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A writer has sent you their draft and would love your notes. You don’t need Inkwell, an app, or an account — just the link they sent you and a web browser on your phone, tablet or computer.
The cover of a shared draft on a phone. Under the heading A draft for your notes: THE LAST FERRY, by Jamie Doe, Draft of October 31, 2026. Then: Jamie Doe shared THE LAST FERRY with you, Sam. Opens here, encrypted. Jamie sees when you open it, how far you read, and your notes. A Start reading button, the hint Tap any line to leave a note, This link works until November 30, and Shared with Inkwell. Free for writers.

Every shared draft opens on a cover with the title, the writer and your name.

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Open the draft

1

Open the whole link

Tap or click the link the writer sent you. Make sure you open the entire link — the part after the # is what unlocks the draft. If you see “This link is incomplete” or “We couldn’t find this draft”, copy the whole link from the message and try again.
2

Enter the passphrase, if asked

Some drafts are protected with a passphrase — usually a few words joined by dashes, like maple-orbit-tuesday. The writer will have sent it to you separately (for example, by text if the link came by email). Unlocking takes a second or two on purpose; that’s part of what keeps the draft safe.You only need to enter it once on each device and browser.
A phone screen with the Inkwell mark and a card headed Shared with Dana: This draft has a passphrase. Enter the passphrase the writer gave you. It's often a few words joined by dashes. A passphrase field and an Open the draft button.

A passphrase-protected draft asks for the passphrase before it opens.

3

Start reading

The cover, headed “A draft for your notes”, shows the title, the writer, the draft date, and your name: “Jamie shared THE TITLE with you, Sam.” Click Start reading.

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Reading

There are two ways to read, and you can switch any time:
  • Page view (the default on computers and tablets) shows the script exactly as it would print — the same pages and page numbers as the writer’s PDF, so “page 42” means the same thing to both of you. At the largest text sizes, scroll or swipe sideways to see the whole page.
  • Reading view (the default on phones) flows the script into a single comfortable column of larger text. Quiet ”— page 12 —” markers keep you in step with the printed pages, and a speech that runs over a page break reads as one, marked (CONT’D).
THE LAST FERRY in Reading view on a phone. A small — page 9 — marker separates the pages, and Margot's speech continues as MARGOT (CONT'D). Further down, the action line Then a flicker: a thin silver band, catching the beam, is highlighted with a badge showing one note. Scenes, Aa and Notes buttons sit at the top.

Reading view on a phone: one column, with page markers.

Use the controls at the top:
  • Scenes jumps straight to any scene.
  • Aa switches between Page view and Reading view, changes the text size (Small, Default, Large, Larger), and picks Light, Dark or Auto (follows your device).
  • Come back any time. Open the same link later and you’ll be offered Continue from page … to pick up where you stopped.

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Leave a note

1

Tap what you want to talk about

Tap (or click) any line. Your note attaches to the whole piece of script it’s part of: a scene heading, a paragraph of action, or a whole speech — the character’s name, parentheticals, dialogue and lyrics together. On a keyboard, use the arrow keys to move between them and press Enter.
2

Write your note

Type your note (up to 4,000 characters) and click Post note. It’s pinned to that passage, so the writer sees exactly what you were reacting to.
3

Keep going

Leave as many notes as you like. Notes at the top lists everything you’ve written, and the writer’s replies. You can delete any of your own notes.
A shared draft of THE LAST FERRY in Page view in a desktop browser. Tess's speech, That's not a fight. That's a rom-com., is selected, and a note box beside it reads: Ha! Tess earns this laugh. Maybe let Margot take a beat before she answers? with Cancel and Post note. Below it, Sam's earlier note has a reply from the writer marked New reply.

Click any line to leave a note in the margin.

The Notes sheet on a phone in dark mode, over Reading view, headed Only you and the writer see these. Under Your notes are Sam's two notes: one on page 7, on Margot's speech, with a reply from the writer marked New reply, and one on page 9 on the action line Then a flicker. Each has Delete and Reply.

On a phone, Notes opens as a sheet with your notes and the writer's replies.

If you lose your connection while writing, your unsent note is kept on your device, and the page offers to pick up where you left off next time.

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Replies from the writer

When the writer answers, their reply appears under your note. If you have the page open, it shows up within a minute; otherwise you’ll see it, marked New reply, next time you open the link. When the writer has dealt with a note, it’s marked resolved by the writer.

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Who sees your notes

Usually, only you and the writer see your notes. Some writers share a draft with a group so everyone can see each other’s notes. When that’s the case, the cover says “Other readers of this draft can see your notes too.”, and the Notes list shows other readers’ notes under their names. Your notes appear under the name the writer gave your link — the one on the cover (“…with you, Sam”).

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What the writer can see

The writer can see:
  • when you opened the draft;
  • how far you’ve read (the furthest page you reached) and whether you finished;
  • how many notes you left, and what they say.
The cover tells you this up front: “Jamie sees when you open it, how far you read, and your notes.” The page also has a few small links to Inkwell: on the cover, at the end of the draft, and once after your first note. Inkwell counts which of those get clicked, but not who you are or what you were reading. That’s all: nobody can see what else you do in your browser, and the page doesn’t follow you anywhere else.

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Your privacy

  • No account, no sign-up. You never give Inkwell your name, email or anything else.
  • The draft and your notes are encrypted. The key that unlocks them is in the part of the link after the #, which browsers never send to any server. Inkwell’s servers store the draft and your notes in a form they can’t read — only you, the writer, and (if notes are shared) the draft’s other readers can.
  • No trackers. The reading page runs only Inkwell’s own code — no ads, no analytics scripts, no third-party anything.
  • The title stays out of your history. While you read, the browser tab says “Draft from Jamie · Inkwell”, not the script’s title, and a shared link previews in messaging apps as “A script draft, shared with you”.
  • Kept on your device. So you don’t have to unlock the draft again or lose your place, your browser remembers the unlock key, your reading position, your text-size and theme choices, and any note you haven’t sent yet. Clearing your browser’s site data removes them.
Please don’t forward the link. It’s yours: anyone who opens it can read the draft, and any notes they leave will appear under your name.
  • “This draft is no longer shared” — the writer has stopped sharing this link. Ask them for a new one if you think that’s a mistake.
  • “This link has expired” — shared drafts are only open for a while. The writer can extend it or send you a fresh link.
  • “Too many tries for now” — the passphrase was entered wrong too many times. Wait the time shown, then reload the page.
  • If the writer stops sharing while you have the page open, you can finish reading, but new notes won’t send.
The last page of THE LAST FERRY on a phone, ending with FADE OUT., followed by End of draft and: That's the end. Your notes are with Jamie Doe. A card offers Inkwell Reader for iPhone and iPad with a Get Inkwell Reader button, and the footer reads: Encrypted end to end: Inkwell's servers can't read this script or your notes. Report abuse.

At the end, a short thank-you, and on an iPhone, a pointer to Inkwell Reader.

Something inappropriate in a draft you were sent? Use Report abuse at the end of the draft.

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Want to write your own?

Shared drafts are made with Inkwell, the screenplay editor for Mac. The editor is free.