Fountain is an open, plain-text markup format for screenplays. Instead of proprietary formats that need specific software, Fountain lets you write a screenplay in any text editor using simple conventions: scene headings in CAPS, character names on their own lines, and blank lines between dialogue and action. Software like Spell Slate reads that structure and applies standard screenplay formatting automatically.
Plain text is portable and future-proof. You can open a Fountain file in Notepad, VS Code, or any app. It is easy to version control (e.g. with Git), share, and move between tools. Many apps from writers’ tools to production software support Fountain, so you are not locked into one vendor.
Spell Slate works with Fountain as its main script format. The script editor writes in Fountain; imports (PDF, FDX, Scrivener) are converted to Fountain; and exports are saved as Fountain (.fountain) so you can use them in other software.See Using the script editor for how Spell Slate’s editor works and the exact syntax (scene headings, action, dialogue, character cues, etc.).
