How to Format a Screenplay for Free

Introduction

Alright so here's the thing — most people have no idea what a properly formatted screenplay actually looks like. And I get it, because if you Google it, you get a hundred different answers. So let me just show you. I'm going to format a real scene from scratch right now in Free Screenwriter. It's free — not like freemium free, it's actually free. No trial, no credit card, none of that. Let's go.

Scene Headings (Sluglines)

OK so every scene starts with what's called a scene heading — some people call it a slugline. It does three things. Interior or exterior. Location. Time of day. That's it. Watch — INT period COFFEE SHOP dash DAY. See how it goes all caps, flush left? That's exactly how every studio in Hollywood expects to see it. The tool does the formatting for you — you just type.

Action Lines

Now after the scene heading, you write what's called action. This is what the audience sees and hears. Think of it as you're a camera — you're describing what the camera sees. Present tense, keep it visual, keep it lean. Nobody wants to read a paragraph. You can see the formatting — left-aligned, full width, standard case. The tool handles all of that.

Character & Dialogue

OK now here's the fun part — dialogue. This is the heart of screenwriting. Character name goes centered, all caps. Watch — I type SARAH.

And boom — it knows I'm writing dialogue now. Indented, proper margins. In Final Draft you'd be messing with tab stops and rulers. Here the tool just does it. That's the whole point.

Parentheticals

Two more things. Parentheticals — little acting directions between the character name and their dialogue. Things like 'amused' or 'beat' or 'into phone.' Keep them short, three words max. Watch.

Transitions

And transitions — CUT TO, FADE OUT — those go flush right. Watch how the tool nails it automatically.

Exporting to PDF & FDX

And when you're done — export. PDF for reading, FDX for Final Draft compatibility. That's the format every studio accepts. No watermarks, no paywalls, no 'upgrade to export' nonsense. That's it. You just formatted a professional screenplay in like two minutes. For free. Go write something.