Title: FOUNT: THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE
Credit: Written by
Author: Nirmal
Source: Based on the Fount Screenwriting Software
Draft date: April 15, 2026
Contact:
    writingnirmal@gmail.com
Notes:
    This document is both a screenplay and a technical manual.
    Read it to learn everything about Fount.



# ACT I: THE REVELATION

INT. BEETLE'S APARTMENT - NIGHT
[[red]]

= Beetle and Bee discuss the merits of a minimalist terminal-based editor and demonstrate basic Fountain syntax.

A terminal window pulses on a curved monitor. THE CURSOR blinks with steady, patient rhythm.

BEETLE (20s) and BEE (20s) sit side-by-side.

BEETLE
It's not just a text editor, Bee. It's a "Distraction-Free Mode" for the mind. No menus, no ribbons, no clicking through sub-panels.

BEE
(skeptical)
So how do I know my word count? Or where I am in the script?

BEETLE
Check the status bar at the bottom. It shows your **W**ord count, **L**ine count, and current line:column position. It's subtle, but it's always there.

Beetle types a period at the start of a line.

.THIS IS A FORCED HEADING

BEETLE (CONT'D)
See that dot? That's a forced scene heading. If your location doesn't start with INT. or EXT., just add a dot. Fount hides the dot when you're not on that line.

BEE
And action lines?

BEETLE
Just type. If you need to force a line to be "Action" that might otherwise look like something else, use an exclamation mark.

!Beetle slams a book onto the desk.

BEETLE (CONT'D)
The "!" forces it. Double "!!" is for SHOTS.



# ACT II: THE ART OF THE CRAFT

INT. BEETLE'S APARTMENT - LATER
[[blue]]

= Demonstrating complex formatting like Dual Dialogue, Emphasis, and Boneyard text.

The coffee is cold now. Beetle hits `Enter` twice.

BEETLE
Watch this. Dual Dialogue.

Beetle types:

BEETLE
I think I'm winning.

BEE ^
I think you're dreaming.

BEE (CONT'D)
(to the reader)
The "^" symbol at the end of a character name tells Fount to render this as side-by-side dialogue.

BEETLE
And check out the emphasis. You can do *italics*, **bold**, ***bold-italics***, or even _underline_.

BEE
What if I have notes for myself? Things I don't want the producer to see in the PDF?

BEETLE
You have two choices. Use a "Boneyard" for large blocks of text...

/*
This is a boneyard. 
Everything in here is ignored by the exporter.
It's perfect for deleted scenes or long-winded rants.
*/

BEETLE (CONT'D)
...or use double brackets for quick inline notes.

[[This note is ignored in the export, but the word "red" or "blue" inside brackets acts as a color marker for the Scene Navigator.]]

BEE
(pointing at the screen)
Wait, what's that tilde?

BEETLE
~ That's for lyrics. Perfect for our musical number in Act III.

BEE
And this?

> CENTERED TEXT <

BEETLE
Exactly what it looks like. Centered.



# ACT III: TOTAL CONTROL

INT. THE OFFICE - DAY
[[yellow]]

= The Scene Navigator, Settings Pane, and the powerful Command Palette.

Beetle hits `Ctrl+H`. A list of scenes slides out on the left.

BEETLE
The Scene Navigator. It picks up every heading, plus your sections and synopses. You see how it's colored? That's because of the markers.

BEE
It says "ACT I", "ACT II"... how?

BEETLE
Sections. Just start a line with one or more "#" symbols. Fount uses them to organize your structure without printing them as headings.

BEE
Can I change how the editor feels?

BEETLE
Press `Ctrl+P`.

A pane appears.

BEETLE (CONT'D)
The Settings Pane. You can toggle **Auto-Save**, **Autocomplete**, **Typewriter Mode** (which keeps your cursor centered vertically), and **Focus Mode** (which hides everything but the text). Oh, and you can press `Enter` on the **Theme** option to cycle through gorgeous color palettes!

BEE
What about jumping around? Searching?

BEETLE
Type `/`. That's the powerful Command Palette. Type `/[line]` to jump to a line, or `/s[num]` to jump to a scene.
(beat)
You can even do clipboard actions: `/copy`, `/cut`, `/paste`, `/selectall`. Or undo and redo with `/u` and `/rd`! 

BEE
Wait, autocomplete?

BEETLE
Start typing a character name or location and hit `Tab`. Fount learns as you write.



# ACT IV: PRODUCTION MASTERY

INT. THE EDIT BAY - NIGHT
[[green]]

= Word Sprints, Snapshots, and Global Search.

Bee is frantically tapping on his keyboard. A timer ticks down in the status bar.

BEE
This Sprint Timer is amazing! How did you do it?

BEETLE
Simple. I just opened the command palette and typed `/sprint 15` for a 15-minute word-count dash. You can also view your history with `/sprintstat`, or cancel with `/cancelsprint`.

BEE
But what if I mess up my entire script during a sprint?!

BEETLE
(smirking)
Automated Session Snapshots. Just run `/snap` to pull up your recent backups and restore the timeline. You're never going to lose your work.

BEE
And finding that one specific dialogue line I wrote yesterday?

BEETLE
Type `/search [query]`! Global search instantly finds what you need. Need a title page? `/addtitle`. It's all at your fingertips.



# ACT V: THE FINISHING TOUCHES

EXT. THE PRODUCTION SET - DAY
[[red]]

= Scene numbers, manual page breaks, and the final Export Pane.

A camera crew waits for the script. Beetle is typing frantically.

BEETLE
I need permanent scene numbers for this shoot.

Beetle adds `#15#` to the end of a heading.

.INT. THE VAULT - NIGHT #15#

BEE
You can also do it automatically! The command palette has `/renum`, `/clearnum`, `/injectnum`, and even `/locknum` for production lock.

BEETLE
Exactly! And if you need a forced page break...

===

BEE
That triple equals sign is a clean break.

BEETLE
Now for the magic. Type `/export` or press `Ctrl+E`.

The Export Pane appears. Beetle can choose between PDF, Scene List (CSV), or Character Reports.

BEE
It's beautiful. It's distraction-free.

BEETLE
It's Fount.

> FADE OUT.

[End of Tutorial. Use `/home` to go back to the start screen. Happy writing!]