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Screenwriting is the skeleton of every great film. It’s where characters are born, conflicts ignite, and worlds are built. In Nollywood, where storytelling often mirrors the complexities of our culture, family structures, and spiritual realities, a strong script isn’t just nice to have—it’s non-negotiable.
This guide is written for the aspiring Nigerian storyteller: whether you’re scribbling your first scene or reworking your fifth draft. The goal is to help you write the kind of scripts that feel true to us, that make producers say, “This one get weight,” and audiences sit up, quiet, watching every moment unfold.
Understanding What a Screenplay Really Is
A screenplay is not just a story. It’s a tool—a written document that communicates what will appear on screen. If a novel is like painting with every color you can find, a screenplay is sketching with sharp, deliberate lines.
A standard script includes:
- Scene headings: Where and when the action takes place (INT. VILLAGE SHRINE – NIGHT)
- Action lines: What’s happening visually in the scene
- Character names and dialogue: What people say, and how they say it
- Parentheticals: (Optional cues for line delivery or small actions)
Every part of your script must serve a purpose. Screen time is precious, and so are the crew members reading it. Respect their time with clarity and intent.
Structuring Your Story: The Three-Act Framework
Structure isn’t there to limit you—it’s there to guide you. Almost every powerful Nigerian film, from Breath of Life to The Black Book, follows a version of this arc:
Act One: The Setup
This is where we meet your characters, their world, and their problem. Your job here is to make the audience care. Think of The Wedding Party—we meet Dunni and Dozie, and we immediately understand what’s at stake: culture, family tension, and of course, love.
The act ends when a major event disrupts the status quo—the inciting incident.
Act Two: The Conflict
Now the pressure builds. Obstacles stack. Secrets surface. Your characters begin to struggle with real choices. In King of Boys, this is where Eniola’s enemies multiply and her inner circle starts to collapse. The tension must climb—no flat lines here.
Act Three: The Resolution
Here’s where it all pays off. Good or bad, the story must come full circle. In Citation, Moremi’s fight against abuse in a university system ends with a form of justice—but not without personal cost. That’s the beauty of Act Three: it delivers the consequences of everything that came before.
Common Mistakes to Watch Out For
Over-Explaining
Don’t write what the audience can already see. Let your scenes breathe. Trust your visuals to tell the story.
Flat Dialogue
If every character sounds the same, you’ve got work to do. People speak differently based on background, education, region, and personality. Even their silences say something.
Random Scenes with No Purpose
Every scene must either move the plot forward or deepen character. If it doesn’t do either, cut it.
Ignoring the Rules of Your Own World
If your story involves magic, tradition, or surreal elements, create internal rules—and stick to them. A spiritual battle can’t suddenly end with a car crash unless you’ve set that up properly.
Writing for the Nollywood Industry
You’re not just writing for yourself—you’re writing for a director, producers, actors, editors, and ultimately, a Nigerian audience that knows when something doesn’t feel real.
Know your genre and how Nollywood handles it:
- Romance often includes family approval, class tension, or cultural rituals
- Horror leans heavily on folklore, village myths, and spiritual warfare
- Thrillers center around betrayal, power, and the fragility of reputation
Understanding these conventions allows you to subvert or elevate them when needed.
Tools and Habits That Will Help You Grow
Writing is a craft—one that improves with time, discipline, and humility.
- Read scripts: Look for shooting scripts of Nollywood films online. Study their structure.
- Watch with purpose: Rewatch your favorite Nigerian films. Break them down scene by scene.
- Write regularly: Even if it’s just a few pages a day, consistency sharpens your voice.
If you can find a screenwriting group or community, join one. Feedback is gold when it comes from people who genuinely want you to succeed.
Final Thoughts
Screenwriting in Nigeria isn’t just about putting words on paper—it’s about capturing our rhythm, our chaos, our hope, and our contradictions. It’s about documenting how we love, how we struggle, how we rise, and sometimes, how we fall.
You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to be intentional. Write with care. Rewrite with courage. Learn with humility. And always, always remember: your story could be the one that sparks someone else’s dream.
Nollywood is expanding. The world is watching.
There’s room for your voice.
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