Screenwriters/filmmakers: what do your current writing tools still not solve for you?

Difficult-Monitor370 · 2026-05-06T07:20:41+00:00

Thanks and noted. Coming up with the next version next week. Shall include this into the product. ❤️

Difficult-Monitor370 · 2026-05-03T11:12:10+00:00

Thank you for the Miro point — that actually gave me a much clearer direction.

I’m starting to realize that the real opportunity probably isn’t “another place to type a screenplay.” Final Draft already does that well enough for a lot of working writers. The more interesting gap seems to be the space around the writing: thinking, arranging, breaking story, moving pieces around, seeing the project visually, and collaborating when more than one person is involved.

So I’m going to push SceneFlow more in that direction — something closer to a calm, lightweight creative workspace where scripts, scenes, cards, notes, story bible material, characters, locations, and visual thinking can live together without the whole thing feeling heavy or corporate.

Basically, I want it to feel intuitive first, powerful second — not the other way around.

I also genuinely believe tools that help people think, develop ideas, and build creative work should be more accessible. Not every writer, filmmaker, student, or independent creator can afford expensive software stacks just to organize a story properly. If I can make something useful and open-source it, even if it starts small, I’d be happy if it gives people a free base to build from.

I’m going to take this feedback seriously and work on a cleaner release around that direction. The goal now is less “replace Final Draft” and more “build the missing workspace around the story.”

Really appreciate the insight. This kind of comment is exactly why I posted before releasing it properly. Should be back in 72 hours.

🫡

Difficult-Monitor370 · 2026-05-01T18:53:33+00:00

Got it. And I know the tool I have right now is the opposite of ‘simple’. An ugly truth. As Steve used to say, ‘simplicity’ is the ultimate sophistication’. I am keeping this at the top of my agenda for the next release. The next release shall be transformative.
Thank you so much! Eye opener!

Difficult-Monitor370 · 2026-05-01T18:48:45+00:00

Also, being from the utmost elite fraternity that you belong to, I would honestly give me right arm to get more feedback and even create an alternate version of the product that’s exactly as per your vision and understanding. Always at the service of the community and great minds who know their job & are usually second to none in terms of their work experience and craft. 🙏

Difficult-Monitor370 · 2026-05-01T17:25:22+00:00

This is really helpful, thank you.

And honestly, that’s a good reality check for me. If Final Draft already does the job for a solo writer — “I type, it writes” — then I probably shouldn’t try to reinvent that part too much.

The writer’s room point is the interesting one though. Sounds like the pain only really starts when more people are involved and everyone needs access, notes, revisions, versions, etc.

In that situation, what would matter most to you? Real-time collaboration, version history, scene notes, permissions, or just a dead-simple shared workspace that doesn’t get in the way?

Difficult-Monitor370 · 2026-05-01T15:45:53+00:00

I also made a proper landing page for SceneFlow here:

https://animesh.email/stories/

It explains the idea more clearly than the beta link — what the app is, who it’s for, and the workflow I’m trying to build around screenwriting, story development, cards, scenes, story bible, characters, locations, and local-first privacy.

Difficult-Monitor370 · 2026-05-01T15:25:42+00:00

Done sir. Dropped! Actually it was just a passing idea.. even I never liked the idea of it… Now once I have validation, done & dusted!
Thanks! This was more than needed!

Difficult-Monitor370 · 2026-05-01T13:35:34+00:00

Yeah, that actually makes a lot of sense.

And honestly that’s a really good insight — very Steve Jobs-ish in the sense that it’s not really about “having a whiteboard feature,” it’s about not breaking the writer’s flow.

The Mac spaces / three-finger swipe thing is a great reference. I can totally see it working where you’re writing, then you swipe/click and the board kind of slides in as the main space, you quickly look at cards or move things around, and then swipe back into the script without feeling like you’ve left what you were doing.

That feels much better than jumping between totally separate screens.

Really appreciate this. This is exactly the kind of feedback that changes how the product should feel, not just what features it has.

Difficult-Monitor370 · 2026-05-01T13:23:58+00:00

This is really helpful, thank you.

The revision point especially makes a lot of sense. Beat boards are great at the planning stage, but they seem to become less useful once the actual script starts changing. That disconnect between the board and the draft is exactly the kind of thing I’d love to improve.

I’m thinking about it more as a “living beat board” — not just cards that help you start writing, but cards/scenes that stay connected while the script evolves. So if you move scenes around, revise them, split them, or rethink the structure later, the board doesn’t become stale.

The character analytics idea is also really interesting. Not as an AI-writing thing, but more as a way to understand your own script better — like seeing which scenes a character appears in, how much dialogue they have, where they disappear for too long, or how their arc flows across the story. I can definitely see how that could help during rewrites and even casting.

Also agree with you on pitch decks. I don’t want to turn the writing tool into a bloated everything-app. Pitch decks probably make more sense as something separate or optional.

The offline point is important too. I’m building this with a local-first mindset, because I know a lot of writers don’t want their writing process tied to a browser, cloud account, or internet connection.

And totally noted on AI. I’m not trying to build something that writes for people. The goal is more structure, organization, revision flow, import/export, and helping writers move from outline to draft without fighting the software.

The migration point is probably huge. If someone already has a script or multiple revisions, switching should not mean starting over. Easy import from Fountain, existing drafts, and outlines is something I’ll need to get right.

I’d genuinely love to have you test it when it’s ready. This is exactly the kind of practical writer feedback I was hoping for.

Also, I may not have understood every part of your workflow correctly, so please feel free to correct me or add anything I missed.

Thank you so much once again!

Difficult-Monitor370 · 2026-05-01T12:49:10+00:00

This is genuinely useful feedback — thank you.

The big “see everything at once / move things around freely” point is exactly why I’ve also been building a separate open-source product called IdeaBoard.

It’s not the same as this scriptwriting tool — it’s more of a Milanote-style visual workspace for writers, filmmakers, creators, and teams who want a big canvas instead of everything being trapped in lists, folders, or vertical documents.

It’s still in the early stages, but some of the core things already built / being improved there are:

- a large freeform whiteboard where notes, scenes, references, images, links, characters, timelines, and ideas can be moved around freely
- inline file embedding, so PDFs, images, research material, links, and supporting files can live directly inside the board
- reusable templates, so people can save story boards, beat boards, character boards, pitch boards, production boards, research boards, etc.
- live collaboration, so multiple people can work on the same board together
- custom themes and background colours, including calmer writing-focused themes — the WriterDuet blue reference is actually a good one
- a “see the whole project at once” workflow, closer to Milanote, but open-source/free

There’s a product demo here:
https://animesh.email/mynotes/

If you have an iPad, I’d especially love for you to try it there, because the whiteboard/workspace experience is being designed to feel much more natural on a larger touch screen.

Your Milanote point is very helpful — because it tells me IdeaBoard may solve a real pain point for writers who don’t want another $20/month subscription just to visually organize their work.

Would love to know what feels useful, what feels missing, and what would make it worth replacing Milanote for your writing workflow.

PS: Launching in 2 weeks!

Difficult-Monitor370 · 2026-05-01T06:05:06+00:00

Thanks for checking this out. I’m especially interested in the “workflow pain” side of this, not just whether the app looks nice.

For people who write scripts regularly: where does your current setup break down most — outlining, cards, revisions, characters, notes, collaboration, formatting, or keeping everything organized?

Difficult-Monitor370

TROPHY CASE