Scriptwriting

Habari Mwanafunzi! Welcome to the World of Scriptwriting!

Have you ever watched a show like Sultana, a movie like Nairobi Half Life, or even a classic play at the Kenya National Theatre and thought, "Wow, what a story!"? Well, every single one of those powerful performances began not on a stage or a screen, but on a piece of paper. It started as a script.

A script is the soul of a performance. It's the blueprint, the recipe, the map that guides actors, directors, and designers to create a whole new world. Today, you are going to learn how to be the architect of that world. You are going to learn the art of scriptwriting. Let's begin!

Step 1: The Big Idea - The Logline

Before you write hundreds of pages, you need a single, powerful sentence that captures your entire story. This is called a logline. It’s your story in a nutshell. A great logline makes someone say, "I have to see that!"

Think of it like a simple formula:

[A specific PROTAGONIST] must [achieve a clear GOAL] because [of the serious STAKES].

Kenyan Example:
"A talented but stubborn matatu driver from Eastlands (Protagonist) must win a dangerous, illegal street race (Goal) to pay for his sister's urgent hospital bill (Stakes)."

See? In one sentence, we know who the story is about, what he wants, and what will happen if he fails. That's your starting point!

Step 2: The Blueprint - Dramatic Structure

A good story has a shape. It has a beginning, a middle, and an end. The most famous structure is the Three-Act Structure. It's like building a house: you need a foundation, the walls, and a roof.

• Act I: Mwanzo (The Beginning - The Setup) - This is about the first 25% of your story. Here you introduce your main character (protagonist), their world (e.g., a quiet village in Kericho, a busy street in Mombasa), and the Inciting Incident – the event that changes everything and kicks off the story!
• Act II: Katikati (The Middle - The Confrontation) - This is the longest part, about 50% of your story. Your character tries to achieve their goal but faces bigger and bigger obstacles. Things get worse before they get better! This is where the drama, action, and tension live.
• Act III: Mwisho (The End - The Resolution) - The final 25%. This includes the Climax, the biggest battle or final confrontation where the character either wins or loses. Afterwards, we have the Resolution, where we see the aftermath and the new reality for our characters.

Visually, it looks like a mountain your character has to climb:

            / \
           /   \  <-- ACT III (Climax & Resolution)
          /-----\
         /       \
        /         \ <-- ACT II (Rising Action, Obstacles)
       /           \
      /             \
-----/               \-----
  ^-- ACT I (Setup & Inciting Incident)

Quick Math for Film Scripts:

In scriptwriting, there's a general rule for timing. It helps you plan your acts.

1 Script Page ≈ 1 Minute of Screen Time

Therefore, for a 90-minute movie:
- Act I ≈ 22 pages
- Act II ≈ 46 pages
- Act III ≈ 22 pages

Image Suggestion: A vibrant, colourful illustration in the style of Kenyan artist Michael Soi. The image shows a three-part panel. The first panel shows a young woman in a Nairobi apartment receiving a mysterious, glowing key. The second panel shows her navigating a chaotic and magical Gikomba market, facing strange creatures. The third panel shows her standing triumphantly on a rooftop overlooking the city skyline at dawn, holding the now-unlocked glowing box.

Step 3: The People - Creating Unforgettable Characters

Your story is nothing without interesting characters. Your audience needs someone to root for (the protagonist) and someone to create challenges (the antagonist).

To make your characters feel real, ask yourself these questions:

• What is their greatest desire or goal? (To become a musician, to find their family, to save their community).
• What is their greatest fear? (Failure, being alone, spiders, losing respect).
• What makes them unique? (Do they always quote their grandmother? Do they have a special way of laughing? Do they use a lot of Sheng' in their speech?).

Real-World Example: Think about the character of Mwas in Nairobi Half Life. He isn't just "a guy who wants to be an actor." He is a hopeful, naive young man from the village, full of dreams, who gets thrown into the harsh reality of Nairobi's criminal underworld. His specific background and personality make him compelling.

Step 4: The Format - Making It Look Professional

A script has a very specific format. It looks different from a novel or a poem. This format makes it easy for the director, actors, and crew to read and understand. It's the professional language of theatre and film!

Here are the key elements:

SCENE HEADING
Also called a "slugline." Tells us if the scene is inside (INT.) or outside (EXT.), the LOCATION, and the TIME (DAY or NIGHT). Always in ALL CAPS.

ACTION
A description of what is happening in the scene and what the characters are doing. It's always written in the present tense.

CHARACTER
The name of the character who is speaking. Always in ALL CAPS and centred.

PARENTHETICAL
A small note in brackets under the character's name to show *how* they are saying a line (e.g., (whispering), (angry)). Use these sparingly!

DIALOGUE
The words the characters speak. It's aligned under the character's name.

Let's see it all together in a Kenyan context:

INT. MAMA NJERI'S KIBANDA - DAY

Sunlight streams through the mabati roof. The air is thick with the smell of frying chapati and strong tea. MAMA NJERI (60s, a kind but no-nonsense woman) expertly flips a chapati.

Her grandson, SAM (17, wearing a school uniform but holding a brand new smartphone), sits nervously on a wooden bench.

                    MAMA NJERI
            (Without turning around)
        You have been quiet since you came
        from school, Samuel. Ni nini?

Sam hides his phone.

                    SAM
        Nothing, Shosh. Just... tired.
        Exams.

Mama Njeri turns, wiping her hands on her apron. She looks at him with eyes that have seen everything.

                    MAMA NJERI
        Tired or hiding something? Your
        face is an open book. And I have
        been reading it for seventeen years.
        Sema.

Sam takes a deep breath, his courage failing him.

Your Turn! Andika Hapo!

Now it's time for you to be the writer. Take what you've learned and write a one-page scene.

The Prompt: A young, brilliant student from a small village has just received an acceptance letter for a university in America. They must now break the news to their grandfather, a respected elder who believes the student's destiny is to lead the community at home.

Instructions:

1. Start with a proper Scene Heading (e.g., EXT. GRANDFATHER'S HOMESTEAD - EVENING).
2. Write Action Lines to describe the setting and what the characters are doing.
3. Write the Dialogue between the student and the grandfather. Try to make it sound authentic and full of emotion.

Don't worry about making it perfect. The most important step for any writer is to simply start writing. Every story has a beginning, and this is yours. Your voice, your culture, and your stories matter. Now, go tell them!

Hongera! You have taken your first step into the incredible world of scriptwriting!