Given the turnaround time on these writing challenges, someone inquired last year if the script pages submitted needed to be in standard playwriting format or if it could just be something down and dirty like:
A: Hi there
B: Oh, hello yourself.
A: You're in my way.
B: Oh, sorry. No need to pull out that gun, I shall step aside.
A: Thank you.
B: No, thank YOU.
And it can absolutely be that simple.
As long as it's legible, easily readable and in English, we're not going to be picky about format.
Don't let the perfect layout of a script be the enemy of you getting more words on the page in the time allotted.
That said, some people take comfort in formatting (I know I do, I use it as an excuse to read over everything again and proof it while I'm formatting, but I'm super anal about those things, and we're trying to get new scenes and characters created here, so don't let anything like formatting stand in your way.)
Whatever helps your process.
One writer last year told me they traditionally do all their first drafts in long hand on paper first, and asked, would it be acceptable to take pictures of their handwritten pages and email those to us? Yes, absolutely.
Again, legible, easily readable, and in English, that's all we need.
The layout on the page is otherwise up to you.
Have fun with it, don't make it a stumbling block to your creative process.
Also, I have seen some mighty creative use of space and font on the page over the years I've been reading new scripts from other writers - so feel free to have fun with that as well, if it inspires you to try something different.
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