Writers hone basic skills

The Writers Room Sessions has emerged as one platform for addressing gaps that writers are facing. Since last year, the platform has been hosting trainings and workshops to aspiring script writers with basics of writing. This year, the platform has also rolled out a series of sessions on writing mentorship.

Tomorrow, the platform will hold the third edition of the writing webinar series under the topic ‘culture in storytelling’. Speaking in an interview yesterday, one of the programme’s coordinators Gilbert Moyo said writers can offer a lot to the creative industry; hence, they want to invest in themselves to serve the local film industry better. He said: “We started the training four weeks ago.

We have had two sessions already where we brought together writers to improve their skills. It is clear that most do not understand the basics of storytelling, so we have to start from scratch. “We also understand that filmmaking is commercial and we are trying to figure out which stories can sell.

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But we understand that we must also tell these stories well.” Moyo said some of their focus areas include telling a story on script writing from ideas and screenwriting software. Moyo, who is also a film producer, said at least 20 participants will attend the session which also includes practical exercises. Speaking in a separate interview, one of the facilitators Tawonga Nkhonjera said the absence of education institutions which offer professional script-writing lessons has created a knowledge gap as writers only rely “There are glaring gaps in techniques such as foreshadowing and cliffhangers.

Filmmaking production value is paramount and this starts at the script level. Writers have noted that audiences have complained of stories that lack depth, substance and discernible plots. So these are the issues we want to address,” he said.

Nkhonjera, who is a member of the National Screenwriters Guild and director for Dikamawoko Arts, said the programme’s impact has been instant, judging by the response and feedback they have received. “As a trainer, I see it through the participants. What they write after the trainings is comprehensive, nuanced, with the right script-writing elements in place; the timing of events, plot sequences and fully furnished settings,” he said. Nkhonjera, however, called on stakeholders to support the initiative as it is currently relying on contributions from the participants.

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