剧本格式检查器
在线免费检查你的剧本格式
粘贴你的剧本或载入一个 .fountain 或 .txt 文件，这个免费的格式检查器就会对场景标题、人物名、对白和括号提示跑大约 17 项结果确定的检查。每一条结果都带着行号、出问题的那段文字，以及一句话的修改建议。为正在准备参赛、投稿和发给制片方的写作者而造。
剧本读者会因为格式而退稿，因为格式是流程质量的信号。规则本身其实很简单：场景标题全大写、以标准前缀开头、以时间收尾；人物名全大写写在对白上方；括号提示用括号包住；投稿本里不写场次号，也不写摄影机指示。这个工具检查的就是这套语法，和 WriterDuet 那个收费的格式检查功能做的是同一件事，只是它不要钱，而且把找到的一切都报告出来。
全部在你的浏览器里运行，你的剧本从不离开它。这个检查器只报告，从不改动一个字。格式规则是语法，而语法可以用机器来查。留在一场戏里的是什么，那是品味，那个决定归你。
把剧本粘到上面或载入一个文件，就能看到格式报告。
工作原理
检查器把你文本里的每一行归类为场景标题、人物名、括号提示、对白或动作，用的是 Fountain 和专业编剧软件共同依赖的那套惯例。然后它对每类元素跑基于规则的检查：场景标题的大写和时间、人物名的长度和拼写一致性、对白块的结构，以及贯穿整份文档的卫生检查，比如制表符、连续空格和摄影机指示。结果被分成错误（读者会注意到）、警告（细心的读者会注意到）和提示（值得看一眼，但不是规则）。什么都不会被改写。你拿到一份报告，改什么由你决定。
为什么格式错误会让剧本被退
剧本读者要处理成堆的投稿，而格式是第一道筛子，因为它最便宜。一个小写的场景标题，或者一个人物名后面接着另一个人物名，并不会让你的故事变差，但它告诉读者你还没把这一行的惯例内化，而这个预判会给后面每一页都染上颜色。投稿之前跑一遍格式检查器，是把这类噪音去掉，让阅读回到写作本身。
这些规则来自一个物理标准：US Letter 纸、Courier 12、为装订留的 3.8 厘米左边距、每页大约 55 行。正是这套版式，让一页大致对应一分钟银幕时间，也正是它让页边距和行距的偏移变得要紧。当这个工具的密度提示说你估算的一页装了 400 字时，真正实际的问题是你的导出设置是否符合标准，而不是你的文笔是不是太稠。
投稿本和拍摄本遵循不同的规则，把两者混在一起是最常见的格式错误之一。场次号、「切至」这类转场、「我们看到」和「镜头对准」属于制作文件，在那里场记确实需要它们。而在一份投稿稿里，它们读起来就像写作者在纸上抢着当导演。像这样的检查会把它们标成提示，因为出现几处是选择，出现三十处就是习惯。
适合谁
- 投比赛和申请扶持的人 把这个检查器当成投稿清单里的格式那一步，让 Nicholl 或 Austin 的读者永远看不到一个本可以修好的场景标题错误。
- 用纯文本或 Fountain 写作的人 在转成 PDF 或导入 Final Draft 之前，先确认你的标记能被干净地解析。
- 剧本统筹和助理 在稿子进入拆解或分发之前，先抓出不一致的人物名拼写和残留的制表符。
Screenplay Format Checker: the complete guide
It classifies every line as slugline, cue, parenthetical, dialogue, or action, then runs about 17 rule-based checks: caps and time of day on sluglines, cue length and spelling consistency, orphaned parentheticals, tabs, double spaces, camera directions, and scene numbers in spec drafts.
For this workflow, the central problem is clear: scripts get rejected or downgraded on formatting mistakes the writer never sees, because format signals process quality before a reader judges the story. Left unresolved, this creates downstream friction and slower decisions. The practical target is a line-numbered report of formatting errors, warnings, and notes with a concrete fix for each, so submissions go out mechanically clean.
Limitation to keep in mind: It checks syntax, not taste. It cannot judge whether a long speech earns its length, whether a bold formatting choice is intentional, or whether the writing works; it only reports what a reader would flag mechanically, and it never rewrites the text.
Advanced workflow: Teams run the checker as a pre-submission gate: every draft passes it before PDF export, warnings are triaged in a notes doc, and cue spelling findings feed a canonical character name list used across breakdowns and revisions.
Step-by-Step Workflow
- Paste your script or load a .fountain or .txt file; the report runs instantly in the browser with nothing uploaded.
