Word is easier to learn, than WordPerfect and allows you to save in either Word of RFT format. These are the two most requested by publisher who accept submissions via e-mail. Word Perfect is better at formatting because it is made by a company who specialize in graphics.
Style and grammar checkers are excellent ways to learn what different editors look for while they are evaluating your prose.
Caution: If you decide to utilize a style or grammar checker add-in written for MS Word, recheck your formatting after you convert back to your normal settings. You may have to select all in your edit tab and reselect font type, and reset double spacing.
Wizards for Words This handy program converts whatever your writing into the proper manuscript format for submitting to publisher who still use the US Postal system for submissions and for publishers who ask for Word formatted attachments. Even if you normally use "The Writer's Digest Guide to Manuscript Formats" as a guide to write you queries and masterpieces, this program speeds up the formatting process. Also comes with a grammar style and word usage checker that nicely adds to Word 97's awesome grammar checker.
For composing e-mail, letters, address books, poems, short stories, and articles most any computer on the market will perform well. For script writing, well if your only ambition is a one act, or a Sunday School program any computer will do that too. So if you are reading my web page your computer is up to any writing task you have in store for it.
Unless you decide to write a novel...
For a novel, the computer needs extra memory to remember the formatting on all those pages.
When writing short stories and articles, all you need is whatever word processing software which came with your computer.
Unless you decide that your story has the making of a television show, or a movie...
The formatting required to have a screenplay considered is more complicated than you may be willing to spend time on. To write screenplays or three act stage plays a script writing program is more appropriate for the task.
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Look over my Comparing Formats Page to see the difference between the format a short story publishers wants to see on his desk as opposed to what a director for a screen play wants to see on his desk. |
Writing software companies make special script writing programs for writing screenplays. These programs are too expensive for me to use more than one, so I can not recommend a script writing program.
Here are the two that I liked the best when I was looking for script writing software. The main advantage of the expensive ones is that they allow you switch easily between different scriptwriting formats. Freeware selections tend to be dedicated to one format per program.
Scriptware This is the script writing package that I chose. This one includes a template for stage scriptwriting. However, the stage template utilizes the newer less used stage play format.
Scriptthing (now called Movie Magic Screenwriter 2000) This software package looks equally as good, but did not support a stage play format.
The Online Communicator Written in the spirit of Smatterings. A straight forward review of scriptwriting software from someone else who writes according to their experiences.
However if you are a student taking a course in writing for film; the freeware option is the best option. Here are the freeware programs I've found so far:
To use any of the files below you need to have an unzipping utility on your computer first if you are using a version of Windows previous to Windows Me/2000/XP. My favorite unzipping utility is located on the top of my Download Aids Freeware page.
I tend to prefer to use a Word Template over a script writing program because I'm not going to really shoot my own video or film. I'm writing the script in hopes that someone buys it and makes their own production script storyboard for my story.
BBC Script Smart Word templates for screenplays, radio dramas and prose. Take care on which template you download. A template designed for Word 2000 will crash Word 97.
Sonnyboo's Free Downloads contains MS Word 97 film screenwriting templates IScript, Swift 97 and Screen Writer, which I'm glad to find that they are still available, now in one zip file packaged with credits templates and WGA contracts.
Screenplay Stylesheets for Macintosh: This looks like its worth trying. I do not have access to a Mac, so I could not try this one.
OO Script Open Office Screenplay Template.
Sometimes the installation instructions are non-existent, so I wrote up some installation instructions based on a template that no longer exists. These instructions should work for most templates made for MS Word.
Successware is free to use until you sell your script.
The Scriptwriter's Toolkit Stage, Film, and Radio MS Word Templates for MS Word 2 to MS Word 2000. Uses short cut keys exclusively. After the annoying reminders about the terms of use it works fine.
