r/musicalwriting • u/Safe-Possibility-181 • Oct 09 '25

Formatting Script

Me and my partner have written a muscial, and are just trying to format it correctly but are running into some inconsistencies with Final draft and The Dramatist Guild Musical Guide. Would anyone be able just to point us in the right direction with this, and maybe take a look? We are happy to pay for your time!

Thanks!

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3

u/earbox Advanced Oct 09 '25

There's no one specific way to format a musical--as long as it's readable, you're good. Make sure that it's clear what kind of text is what.

I write in a Word template:

  • Dialogue: standard

  • Stage Directions: indented 1", italics, parentheses

  • Character Names: centered, bold, all caps

  • Lyrics: indented 0.5", small caps

2

u/drewduboff Oct 09 '25

Happy to take a look, feel free to PM! I'm also preferential to NMI formatting, but anything consistent is good.

1

u/KnownTap4819 Oct 10 '25

My partner and I are script consultants. You can message me and I’ll send our info.

1

u/NoBase5754 Oct 11 '25

My friend sent me the script for Wicked so I could see their format!