- Fix errors first: lowercase sluglines and cues with missing dialogue are the findings a reader notices on page one.
- Work through warnings next, deciding case by case; a missing time of day is sometimes a deliberate CONTINUOUS omission.
- Read the notes last and treat them as questions, not rules: an 8-line speech or a WE SEE can stay if it is a choice.
Use Cases By Profile
- Writer: clear every fixable formatting error before a contest deadline so readers judge the story, not the margins.
- Script coordinator: catch inconsistent character spellings and stray tabs before a draft enters breakdown software.
- Fountain user: verify plain-text markup parses cleanly before converting to PDF or importing into Final Draft.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Treating notes as errors and stripping intentional choices, like a caps line used for a deliberate sound effect.
- Fixing findings in the PDF instead of the source file, so the same errors return on the next export.
- Assuming a clean report means the script is ready, when structure and pacing were never checked at all.
Professional Best Practices
- Run the checker after every major revision pass, not only before submission; formatting drift creeps in during rewrites.
- Use the cue spelling check to build one canonical character name list and paste from it instead of retyping names.
- Copy the report as text and keep it with the draft version, so you can prove which findings you accepted deliberately.
Treat this tool output as a decision support layer, not a replacement for authorship. Great scripts are remembered for specific choices, emotional precision, and clarity of dramatic movement. Tools help by removing noise so your energy can go where it matters: character, conflict, escalation, and payoff. If you review outcomes after each pass and keep an explicit log of accepted changes, your workflow becomes faster and more predictable from draft to draft. That consistency is exactly what professional collaborators value: fewer surprises, clearer rationale, and a script that evolves with intent.
Extended FAQ
How do I check screenplay formatting online for free?
Paste your script or load a .fountain or .txt file into this checker. It runs about 17 rule-based checks in your browser and returns a report grouped by severity, each finding with a line number and a one-line fix. No account, no upload, no cost.
What are the most common screenplay formatting errors?
Lowercase or incomplete sluglines, character cues without dialogue under them, orphaned parentheticals, inconsistent character name spellings, and hygiene issues like tabs and double spaces. Camera directions and scene numbers in a spec draft are close behind.
Do contests reject scripts for formatting mistakes?
Rarely on a single mistake, but readers score with format in mind because it predicts process quality. A script full of mechanical errors starts the read with a handicap, and some contests do disqualify clear non-compliance like wrong fonts or missing standard elements.
What is the difference between spec script and shooting script formatting?
A spec script sells a story: no scene numbers, minimal transitions, no camera directions. A shooting script is a production document: numbered scenes, CUT TO: transitions, and technical notes for the crew. This tool checks against spec conventions and flags shooting-script markers as notes.
What font and margins does a screenplay use?
Courier 12 point on US Letter, with a 1.5 inch left margin for binding and roughly 1 inch elsewhere, which yields about 55 lines per page. That standard is why one page maps to about one minute of screen time, and why this tool includes a words-per-page density check.
Can a script format validator replace screenwriting software?
No. Software like WriterDuet, Fade In, or Final Draft enforces layout while you type; a validator audits text you already have. Use the checker when you draft in plain text or Fountain, or as an independent second opinion before a submission goes out.
常见问题
零错误零警告意味着机械层面是干净的：场景标题、人物名、括号提示和卫生检查全都通过了。这个工具没法判断品味、节奏，也没法判断某个大胆的格式选择是不是有意为之，所以请把一份干净的报告当成必要条件，而不是充分条件。
支持。它能读 .fountain 和 .txt 文件，理解 Fountain 的惯例，比如以点开头的强制场景标题和井号之间的场次号，并会跳过封面块。从任何编辑器粘过来的普通剧本文本，处理方式完全一样。
不会。它只报告带行号的结果和建议的改法。这种检查不带虚假的权威：工具告诉你读者会标出什么，改什么由你决定。你的文本仍然和你粘进来时一模一样。
错误违反的是硬性惯例，比如小写的场景标题，或者一个后面没有对白的人物名。警告是细心的读者会注意到的东西，比如缺了时间，或者一个孤零零的括号提示。提示则是值得复看的判断题，比如一段 8 行的台词，或者投稿稿里的摄影机指示。
不会。所有检查都在你的浏览器里运行，没有服务器、没有账号、也没有任何网络请求。载入 .fountain 或 .txt 文件用的是浏览器的本地文件读取，所以剧本从不离开你的机器。
