A Plot project can begin with a page of ideas, grow into a treatment, and become a script. Prose and scenes can share the draft while you work out the story. You choose when to convert the writing into screenplay elements.
Three terms, three jobs
| What you see | What it tells you | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Project format | What you are making; it determines the writing modes available in the project | Screenplay, Teleplay, Pilot, Stage Play, Treatment, or Series Bible |
| Writing mode | How freely this draft can combine prose, outlines, and script sections | Mixed allows these sections side by side; Screenplay uses script elements |
| Journey stage | A description of the draft's mode, content, and production state | A screenplay project containing prose and scenes can read as Draft |
Changing a project's format and converting its text are separate steps: choosing a script format doesn't turn your paragraphs into dialogue.
Read the journey
Notes → Outline → Treatment → Draft → Script → Shooting Script
| Stage | What it means for your writing |
|---|---|
| Notes | Free writing and early ideas, without a required structure |
| Outline | Beats and story structure are taking shape |
| Treatment | A prose-first story document, which can include scene sketches |
| Draft | Script sections and prose coexist in a script-oriented project |
| Script | The draft is in Screenplay mode |
| Shooting Script | A script with active production revisions and the required script-only content |
The stage follows the document — you don't click through six steps. Add a scene early, go back to prose, or stay with a treatment as long as it serves the story. The project's format decides which destinations are open.
Keep useful versions
Make a named save point before a substantial conversion. A draft line gives you room to try a different structure; a milestone marks the version you sent to a reader.
Named versions stay in History as the writing develops. Compare the current draft with an earlier treatment, or restore the version you need.
Where to begin
- Have a Word file? Import it as editable prose.
- Already writing scenes between notes? Work with prose and script sections.
- Ready to change a Treatment project's destination? Develop it into a script in the same project.