love MM because obviously all the formatting is DONE (and it has sample TV templates - many outdated but I haven’t upgraded in a while.) You can choose either very easy keyboard shortcuts or right click of mouse to access shortcuts (like calling up already typed characters or locations, auto formatting parentheticals and dialogue that carries over pages with ability to cheat orphans.) It even learns words that are unique to your script. Export to PDF and other formats is really easy and the Title Page Generator is kept separate from page numbering. Though I STILL wish we could submit directly in MM formatted docs because I’ve had tiny issues with font sizes on the title page when converting. Inevitably it’s at 11:55pm when Adobe decides to blow up my log line to a font 30 points larger than everything else on the title page. Anyway, good luck!



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