CeltxWiki digital pre-production software from the text version of your novel to the industry standard film version script or the other way around. Scene Details and Character Background forms. Add sound files, pictures and video clips to create a media rich Outline. Tag key items like props, and actors and special effects with notes and pictures and even sound files to help give your story shape. Calendar and Reports features to keep your Project organized. Collaboration feature lets you share your entire Project – scripts, breakdown files, budgets, schedules, location forms etc. – with team members.
Cinergy Script Editor free stand alone film episodic, TV and situation comedy script editor works on both Windows and Macs with pc emulation.
Script Maker stores the master-scene script and the shooting-script as two different views of the same document. Exports treatments, synopsis and the scripts to RTF, for editing using MS Word but does not let you import them back into the original program afterwards. Works with Storyboard Tools for printing storyboard-images within your script. Storyboard Tools lets you build, print and maintain an entire storyboard project. Stores any amount of text with each image. Uses jpeg & bmp images. Produces tables of information useful for location shooting. Contains separate tools for drawing and for experimenting with editing ideas. SLang works well if your the type of person who likes to work with recipe cards to organize your work. Each program can be used separately. These programs work together in the shareware version.Rough Draft the easiest writing tool for writing stage plays. Yes! It is easy to setup the normal stage format that you see used in most commercial theater scripts. It automatically generates a title page.
If you are writing newsletters then you need to look for publishing software. WordPerfect then might be your choice. You could possibly use MS Publisher. Give a choice between using MS Word or MS Publisher, I will choose MS Publisher as the right tool any time I have a document that has more than one column, so long as it is not a long document like a script.
Template Paradise lists a few free MS Publisher newsletter templates.
PagePlus SE by Free SerifSoftware is a freeware Windows desktop publishing program comparable to MS Publisher. Packed with a host of preset document layouts, automated templates, color schemes and artistic effects.
Scribus Open Source desktop publishing for Windows, Mac, and Linux and Unix. Will aid in magazine layout, chap books, businesss cards, presentations, and Avery lables.
Comic Book Script Template Word for Windows templates to automate the writing of comic book scripts and plots.
Editorium Authors tools is a MS Word/Mac style macro for poets and book writers.
General Business Templates Newsletters, self mailers, news releases, flyers and stuff for MS Word, and Power point from OKI® printer. Just choose download, copy, paste, and save as a Word template.
Ink Byte Novel, and short story template for submissions to editors.
Microsoft Template Gallery has a good selection of templates for MS Office. Browse around to see if they have anything useful to you. For theater minded people they have a ticket, and a program template for MS Word, and a telephone list that can easily be converted to a cast list for MS Excel. They also offer a screenplay template.
Lynne Connolly Word for Writers directions for creating your own macros, customizing Word, and creating your own templates.
MS Publisher saved the day when SmatterigsBooks published an 8"x5.5", 36 page history of the United Alden Methodist Church for thier 125th birthday as it did when my mom and I volunteered as editors for Northside Writers' Over Coffee 2006 issue. While working on the 2006 issue, we learned for staple-bound publications the size of the local copy shop's stapler determines the length of the book. Exceeding this limit suddenly we found ourselves debating on editing out an excellent work or exceeding our budget with higher cost binding. For a thick 8"x5.5" book MS publisher and the local copy shop is no longer the answer. One needs to convert their word document to a print ready file in PDF format for a POD (print on demand) printer.
Books, Typography and Microsoft Word Typesetting in MS Word by Aalan Shepard.
Editorium Update Typesetting tips for MS Word PC version by Jack M. Lyon.
Typesetting in Microsoft Word by Jack M. Lyon instructs how to set up Mac version of MS Word for a prepress publication.
Creating a Book With Open Office Instructions for creating a book printing template.
Cool Ruler Measurements can be set for Inches, Pixels and centimeters. Works with DOS and Windows.
Pixel Ruler Float over your screen. Show measurements in Pixels. Works with all applications.
Screen Ruler Measure anything on your screen in millimeters, centimeters or pixels.
