Got a vision for a locally produced play, blockbuster film or television pilot?

With everyone more isolated, the silver lining is we’ve got more time to be creative. What’s more, with streaming services demanding ever more content, it’s a golden age for writers.

However, don’t even think about tackling your magnum opus without the right screenwriting software. No industry pro will consider a rookie’s work unless you’ve got a professional-looking script.

There’s a wide choice of screenwriting software, but I’m partial to Final Draft, which has been around for 30 years. I’ve been road testing it for nearly a year and have found it has all the tools I need to tell my story and get it technically correct.

Final Draft does what screenwriting software is supposed to do: It simplifies the writing process by formatting your work to industry standards. Instead of wasting time determining how to organize your work, you can concentrate on the creative aspects such as dialogue, plot, dramatic tension, etc.

It’s got something for every genre: There are over 300 template styles ranging from musical theater, TV sitcom to full-length feature film.

So, what do I like about Final Draft?

There are several nifty little organizational processes that the program automates. For example, the software will compile a list of characters in your script, track your scene settings and format the correct headers.

Case and point: Before you write dialogue, you’ll need to enter the name of the character, centered and in all caps. When you’re getting to that stage, Final Draft will “suggest” the name of the character based on your existing dialogue and will center and capitalize the character’s name. If the suggested character is not who you want, you can easily choose from the compiled list.

Adding scene settings is also a snap. They are always written using standard abbreviations, such as INT for interior and EXT for exterior. To insert the scene setting, all you need to do is type “I” for interior or “E” for exterior and Final Draft will add the abbreviations exactly where they belong.

That doesn’t mean you can’t screw up the structure, but by automating a great deal of the basic layout, Final Draft streamlines the process.

What about structuring the story?

The “traditional” method was to use index cards, with scene summaries, to establish the sequence of events. You’d place them on your coffee table or on the floor and change the order until you got it right. Final Draft replicates the old-school method with a “Beat Board” that allows you to move virtual cards on your computer screen to the same effect. Jason Lau, founder of Talk Story Productions, a Honolulu-based film production company, finds the Beat Board “super useful in outlining screenplays.”

If you’re part of a writing team, Final Draft has collaboration features that allow you to work together virtually. For Allison Francis, a playwright and professor of English at Chaminade University, working with mainland colleagues is part of the job. “Essentially,” said Francis, “you can open a script together with someone on the East Coast and share the creative process in real time.” She suggests first opening practice scripts to test the procedure with your partner. “Once you understand how the process works,” she said, “Final Draft can become an invaluable tool for collaborative projects.”

So, is it easy to use?

There’s a great deal packed into this app and hence a substantial learning curve. That said, the program is intuitive, and given its longevity, the developers worked out the kinks a long time ago.

Of course, there’s a great deal of nuance when it comes to writing a script. Any budding screenwriter is going to have to read a ton of classic scripts and watch a lot of movies. That said, Final Draft will provide you the platform to get a running start on your masterpiece.

At $200 (on sale) it’s not inexpensive, but there’s no annual “subscription” and tech support is excellent. Final Draft is considered by many big-leaguers such Aaron Sorkin, Tom Hanks, JJ Abrams and many others as the best in the business.

That’s plenty good for me.

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Rob Kay, a Honolulu-based writer, covers consumer tech, digital media and sustainability for Tech View. He’s the creator of fijiguide.com and can be reached at Robertfred kay@gmail.com.