Scripts are built from a small set of standard elements, each with its own position on the page. BookZeta applies the layout for you, both in the editor and in every export, but knowing the elements helps you write and edit with intent.

The six screenplay elements

• Scene heading (slugline). Where and when a scene happens, in caps: INT. COFFEE SHOP - DAY or EXT. PARKING LOT - NIGHT. INT. means interior, EXT. exterior.
• Action. Present-tense description of what the audience sees: Maya slides the envelope across the table without looking up. Full width, single spaced.
• Character name. Centered above their line, in caps: MAYA.
• Parenthetical. A short acting note under the name: (without looking up). Use sparingly; actors notice.
• Dialogue. The spoken line, indented in a narrow column under the character name.
• Transition. An editing instruction, right-aligned: CUT TO: or FADE OUT. Modern screenplays use them lightly.

How stage plays differ

Play Scripts swap screen conventions for theatre ones:

• Act and scene headings are centered: ACT I, SCENE 2.
• Stage directions replace action lines and describe the set, entrances, exits and stage business.
• Parentheticals appear in italics, and dialogue uses stage-script indents rather than the screenplay column.

Writing in the editor

In Writer Studio, every paragraph of a script has an element type. Pick the type from the format menu, or press Tab to cycle a line through the element types until it snaps where you want it. The editor shows real Courier layout as you type, so what you see matches the exported page.

Generated scripts arrive with all elements already tagged, so a Quick Mode draft is correctly formatted from the first line. Formatting carries through the online reader and every export format; see Exporting your script.