also, if you're looking for something that'll do the formatting of the script for you, check out Trelby! it's this free software that's way easier than having to deal with the bolding and indenting of various things on a normal word processor :D

Having a head full of stories, characters and settings has never sat in the same realm as the space where those things are put down in coherent fashion. Experience shows that writing is actually rewriting and being able to keep your original thoughts organised as you rip the guts out of your darlings is essential. When I started writing regularly, I used a notebook and pen but those traces are…

I asked my husband if he had any screenwriting books and of course he does.

A free, multiplatform, feature-rich screenwriting program!

Trelby is simple, fast and elegantly laid out to make screenwriting simple. It is infinitely configurable.

Trelby is free software, that you can contribute to.

Features

Screenplay editor: Enforces correct script format and pagination, auto-completion, and spell checking.

Multiplatform : Behaves identically on all platforms, generating the exact same output.

Choice of view: Multiple views, including draft view, WYSIWYG mode, and fullscreen to suit your writing style.

Name database: Character name database containing over 200,000 names from various countries.

Reporting: Scene/location/character/dialogue reports.

Compare: Ability to compare scripts, so you know what changed between versions.

Import: Screenplay formatted text, Final Draft XML (.fdx), Celtx (.celtx), Fountain (.fountain), Adobe Story (.astx) and Fade In Pro (.fadein).

Export: PDF, formatted text, HTML, RTF, Final Draft XML (.fdx) and Fountain (.fountain).

PDF: Built-in, highly configurable PDF generator. Supports embedding your chosen font. Also supports generating PDFs with custom watermarks, to help track shared files.

I’m thinking of upgrading my screenwriting software. 

I currently use the free, unsupported software Trelby. I have to say that my experience with this software has been mostly very positive. There was one incident early into a draft where I lost power before having a chance to save and lost 20 pages (it was a marathon writing session for me). But what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, right? I think the second time writing those pages made them that much better.

For those who don’t know, Trelby is a free screenwriting program that can be downloaded here.It is very basic, but it does exactly what it advertises it does (no more, no less).

Here’s been my experience with the software so far:

Pros: Very basic and simple (I like this a TON). It’s very easy to start writing and to focus on the writing without getting caught up in excess bells and whistles. It does track character names to autofill and allows me to tab through script segments while writing (or to hit alt + A, S, C, or T for action, scenes, character, and transition, among others).

Cons: As mentioned above there’s no autosave function. Additionally, as great as the “export to PDF” works I have a feeling that were I to submit a script for anything other than screenwriting competition (like, say to an agent or studio) my amateur status would be glaringly obvious. Also, as much as I praised Trelby’s lack of bells and whistles, some added functionality in competing software may prove useful.

Bottom line: great software for the price, but be careful and SAVE OFTEN.