Getting Started > Write the text

Write the text

As mentioned previously, you may enter text for the scenes in your script in any order. For the purposes of this tutorial, we'll start with the second scene: "Dave finds the envelope". Click on the scene in the Scene List to highlight it.

The top of the Scene Editor will now look something like this:

The cursor is positioned at the top of the page, and a Slug Line element has already been created for you. Along the top, below the menu, there are 4 buttons. From left to right they are:

Scene Element button: This button is used to select different scene elements, and to display the current scene element where the cursor resides.
Apply changes button: When you modify a scene in any way, in the case where text already exists for that scene, SceneWriter Pro will not automatically overwrite what was there in case you decide to discard the changes. Instead, if you are happy with what you have written, pressing the Apply Changes button will commit the changes you have made - UNLESS, you have Auto Apply enebled.
Master button: You may write alternative versions of each scene in your project. The master scene is the scene which will be used for printing / exporting. If an alternative scene exists, the master button will be outlined in red and a red line will also be present next to the scene icon in the Scene List.
Switch button: If you'd rather that the alternative scene was used when printing, you may "swap them round" by clicking on this button.

Create a Slug Line:

As we are already in the Slug Line element, press any key to launch the Slug Line helper:

From the first drop-down list, choose "int".
In the second box, type in the following:

The location you just typed here will get automatically added to the Locations window so the next time you wish to enter a Slug Line with the same location, it will be available in the drop-down list.

From the last drop-down list, choose "day":

Click the OK button to accept the Slug Line. (Pressing the Esc key will cancel any changes)

The Scene Editor should now look like this:

The Apply Changes button has turned green to indicate that you have modified this scene.

Before we carry on typing, let's take a look at the bottom of the Scene Editor, which should look something like this:

You can see that along the bottom is the Status Bar. The Status Bar contains 4 key sections: (From left to right)

The Help Bar: This displays hints and tips.
The Scheme button: SceneWriter Pro comes with different window layouts, and you can also create your own custom workspace schemes. This button is used to swap between them, as well as displaying the current scheme.
The Underline Spelling Errors button: You may underline spelling errors in your script. This button turns this feature on or off.
The Button Bar: The first four buttons are used to show or hide the Scene List, Project Notes, Locations and Characters windows. The next two buttons are used to navigate up or down through your scenes.

Using TAB and ENTER keys:

Although you may use the Scene Element button to change the scene element, SceneWriter Pro has been optimized for writing without the need for leaving the keyboard to change elements. It does this with the use of the ENTER and TAB keys.

You can see in the Help Bar that the following text is displayed: "[ENTER] Direction, [TAB] Character". This is telling us that if we press the ENTER key, it will create a new line, and make that line Direction. If we press the TAB key, it will create a new line, and make that line Character.

Press ENTER to create a new Direction element on a new line. Type the following text, pressing ENTER after each line:

A smallish room, brightly lit, decorated with modern art and foliage.

Dave is rummaging through drawers. He is being careful, making sure everything is returned to where it was.

He looks around the room, eyeing everything slowly. His eyes look deep in thought.

He walks over to a large plant pot that's in the corner, near the telephone. He puts his hand inside and pulls something out.

Press the TAB key. This will create a Character element, and put you into Character Mode.

Type the following: (NOTE: you won't have to upper case the text, this will be done for you)

DAVE

Press ENTER to accept the character, and to automatically add the character to the Characters window.

Press TAB to create a Parenthetical element. Type the following:

(under breath)

Press ENTER to create a Dialogue element. Type the following:

Well, well. What have we here.

Press TAB to go back to a Direction element. Type the following:

A wry smile slowly grows on his face.

He picks up the phone, and dials.

The Scene Editor should now look something like this:

Press the Apply Changes button to commit the changes to this scene. You will now notice a few things in the Scene List:

The Scene Icon has changed from a 'blank page' to a 'page with writing'.
The SceneTime™ for that scene is no longer [00:00].
The Status Bar has been updated with the new running time.

On the following page, we'll develop our characters.