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Import a script

Who can do this: All plans. Importing needs permission to edit the script.

Bring in the script you already have, and Spell Slate splits it into scenes, characters, and locations, ready to break down.

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Import your script

1. On Get Started with Your Script, click Import Script. If you’ve already started writing, click Import Script in the row above the script.
2. Click Choose File and pick your script, or paste Fountain text into Paste Text.
3. Click Import Script.

Spell Slate reads the file and opens it in the editor on page 1. Every scene gets its number, INT. or EXT., time of day, and location, and every speaking part becomes a character. A new project opens on Get Started with Your Script. See Create your first project.

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File types

• Final Draft (.fdx)
• PDF exported from your writing app
• Fountain (.fountain) or plain text (.txt). See What is Fountain text?
• Scrivener, zipped (.scriv.zip)

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PDFs

PDF layouts vary from app to app. If a scene heading or its day or night comes in wrong, fix the heading in the editor. The breakdown follows.

• Scanned PDFs have no text to read, so they can’t be imported. Upload a PDF exported from your writing app, or a Final Draft or Fountain file.
• Watermarked PDFs may not import yet. Upload a copy without the watermark if you have one.
• Credits pages: lines like Opening Credits or Closing Credits come in as their own scenes, with location and time of day left blank for you to set.

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If an import fails

The page says what went wrong.

• Try import again reads the same file again. Use it when something went wrong partway.
• Upload a different file takes you back to the import form.

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Revised pages

When the writer sends a new draft, upload it as a new version. See Upload a new version.

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Related

• Upload a new version
• Using the script editor
• Your first breakdown
• Locking the script