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Scriptwriting

Write and format a screenplay

Beginner5 min readUpdated May 2026

Curtyn's Script tool is a proper screenplay editor. It handles industry-standard formatting as you type, so you can focus on the writing and trust the page to look right. This guide covers writing a screenplay from a blank page.

Before you start

You'll need a project with the Script tool open. Any project will do.

1

Open the Script tool

Select Scriptin the project sidebar. A new script opens on a blank page, already set to screenplay margins and type. You don't set up a template, the format is the page.

2

Start with a scene heading

Every scene opens with a heading: interior or exterior, the location, and the time of day, for example INT. WAREHOUSE - NIGHT. The editor recognises a heading as you type it and styles it without you reaching for a menu.

3

Write the action

Under the heading, describe what happens on screen in the present tense. Action runs the full width of the page. This is also the text you will tag later to build the scene breakdown.

4

Add characters and dialogue

Type a character name to start a dialogue block. The name centres, and the lines below it sit in the dialogue column. Press Enter to return to action when the exchange is done.

Tip

Keep character names consistent. The same name, spelled the same way, is what lets Curtyn count a character's scenes correctly once you start tagging.

5

Use transitions and the other elements

Transitions such as CUT TO:, parentheticals, and shot lines are all available as you write. The editor knows each one by how you type it, so the page keeps the right shape from the first scene to the last.

6

Let the editor keep the format

You never have to stop and fix spacing or indentation. As the draft grows, the formatting holds, and the script stays ready to break down, share, or export to a clean PDF at any point.

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