I often use a particular statement as an icebreaker for people who seem afraid or shy to strike up a conversation with me. It’s exaggerated, humorous, and always gets a reaction:
“Don’t be shy, come close, I don’t bite. I stopped eating people a long time ago.”
This line is meant to put people at ease, and it often leaves them wondering, Did he actually eat people?
Though I may not consider myself one of the great writers, I do believe I have valuable lessons to offer—lessons that I’ve learned through experience and that have helped young students become better writers. I avoid saying “great” because greatness requires many lessons and inevitable failures along the way. I’ve been guest lecturing in scriptwriting at my alma mater, UKZN, where I once served as a partner coordinator for the program many years ago. It’s been a long journey, and you can catch some of the conversations from my classes on my Spotify podcast, Curious Stories.
From those early days to now, I’ve grown both as a writer and a teacher of writing. Over the years, as I developed my own works—whether scripts or blog posts—I’ve gathered a wealth of knowledge. As a teacher, I’ve tested these lessons, tweaking them when necessary, to see what truly works.
When it comes to scriptwriting for theatre, the process can feel both easy and difficult, especially for first-time writers. This duality often arises from a variety of factors: a lack of reading habits, an unfamiliarity with writing structure, and the daunting task of crafting 20 pages of dialogue. And, of course, there’s the influence of movies and film.
Having faced the same challenges myself, I’ve noticed that students often struggle in two main areas: (A) coming up with the right story to tell and (B) avoiding the tendency to write in a movie-like format, simply because we are more exposed to films than to plays.
A. Drawing from Experience
Your experiences, whether lived or vicarious, are stories you can tell. In the first lesson, I encouraged those who were struggling to consider that their plays could be based on their own experiences. Sometimes, it’s not fantasy that captivates—it’s reality. As writers like Stanton and Adichie have highlighted in their TEDx talks, writing from what you know can be incredibly powerful. Whether it’s your views on politics, observations about your community, or curiosity about the people around you, all these can be the seeds of a compelling story. And if not, articles, short stories, and even gossip can be great sources of inspiration.
B. Adapting Film Concepts to Theatre
There are actions and events in films that don’t translate well to the stage—explosions, certain themes, and actions often need to be adjusted. I learned this early on, especially the challenge of using a clock in theatre. In film, time can be manipulated through clever editing, but in theatre, where the audience sees the set the entire time, you have to be more creative. You need to make the audience believe that five hours have passed in just two minutes. If you have a clock on stage showing only two minutes, it disrupts the illusion and clashes with the play’s reality.
I’ve absorbed these lessons eagerly, learning from lecturers, scriptwriters, speakers, books, and fellow writers. Despite all this knowledge, I still find myself fascinated by new information, and I’m always open to questions I don’t yet have answers to. My response? “How about we discover the answer together?”
For example, a student is attempting an “angel and devil on the shoulder” type of play, where the main character struggles to navigate the world while listening to these opposing forces. Translating this concept to a play is challenging. While it’s an idea that’s been executed in film, theatre presents different obstacles. However, the student had a vision; they just needed help with execution. My role was to guide them in bringing that idea to life, making it believable on stage.
This aspect of teaching—being challenged by both the familiar and the strange—brings me joy. I find satisfaction in saying, “Oh, this is new,” or, “I’ve been there too. Let’s work through it.”
These dialogues with myself and my students remind me that there’s always room to grow, and I’m ready for it. I’m fortunate, and we’re all fortunate, that technology and AI have advanced as they have, helping us illuminate our ideas and refine them into something magical.
This blog post has been about sharing my experience as a guest lecturer in scriptwriting. I believe that as I continue, I’ll discover even more ways to tell stories