Getting Started

Getting Started

This page walks you through your first five minutes with Fount.

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The Home Screen

When you launch Fount without specifying a file, you land on the Home Screen. It presents four options:

Key	Action
n	New File — Create a fresh, empty screenplay buffer.
s	New file with Structure — Create a screenplay from a structural template (Three-Act, etc.).
o	Open File — Browse your filesystem with the built-in file picker.
t	Tutorial — Load The Codebreaker's Manuscript, an interactive story that teaches you Fount's features.
q	Quit — Exit Fount.

Below the main options, you'll see your Recent Files (up to 5). Use the arrow keys to highlight one and press Enter to reopen it.

Tip: We strongly recommend running the Tutorial on your first launch. It's a real Fountain screenplay that demonstrates every feature as you read it.

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The Editor Interface

Once you open or create a file, you enter the editor. Here's what you see:

Title Bar (Top)

Shows the current filename (or "New File"), a dirty indicator ([+] when unsaved), and buffer information if you have multiple scripts open.

The Writing Area (Center)

This is where your screenplay lives. Fount renders your Fountain markup in real-time — scene headings are highlighted, character names stand out, dialogue is indented, and transitions are right-aligned.

Status Bar (Bottom)

Displays real-time statistics:

• W — Total word count
• L — Total line count
• Page — Current estimated page number
• Position — Current line:column
• Sticky Scene Heading — The name of the scene you are currently writing is always visible in the center of the status bar.

The status bar also shows feedback messages from commands (e.g., "Saved", "Match 3 of 7").

Focus Mode

Toggle with /set focus to hide both the title bar and status bar for a completely distraction-free canvas.

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Basic Editing

Fount is a modeless editor by default. Just start typing. There's no "insert mode" — what you type goes directly into your screenplay.

Creating Screenplay Elements

Fount automatically detects Fountain elements as you type:

What you type	What Fount sees
INT. COFFEE SHOP - DAY	Scene Heading (auto-detected by INT. / EXT. prefix)
.A FORCED HEADING	Scene Heading (forced with leading .)
An all-uppercase line after an empty line	Character Name
@mccoy	Character Name (forced with @, preserves case)
Text immediately after a character name	Dialogue
(whispering)	Parenthetical
> FADE OUT.	Transition
> CENTERED TEXT <	Centered Text
# Act One	Section (structural, not printed)
= A quick synopsis note	Synopsis (structural, not printed)
[[a private note]]	Note (hidden from exports)
/* ... */	Boneyard (ignored entirely)
~Lyrics go here	Lyrics
===	Page Break
!!CLOSE UP	Shot

Smart Behaviors

• Auto-Uppercase: Scene headings, character names, and transitions are automatically uppercased.
• Auto-(CONT'D): When a character speaks again after an interruption, Fount automatically adds (CONT'D) to their name.
• Auto-Paragraph Breaks: Fount inserts blank lines after dialogue and action blocks to keep your script properly formatted.
• Markup Hiding: Fountain sigils (., @, !, >, ~, #, =) are hidden when you're not editing that line.

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Tab Completion

As you type character names or scene locations, Fount learns from your script. When a suggestion appears (as dimmed text after your cursor), press Tab to accept it.

This works for:

• Character names — After you've typed a character once, Fount suggests them everywhere.
• Scene locations — Fount remembers your INT. / EXT. locations for fast entry.

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Navigation: The Scene Tree

Press Ctrl+T or use /tree command to open the Scene Tree sidebar.

• Live Preview: As you move through the list with Up/Down, the main editor automatically scrolls to that scene in the background. This allows you to quickly peek at other parts of your script without committing to the jump.
• Sections & Synopses: View sections (# Act One) and synopses (= description) directly in the sidebar to understand your story's flow at a glance. Synopses placed under sections are displayed just like synopses under scenes.
• Jump: Press Enter to jump to the selected scene and close the navigator.
• Cancel: Press Esc to snap back to your original position.

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Saving Your Work

Method	How
Quick Save	Ctrl+S equivalent: type /w and press Enter
Save As	/ww opens the file picker for a new name
Auto-Save	Enabled by default. Saves every 30 seconds when the buffer is dirty

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Multiple Buffers

You can have multiple scripts open simultaneously:

• /new — Create a new empty buffer
• /o — Open another file
• Ctrl+PageDown — Switch to the next buffer
• Ctrl+PageUp — Switch to the previous buffer
• /bn / /bp — Next / Previous buffer (command alternative)

The title bar shows which buffer you're on (e.g., [2/3]).

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Getting Help

• Press F1 at any time for the searchable Shortcuts Cheat Sheet.
• Inside the cheat sheet, press / to filter by keyword.
• Type /home to return to the Home Screen.

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Next: Fountain Markup — Learn the full Fountain syntax as supported by Fount.