What Is Fountain? The Screenwriter's Guide to the Plain-Text Screenplay Format

Fountain is a plain-text markup format for writing screenplays. Think of it like Markdown, but for scripts: you write in ordinary text, and the formatting (scene headings, dialogue, transitions) is inferred from simple, readable conventions.

Why writers like Fountain

• It's future-proof. A .fountain file is just text — it will open in any editor, decades from now, on any operating system.
• It's portable. No proprietary file formats or licenses. Move your script between apps freely.
• It plays nicely with version control like Git, so you can track every change to your draft.
• It keeps you focused on writing instead of formatting.

The basics of Fountain syntax

Here are a few of the core rules:

• Scene headings start with INT. or EXT. (e.g. INT. COFFEE SHOP - DAY).
• Character names are written in UPPERCASE on their own line, with the dialogue directly beneath.
• Action is just plain paragraphs.
• Transitions are uppercase and end in TO: (e.g. CUT TO:).

Which apps support Fountain?

Plenty — including Highland, Slugline, Fade In, and Beat, among others. That broad support is exactly why converting a PDF to Fountain is so useful: once your script is in Fountain, you can open it almost anywhere.

Already have a script as a PDF?

You can convert a screenplay PDF to Fountain for free in your browser, then keep editing it in the online screenplay editor.