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minutes: 2
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# Tellie Script Secrets

## Section One: Just a regular section
See those two "##" marks to the left of the word Section, that's how you delineate a section. Your Word and RTF heading styles, and a PDF's larger fonts, import as sections automatically. All sections show up in the navigator at the bottom of Tellie's prompter window.

## ! Section Two: This is an important section
This section starts with "## !" saying don't let me skip this (also known as must-cover). Paragraphs in this section are colored uniquely so you can tell that this is important content. As you read, the section's text turns green to confirm you covered it and the circle at the bottom of Tellie's prompter window checks off as green.

## Section Three: Just another regular section
Add as many sections as you like. You can also Tab to them (Shift-Tab to go backwards) or press the number key corresponding to that section. For instance, press the 5 key to skip to section five and press the 3 key to return here. Tellie's Stagehand doesn't track these sections, so there's no pressure to cover them if you are running behind.

## ! Section Four: Maybe you like to Ad-lib a lot
> key: theory of relativity
By using > key: phrase that matters, you can ad-lib or riff on anything you want in this section. Any time you say the phrase (in this case "theory of relativity"), even while improvising, the entire section counts as covered. Really good for teachers, actors, sales, anyone (like me!) who likes the structure of a script but loves the freedom to say what comes to mind, while still hitting their marks.

## Section Five: The Stagehand timer
Optionally, put "minutes:" between two --- lines at the top of your script (this one says minutes: 2), and Tellie shows a per-section finish clock and warns you against your real slot. Without it, Tellie makes its own deadline based on your opening pace and projects the whole script from it. In either case Tellie's Stagehand warns "running long" if a must-cover section ahead will not fit.

## ! Section Six: The Close
By marking later sections must-cover, if you are running long, Tellie tells you early enough to speed up. Once you covered everything you flagged, Stagehand goes quiet.

## That's a Wrap: Tellie Stagehand is your silent partner
That is the whole convention: "##" for a section, "## !" for one you must cover, "> key:" for a phrase you will hit off-script, and "minutes:" at the very top for a time budget. A plain script with none of these marks works exactly as it always has, just with no Tellie Stagehand support.