Screenplay Writing from Scratch

Tutorial Overview

Write a complete 2-page scene from scratch, learning professional screenplay formatting.

Exercise 1: Create Your First Scene

Request: "Create a new screenplay"

Write a simple scene:

1. Press Tab to cycle to Scene Heading
2. Type: "INT. COFFEE SHOP - DAY"
3. Press Enter
4. Tab to Action
5. Describe what we see

Exercise 2: Master Element Types

Practice each screenplay element:

• Scene Heading: INT/EXT, location, time
• Action: What happens on screen
• Character: Who speaks (auto-centers, auto-caps)
• Dialogue: What they say (auto-indents)
• Parenthetical: (how they say it)

Exercise 3: Write Complete Scene

Write a 2-page scene with:

• Scene heading
• Action establishing the setting
• Two characters
• Dialogue exchange (6-8 lines each)
• Action beats between dialogue

Exercise 4: Keyboard Shortcuts

Practice efficient writing:

• Tab: Next element type
• Enter: New line, same element
• Cmd+S: Save (auto-saves anyway)

By the End

You'll have a complete, professionally formatted scene ready for production.

Next Steps

• Advanced Screenplay Techniques
• AI-Assisted Script Development