Begin with a new, empty screenplay document. If one isn't open, select File > New from the menu.
Start typing on a blank line: Int. Study - day
The element type of the current paragraph (the application calls any contiguous piece of text starting on a new line a paragraph), will be automatically changed to Scene Heading, and the line will be formatted to look like:
INT. STUDY - DAY
Hitting the Enter key will start a new paragraph under the Scene Heading as an Action element. (See Formatting and Elements to see what elements automatically follow others.)
At any point, you can change the element type of the current paragraph by selecting it from the Format menu, from the Format panel, or by using a shortcut key (for any of the built-in elements).
We can then type:
INT. STUDY - DAY A SCREENWRITER sits at a desk, trying out Fade In Professional Screenwriting Software.
From an Action element, hitting the Tab key will change to a Character element. After typing a character name and typing Enter, the element type changes automatically to Dialogue. Typing Tab on an empty Dialogue line will switch to a Parenthetical element, and vice-versa, allowing us to do:
INT. STUDY - DAY A SCREENWRITER sits at a desk, trying out Fade In Professional Screenwriting Software. SCREENWRITER (amazed) Why, I've...I've never been happier.
The application will, for the most part, look after formatting, transitioning to the next element and, depending on your Preferences, displaying autocomplete options as you type. It will also take care of keeping things together properly over page breaks and adding additional standard formatting such as "(cont'd)" and "(MORE)" for dialogue, if desired.
Read on to find out more about the additional feature that Fade In Professional Screenwriting Software offers.
For screenplay documents, it is recommended to use a screenplay-specific Courier font. These can be found at www.fadeinpro.com on the Download page under "Extras".