Learn the fundamentals of building and telling a compelling story, and how to effectively dramatise your idea, characters and plot. 

With District 9, Invictus, Skin, White Lion and Jozi turning the spotlight on South African stories,  7 new South African films awaiting release this year, and several international co-productions in the pipeline;  it has never been a better time to be a scriptwriter and filmmaker in South Africa.

The Write Journey is an inspirational and motivational beginner's workshop that is ideal for writers who want to write for film, television or the stage. Learn the fundamentals of building and telling a compelling story, and how to effectively dramatise your idea, characters and plot. 

The Write Journey explores the journey from the inspiration of an idea, through the writing process to the planning and start of a first draft of a screenplay that will become the blueprint for a film, television series or stageplay.

The workshop looks at what it takes to be a screenwriter in South Africa, understanding the world of the writer, and introduces seven easy steps to explore strengths and weaknesses.

The inspirational and motivational  workshop is ideal for ANYONE with an idea for a story.

You will learn how to conceptualise ideas, develop characters, master structure and perfect the art of plotting.

Within 4 days writers will grasp the fundamentals of writing for a visual medium, what it takes to be a scriptwriter in South Africa, and how to conquer the writing process.

Writers are encouraged to write universal stories that will reflect the uniqueness of their respective cultures, histories and personal experiences, and turn thoughts into action that will evolve into a feature film or stage play.

Your idea (or novel) will be transformed into a concept that will be reworked into hardcopy, into 120 pages filled with action, description

The course is also ideal for novelists who would like to adapt their work into a visual medium, or writers who want to write stageplays.

If there is something or someone you want to write about this is your opportunity to turn thoughts into words that will eventually be turned into action. 


The workshops explores:

• The world of filmmaking and understanding the language and visual dynamics of film.
  
• How to read and interpret film
  
• Commanding the discipline of writing a screenplay and understanding the writing process: the journey of a story from premise to spec script.
  
• Why most screenplays never make it to the development process: the strengths and weaknesses of a great screenplay
  
• Understanding the line of dramatic action: the writer and structure, building a solid story; deepening and dramatising the plot.
  
• Understanding theme and exploring the thematic purpose of your story
  
• The importance of the story outline: defining story events (scenes and sequences)
  
• Developing and exploring characters: finding the transformational arc.
  
• Deconstructing the story outline: using the card outline to find the turning points in your story and dramatise the line of action on scenes and sequences.
  
• Putting it down on paper: coming to terms with format and writing the first draft; understanding the re-write
  
• The Top Sheet: selling yourself as a writer and understanding the development process.