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7 Best Screenwriting Apps to Make Life Easier

By Paula Bernstein

7 Best Screenwriting Apps Make Life Easier

Paula Bernstein

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Screenplay Of course, some of the best screenwriters wrote their masterpieces without relying on apps or even computers, but sometimes an app is just what you need to organize your thoughts or streamline the writing process. Below, in no particular order, we list seven apps that aid in the screenwriting process.

Celtx Script ($5.79, iPhone, iPad, Android): Billed as the number one rated scriptwriting app in the the iTunes store, Celtx Script allows you to work on your script anytime, anywhere. Even better, you can sync it with your online studio (if you subscribe to Celtx) so you can share and discuss script changes with your team so they’ll be up to date on the latest draft.

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Carrie Fisher's personal hand-annotated shooting script from Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back.The working script which Star Wars actress Carrie Fisher used and annotated for her role as Princess Leia in the Empire Strikes Back has emerged for sale.The unique personal script is accompanied by the three leather bound scripts for the Star Wars trilogy that were given to the actors at the end of filming and signed by director George Lucas.Together the four items are tipped to sell for a combined £115,000.The star lot is Fisher's very own Empire Strikes Back script which contains over 1,000 notes written by her to help her act out her role.Auction of Carrie Fisher annotated Star Wars scripts, Los Angeles, USA - Oct 2017The working script which Star Wars actress Carrie Fisher used for her role as Princess Leia in the Empire Strikes Back has emerged for sale. It contains over 1,000 handwritten notes, including tweaks to the script in crucial scenes with Harrison Ford's character Han Solo in the 1980 film. Fisher, who died aged 60 in December last year, revealed in her autobiography that the pair had a steamy romance on the set of 1977's Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope. The Empire Strikes Back script is accompanied by the three leatherbound scores for the Star Wars trilogy that were given to the actress, and signed by director George Lucas. Together, the four items are tipped to sell for £115,000 at auction later this month.

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Final Draft Writer ($19.99, iPhone, iPad): It’s not cheap, but if you write using Final Draft software, this is the app for you. Writer lets you write, edit and read Final Draft scripts on your iPad or iPhone. You can also easily move your Final Draft 9 scripts from desktop to iPad or iPhone and back again via e-mail or Dropbox and your scripts will appear perfectly formatted every time.

Fade In Mobile ($4.99, iPhone, iPad, Android): Fade in was developed as an alternative to Final Draft and the app is intended to use with Fade in software. No longer do you have to worry about proper script formatting. The app includes standard script styles and provides tools for quickly selecting character and location names. You can use your Dropbox account to access your work on the go and sync your writing with your computer.

Index Card ($2.99, iPhone, iPad): It’s not a screenwriting app, per se, but it will help you organize your thoughts in one place without worrying about misplacing paper index cards.

Scripts Pro ($11.99, iPhone, iPad): Scripts Pro is handy no matter which screenwriting software you use. It imports, exports and preserves your Final Draft, Celtx and formatted Text files from most desktop script writing software.

Storyist ($14.99, iPhone, iPad): Storyist’s rich text editor makes it easy to create properly formatted manuscripts and screenplays with support for comments, images, headers, footers and style sheets. Another cool feature: You can sketch out a story using index cards and then refine it with customizable plot, character and setting sheets. Even cooler: Storyist can display your index cards next to your manuscript as you write. But you still have to do the heavy lifting!

Weekend Read (Free, iPhone, iPad): Created by screenwriter John August, Weekend Read is really a screenplay reading app, not a writing app. But it will let you easily read screenplays on your iPhone with a choice of fonts and sizes. And best of all, it’s free!

Below are some previous stories on apps for filmmakers. Got a favorite filmmaking app we haven’t mentioned yet? Please share your suggestions in the comments section below.