Screenwriting software

My school just gave all the screenwriting students free copies of Screenwriter 6, just when I was about to finally bite the bullet and buy Final Draft.

Now I keep hearing that Final Draft 8 is the only real game in town, but Screenwriter 6 at least costs the same amount of money, and it has some pretty serious history behind it (wikipedia dates its earliest predecessor at 1982). In any case, it's a step up from celtx.

So all your screenwriters here on the writer's block forum, should I be satisfied with Screenwriter 6? Can I pursue a writing career seriously without buying Final Draft?

I use MS Word.

I mean, I'm not a pro (yet), but I've gotten through almost 90 pages with no complaints.

As a side note, that's mostly because I don't like software that restricts your formatting. I break standard format a lot.

edited 22nd Sep '11 1:55:18 AM by Wheezy

I use Open Office because I got tired of using Notepad and wanted to use 'bold and italics. Also, it's free, but kind of a big download.

I have Open Office too, but it's too awkward and doesn't give you as much information about your document.

But the point is, the software really doesn't matter.*

Up until 30 years ago, everyone was using typewriters.

edited 22nd Sep '11 4:50:42 AM by Wheezy

I've started using Celtx for screenwriting. It's free and slightly easier to use than MS Word for screenwriting. I'm no pro either, and I've never used the other programs the OP mentioned, so I don't know how it compares. I haven't really used many of the features that come with it (notes, story boards, etc), but I like what I've seen so far. Also, did I mention it's free?

I also used Celtx for a summer camp over the summer and it worked out quite well.

Thirding Celtx. You can download a free version from the website. It's pretty intuitive, too, and can be used for a variety of media.

OP here, I've been using celtx for years with few complaints. That said, here are my few complaints: it's not a "WYSIWYG" interface, meaning you don't see the page breaks in the word processor; it requires an internet connection to properly format the screenplay; and revision mode leaves a lot to be desired, (granted, that one doesn't matter unless you're actually making the movie.) So far, Screenwriter 6 has none of these problems, but supposedly all the pros sing the praises of FD.

As for word or open office? Forget it. Every minor edit means going over every single page to redo every MORE, CONT'D, CONTINUED, etc. and reformat the page breaks. It would be easier to do it on a typewriter.

edited 22nd Sep '11 11:17:17 AM by Arsidias

I use Final Draft 8.

I suppose the level of professionalism you want matters.

I'm writing a comic script in a semi-nonstandard format, so I don't have to worry about "more"s and "continued"s yet. I actually found CeltX too restrictive for that reason.

edited 26th Sep '11 12:31:05 AM by Wheezy

I use celtx to write the Remus script for a few reasons. 1: Free, if you don't want to subscribe. 2: Unbelievably helpful if you do want to subscribe - you can go back and track every single different version you've ever saved. 3: I'm able to keep my character notes and the script in the same project file. 4: I actually like the formatting for comic scripts. 5: If you only want to write a screenplay, there's not much Final Draft can do that Celtx can't do (as far as I'm aware of).

Necro'ing a 12-year-old thread, I know, but I have NEW STUFF!

Highland 2 is a wonderful writing app and I can't recommend it enough, especially for screenwriters. It's Mac exclusive, but it's built on the Fountain standard, which is platform-agnostic.

I've been using Highland and Fountain for more than 5 years now and I wouldn't trade them for the world.