Talking Draft

Speech-to-Script Dictation

The fast path to a first draft for screenwriters and playwrights

screenwriting dictation screenplay transcribe transcription dictate talking draft

As you dictate your dialogue and action…

Label who-says-what with the tap of one button.

Dictate the fast draft of your script

The Talking Draft Method dates to the Golden Age of Hollywood.

On Broadway, playwrights do dialog in this way. Screenwriters still use it today.

So should you.

How it works

Choose Outline

Outline your story FREE with Hollywood structures, or go freeform.

Create Cast

Cast by setting a number key for each scene's characters.

Dictate Lines

Dictate dialogue and action lines, tapping keys to mark who-says-what.

Export Draft

Export your TalkingDraft into any screenwriting software.

Features

Designed by Screenwriters and script doctors.
Fly from your first idea to a first draft. Fast.

Speech-to-Text

Custom speech-to-text for flowing dialogue with up to 90%+ accuracy. Manually label dialog speakers, no annoying voice commands! 21 languages.

Automatically structure an outline guided with prompts from your choice of mentor: Field, Towne, Snyder, Harmon, Vogler, Hart, Yanno, Campbell, or Aristotle.

Flexible Casting

Save recurring characters to a cast. Customize dialogue speakers scene-by-scene. File export includes character names before their dialog.

Universal Export

TalkingDraft is compatible with all major screenwriting apps. Export the text of your talking draft into wherever you work on the 2nd draft.

On Finishing a Fast Draft:

“If you are using dialogue — say it aloud as you write it. Only then will it have the sound of speech.”

- John Steinbeck

“When I’m writing, I’m playing all the parts; I’m saying the lines out loud…it’s the greatest feeling.”

- Aaron Sorkin

“The first draft of the script is always not good. But that’s okay… Be wrong as fast as you can.”

- Andrew Stanton

“A bad script WRITTEN is still better than an amazing one THAT ISN’T.”

- Taika Waititi

“You can always edit a bad page. You can’t edit a blank page.”

- Phoebe Waller-Bridge

“Try this trick where you take a handheld recorder and you speak out your scripts into it. It forces you to get a vomit draft out…but you’re gonna get impeccable pacing.”

- Mark Duplass

“When I’m writing the first draft, I’m constantly reminding myself that I’m simply shoveling sand into a box so that later I can build castles.”

- Jordan Peele

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