How you can develop script writing skills

NAIROBI: One of the things that make me really proud to be Kenyan is our ability to deal with demons of self-doubt and display our resilience as we find solutions to problems bedeviling us. But we have shot ourselves in the foot once too often. That is why I understand Dominic Mumo’s ([email protected]) concerns on lack of places near him, to learn script writing.

On the brighter side though, Kenyans are not only hardworking but innovative and hardly ever say die in face of challenges. Three quarters of Kenyan writers are self-taught. The brilliance displayed even on the international stage is the fruit of hard work and being on the lookout for opportunities to learn.

I attended a Creative Economy conference and interacted with representatives from Riverwood – Kenya’s Hollywood − and for sure, there are great opportunities out there for script and screenwriters. Mwaniki Mageria of Balozi Productions Limited says they have demand of up to 30 films a year, something that surprised those in attendance. I remember Margaretta wa Gacheru wondering if the quality wouldn’t be comprised and if all the 30 could be consumed. However, Mageria was clear, that this was a response to demand from consumers. He went on to opine that there is a lack of scripts for films in Kenya and encouraged us to write. The question is where should one go for training in script or screenwriting?

As I indicated, anyone with talent and the will to learn can or should make it as a script writer. However, it is important to learn the basics. I always fancied myself as a script writer and thought I had some brilliant ideas but my interaction with Jean Mutune, the Director and Screenwriter of Leo - a film about a Maasai boy who achieves his dreams against all odds, proved otherwise. I just realised I did not even know how much time a page of a written script could translate to. Therefore, an interaction with filmmakers can help you develop your skill as a script or screenwriter. Fortunately, most of them are quite approachable – like Jean – and they are willing to share their experiences.

Our colleges too have something to offer – even though I have never agreed with the way some fashion their courses. University of Nairobi offers a course in Theatre and Film Studies, while Moi University have a course in the same though they include literature hence, Literature, Theatre and Film Studies. Kenyatta University’s School of Visual and Performing Arts offers a course called Theatre Arts and Film Technology. If you ask me, one needs college education and thereafter, serious interaction with the film world.

The practical knowledge gleaned and gathered from practising filmmakers is invaluable, unlike what you get in class which in most cases is general and at times imagined rather than practical. Some lecturers, I am afraid, have never written a script, held a camera or directed even a skit! However, this is a good starting point.

Another source of information on script writing is the internet. All of us know about the Youtube man, right? Julius Yego utilised the internet and out of it we witnessed the emergence of a world champion! It is not any different for creative writers; there is a lot of material on creative writing on the internet. However, one has to realise that the internet is not regulated hence consumption of information from this source must be with caution. When you find the right website or social media page, you can learn from others, ask questions, come up with ideas and discuss and experiment with them, and even get ideas from your group members. The internet exposes you to the world too. If you have a brilliant idea and someone notices it, they might run with it and you never know where you and your idea might end up.

Someone must be wondering about security of ideas and copyright; I am asked this question all the time. Well, the creative world requires you to be cautious. However, you should demonstrate that you can trust people with your ideas too. Certainly, you will lose some and gain some, which is normal – losing one idea will only spur you to coming up with a more interesting one. The problem of hiding your ideas for fear of losing them is that no one will ever get to know about them hence, you will never be discovered. Further, remember that fortune favours the brave. Therefore venture out, take a risk and eventually someone will notice your work.

— The writer is a senior literary editor at a publishing firm in Nairobi