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Screenplay formatter google docs how to#
Screenplay formatter google docs professional#

Approximating a screenplay in Google docs is possible, but achieving 100% accuracy will be a far easier task in a specialized screenwriting program. So, that is everything you need to know to write a screenplay in Google Docs.

Screenplay formatter google docs how to#

Up Next How to Write a Scene in a Screenplay For more information, take a look at our guide for integrating script notes in StudioBinder.

Screenplay formatter google docs professional#

The ability to add and respond to comments and to work with collaborators in the same document in real-time is one selling point for Google Docs that Final Draft does not contain, though there are other professional screenwriting programs that do allow this kind of collaboration such as WriterDuet and our very own StudioBinder screenwriting software. Take a look at the notes for Back to the Future for a classic example of how script notes can improve a screenplay. Good notes can be instrumental in shaping a screenplay. The sharing functionality can be useful for sending out works in progress to receive notes/feedback. Be sure to check out our tips on writing an outline that works. The built-in outlining feature included in every Google Doc may not have been designed specifically for script outlining but it can work pretty well for that purpose. There are even a couple of built-in features that may prove useful in your screenwriting endeavors. Though Google Docs is not ideal for screenwriting, it can be done. Google Doc Script format Useful Google Docs functions Also, keep in mind that these apps are made by third party developers so their functionality may be limited and their integration with Google Docs can be volatile at times. These add-ons are far from perfect but they will make formatting a screenplay in Google Docs somewhat faster, easier, and more accurate. The following video explains how to approximate each of these line types in Google Docs using simple spacing and tabs.īe aware, however, that this method is not precise and a trained screenwriter will still be able to tell that a script written this way was not made in a professional screenwriting program.

In a professional screenwriting program, these line types are formatted automatically, but writing in Google Docs requires a degree of extra leg-work. The formatting of these two line types is extremely particular, and either of these line types looking off will be a dead giveaway to any industry professionals reading your screenplay. The trickiest of these line types to replicate in Google Docs are parenthetical and dialogue lines, which are toward the middle of the page but not quite centered. But the remaining line types will find frequent use when formatting a screenplay. Transition lines should be used sparingly and shot lines should hardly be used at all in a spec script.

Dialogue - Block formatted below character (and parenthetical if present).

Parenthetical - Goes below a character line inside parentheses.

Scene Heading/Slugline - Left aligned, all caps.

Screenplays make use of seven specialized line types that are each used for different purposes and are formatted differently. This next step is a bit more complicated but crucial for achieving an accurately formatted screenplay using Google Docs. How to Format a Script in Google Docs Step 2: Create styles for each line type Double click in your new header, then select “Options” → “Page numbers.” To replicate this in Google Docs, click on “Format” → “Headers & Footers” and add a header to your document. Screenplays have page numbers in the upper right-hand corner of each page, except for the first page, which goes unnumbered. If the rulers are not visible to you at all, click on “View” in the home menu and ensure that “Show ruler” is checked off. You can alter the left and right margins in Google Docs by simple dragging the blue arrows along the ruler at the top of the page.įor the top and bottom margins, Google Docs may not show the blue arrows on the left-hand ruler, but these margins can still be adjusted in the same manner by clicking on the spot of the ruler where the color changes from white to grey. Be sure to read our guide to screenplay margins for more information on margins, including why script margins are set the way they are.īefore writing anything in Google Docs, be sure to set your margins to one inch on the top, bottom, and right hand sides, and set the left margin to one-and-a-half inches. Part of the reason for this has to do with line formatting, which we’ll cover next, and a big part of it has to do with the margins of the page.

A page in a screenplay looks drastically different from a page of prose, essay, or other type of writing.