# Free Fountain Screenplay Outline Extractor > Turn Fountain sections, synopses, scene headings, and opening action into an ordered visual story map with clean Markdown export. Turn Fountain sections, synopses, scene headings, and opening action into an ordered visual story map with clean Markdown export. Opens as a new Plot project once you sign in or create a free account. Inkwell keeps this copy for 24 hours. Outline ready — scenes: 2; sections: 3; synopses: 2. Structural outline ## 2 scenes Built only from explicit Fountain structure—no invented beats. - Sections 3 - Synopses 2 - Scenes 2 ## Choose the handoff detail Keep the visual map concise or add first-action previews for a more useful revision and writers'-room handoff. Include each scene's opening action Include scene numbers in Markdown ### Story map Sections preserve Fountain depth; synopses and scenes remain in document order. 1. Section level 1 ACT ONE 2. Synopsis A late-night broadcast appears to answer the hosts. 3. Section level 2 The pattern 4. Scene 1 INT. COMMUNITY RADIO STATION - NIGHT Rain needles the windows. LEAH watches the soundboard peak. 5. Synopsis The pair follow the signal into the storm. 6. Section level 2 The source 7. Scene 2 EXT. RADIO TOWER - LATER Leah and Omar climb through wet grass toward the blinking tower. Useful output, not a score ## What this tool gives you ### Visible story hierarchy Preserve Fountain section depth while keeping synopses and scene headings in exact document order. ### Scene-level orientation Optionally include the first action block from each scene to make a revision or room handoff easier to scan. ### Editable Markdown Copy or download a lightweight outline for a wiki, planning document, issue, or writers'-room agenda. ## How to use it 1. 1 ### Structure the Fountain draft Use # section lines, = synopsis lines, and standard scene headings wherever they help describe the story. 2. 2 ### Extract the story map The browser preserves those explicit elements and captures an optional opening-action preview for each scene. 3. 3 ### Tune and export Show or hide action previews and scene numbers, then copy or download the outline as Markdown. ## How to read the result The extractor reflects structure already present in the Fountain source; it does not infer acts, beats, or story meaning. Missing sections and synopses remain missing so the output stays trustworthy and easy to edit. ## Questions writers ask ### Does this automatically invent a beat sheet? No. It preserves explicit Fountain sections, synopses, and scene headings. That makes the output deterministic and keeps creative interpretation with the writer. ### What are Fountain sections and synopses? A line beginning with one or more # characters creates a nested section; a line beginning with = creates a synopsis. Both are planning elements and do not appear in a normal screenplay export. ### What is included in the Markdown file? It includes the preserved section hierarchy, blockquoted synopses, and a list of scenes. You can optionally add scene numbers and the first action block from each scene. ## Defined in the glossary - [Step Outline](https://www.inkwell.software/glossary/step-outline) [A scene-by-scene (or beat-by-beat) outline that lists what happens in order — more granular than a beat sheet, leaner than a treatment's prose narrative.](https://www.inkwell.software/glossary/step-outline) - [Beat Sheet](https://www.inkwell.software/glossary/beat-sheet) [A short outline of a story’s key moments — the beats — used to plan structure before or during drafting without writing every scene yet.](https://www.inkwell.software/glossary/beat-sheet) - [Synopsis](https://www.inkwell.software/glossary/synopsis) [A short prose summary of a whole story, ending included, written so an agent, producer or contest reader can judge the plot without reading the full script or manuscript.](https://www.inkwell.software/glossary/synopsis) - [Scene Heading (Slugline)](https://www.inkwell.software/glossary/scene-heading) [A scene heading, or slugline, is the line in capitals that opens each scene in a screenplay. It says whether the scene is interior or exterior, where it takes place and the time of day, for example INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT. Production breakdowns and schedules are built from it.](https://www.inkwell.software/glossary/scene-heading) ## Keep working with the draft ### [Free Writing Deadline & Word Goal Planner](https://www.inkwell.software/tools/writing-goal-planner) [Turn a word-count or page goal into realistic writing-day targets, weekly pacing, buffer time, milestone dates, and a copyable schedule.](https://www.inkwell.software/tools/writing-goal-planner) [Open tool](https://www.inkwell.software/tools/writing-goal-planner) ### [Free Screenplay Rehearsal Sides Builder](https://www.inkwell.software/tools/rehearsal-sides-builder) [Create actor-ready rehearsal sides from Fountain: filter by character, select exact scenes, include directions, or mask the role's lines for cue practice.](https://www.inkwell.software/tools/rehearsal-sides-builder) [Open tool](https://www.inkwell.software/tools/rehearsal-sides-builder) ### [Free Fountain Screenplay Validator](https://www.inkwell.software/tools/fountain-validator) [Paste Fountain screenplay text and check scene headings, character cues, dialogue, action, and parse structure locally in your browser.](https://www.inkwell.software/tools/fountain-validator) [Open tool](https://www.inkwell.software/tools/fountain-validator) Continue in Plot and keep writing, with the screenplay formatting done for you. 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