Okay! So I wrote a play last year and this is what I did:
Why: you can duplicate things so easily and rename and it autosaves(!!!)
How: make different documents (I also used a few Google sheets) to brainstorm, character map, plot map (Google sheets— mine was very complex). Every time you go to edit (I suggest writing straight through for plays, if you don’t know what to put write “insert xyz here,” just have a “full” draft) duplicate the document (v important). This way you can see the past versions and you never lose writing. I recommend 0.X for rough drafts, 1.X for the first versions, and 2.X+ for every version that goes through a workshop.
Format: I like 12 pt. courier new for drafting scripts in 8.5x11. Put the document in single space but put 1-2 spaces between lines (will explain in a moment). Title page has no page numbers and the text should be centered in the middle of the page about 1/3 down with one line in between each line of text.
A [genre; adaptation of source work (if applicable) by original author]
A [length] play -or- A play in [#] acts
(!) Version [series.document | #.#]
For the first pages of the script, (character breakdown, scene/setting/staging notes, casting notes, epigraph) center the title of the page at the top (all caps). Put any section headers in all caps left aligned. Between text in the same section put one space. Between sections put two spaces.
JANE DOE— a young woman troubled by her family’s past.
UNCLE RICK— Jane’s weird, space-obsessed uncle.
AUNT TANIA— his wife, a woman of color.
Characters should be read as age flexible, though Uncle Rick & Aunt Tania should read as older than Jane & John.
Race should not be a determinate in casting, except where explicitly stated (ie, Tania as a woman of color).
Okay! Now for the fun part— scenes! Act/scene heading goes at the top of the page, centered, in all caps. If your play doesn’t have acts or scenes, skip this. ACT [ROMAN NUMERAL], SCENE [#]. If you have a prologue and epilogue, the title goes in all caps, but do not write the act number (it is understood). The setting for the scene (the big chunk of stage directions setting up the scene) goes one line below, italicized, in brackets. Skip a line, then start the dialogue. Dialogue is written as [CHARACTER NAME]: (parenthetical stage direction) [dialogue]. A slash “/“ in a line of dialogue means the next character starts their line during the preceding character’s line. Brackets [xyz] are the rest of the character’s line, unsaid. If the next text is a stage direction (italicized, centered, no brackets, character’s name in stage directions goes in all caps), skip one line. If the next text is another character’s dialogue, skip two. If writing stage directions in a character’s line skip one line, write the stage direction, skip another line, continue the character’s dialogue (no need to write the character’s name again). At the end of the scene, in the stage directions at the end, just note the scene shift and start the next scene (with a header) on the next page.
[interior, the living room of the Doe home. JANE sits in the armchair while JOHN paces across the carpet, holding a cigar]
JANE: You know what the doctor said about / you smoking those damn things.
JOHN: (interrupting) I know what the damn doctor said, Jane. A little smoking never / killed anybody—
JANE stands up from her chair.
JANE: You know damn well it did! Uncle… / R[ick]—
JOHN: Oh damn Uncle Rick!
JOHN puffs on his cigar, hard.
We both know it was the alcohol that killed him. (softer) A cigar on New Year’s won’t kill me, Jane.
Jane walks towards Rick, dejected, but with love in her eyes.
JANE: (quiet) [It] might kill me, though. And I [can’t]…
JOHN puts the cigar down in the ashtray and pulls JANE into a hug. He kisses the top of her head.
JOHN: Happy New Year, Jane.
JANE tugs on JOHN’s tie to pull him down for a kiss. They kiss. JOHN wipes a tear from JANE’s cheek. Lights fade as scene shifts to RICK’S STORAGE LOCKER.
Okay, so I know that was really long, but I hope it made sense!
