Fountain Mode
written by
Paul W. Rankin
help@fountain-mode.org
INT. ABOUT FOUNTAIN MODE - DAY
Fountain Mode is a scriptwriting program for GNU Emacs using the Fountain plain text markup format.
WRITER
So I can write a screenplay in Emacs?
PAUL
Yes! Or a stageplay if you want.
WRITER
But how?
(sheepish)
I only use Emacs for writing Ruby code...
PAUL
Nobody's perfect. Just start writing and Fountain Mode will do the rest. The core concept is that if it looks like a script, it will be parsed as a script.
Core Concept: if it looks like a script, it will be parsed as a script.
PAUL (CONT'D)
There is very little markup - mostly it's just whether words are in CAPITALS or not.
For more information on the fountain markup format, visit https://fountain.io.
INT/EXT. SCREENSHOTS - CONTINUOUS
The writer sits on a La-Z-Boy chair.
WRITER
Okay. That's cool, but what does Fountain Mode look like?
PAUL
A bit like this...
A minimal example.
Full Font Lock decoration.
Using outlining to organize and navigate a script.
Isolating a scene to work on in an indirect buffer.
CUT TO:
INT/EXT. EXAMPLES - MOMENTS LATER
Paul moves to the wall. He places his hands on the floor and walks his feet up the wall until he is doing a kindof handstand.
WRITER
What export options do I have when I'm done?
PAUL
Check out the Nicholl Fellowship sample script exported from Fountain Mode to the following formats...
- HTML
- LaTeX
CUT TO:
EXT. INSTALLATION - NIGHT
The latest stable release of Fountain Mode is available via
MELPA-stable and can be installed with:
EMACS
M-x package-install RET fountain-mode RET
Alternately, download the latest release from
https://github.com/rnkn/fountain-mode/releases/latest
Move this file into your load-path and add (require 'fountain-mode) to your .emacs/init.el file.
If you prefer the latest but perhaps unstable version, install via MELPA, or clone the repository into your load-path and require as above:
SHELL
git clone https://github.com/rnkn/fountain-mode.git
Users of Debian >=10 or Ubuntu >=18.04 can install Fountain Mode with:
SHELL (CONT'D)
sudo apt install elpa-fountain-mode
INT. REQUIREMENTS - CONTINUOUS
Fountain Mode should work on Emacs versions as early as 24.5.
DONALD KNUTH
What about for exporting to PDF using LaTeX?
PAUL
Okay for that you will need a TeX distribution with the following packages...
geometry fontspec titling fancyhdr marginnote ulem xstring oberdiek
WRITER
I really don't wanna install TeX. Surely there is another way to export my script to PDF?
PAUL
Currently the best way is to use node.js and afterwriting. You can install it with...
SHELL
npm install -g afterwriting
EXT. HISTORY - DUSK
See https://github.com/rnkn/fountain-mode/releases
SMASH CUT TO:
EXT. BUGS - EARLY MORNING
PAUL
You can report bugs at...
https://github.com/rnkn/fountain-mode/issues
FADE OUT
THE END