Every script begins with a story. A story is a narration of connected events involving real or imaginary people. Stories can come from:

• Real-life experiences
• Biographies of notable people
• Newspapers and magazines
• Personal imagination
• Community issues (unemployment, water scarcity, health)

Once you have a story, you transform it into a script by organizing it according to the requirements of your chosen medium.

Theme or Message

The theme is the central idea or message the writer wants to convey—for example, poverty, loneliness, courage, or corruption. A strong theme makes the script meaningful and allows the audience to reflect on real issues in their society.

Characters

Characters are the people who drive the story forward. Every script needs:

• Protagonist – the main character who pursues a goal
• Antagonist – the opposing force (person, situation, or institution) that creates conflict

Conflict

Conflict is the clash between opposing forces that creates tension and drives the story. Without conflict, a story has no purpose. There are six types of conflict:

1. Character vs. self
2. Character vs. character
3. Character vs. society
4. Character vs. supernatural
5. Character vs. technology
6. Character vs. nature

Plot

Plot is the arrangement of events in a story. Plots can be:

• Chronological – events told in time order
• Achronological – events told out of order using flashback or foreshadowing

Dramatic Structure

Scripts typically follow a three-act structure:

• Act I (Exposition) – introduces characters, setting, and conflict
• Act II (Confrontation) – the protagonist faces obstacles
• Act III (Resolution) – the conflict is resolved

Screenplay (Film and Television)

A screenplay tells a story through pictures and dialogue. It uses six basic format elements:

Example of screenplay format:

EXT. KIGAMBONI BEACH – SUNSET

Aisha walks along the shoreline, her feet leaving prints in the wet sand. The ocean waves crash behind her.

AISHA
(talking to herself)
I never thought it would end like this.

She stops and looks at the horizon.

Stage Play

A stage play is written for live theatre performance. Key formatting elements include:

• List of characters – names and brief descriptions
• Acts and scenes – divisions of the play
• Stage directions – instructions in italics describing actions, setting, and movement
• Character names – bolded and indented before dialogue
• Dialogues, monologues, and soliloquies – character's spoken words

Example of stage play format:

ACT ONE
Scene One

[Setting: A modest house in Kigoma. MAMA RAHMA is sweeping the floor. FATHER JOHN enters, looking worried.]

FATHER JOHN:
(holding a letter)
Rahma, we have a problem. The school fees for the children have increased again.

MAMA RAHMA:
(stopping her work)
What? But we already struggling to feed them!

Radio Play

A radio play relies entirely on sound since the audience cannot see the action. Key elements include:

• Title and writer – on the cover page
• List of characters – with their statuses
• Location – described through sound and narration
• Sound effects (SFX) – written in capitals (e.g., DOG BARKING, CAR HORN)
• Dialogue – the main content
• Narration/voice over – provides context and background
• Epilogue – concludes the story and credits the crew

Example of radio play format:

TITLE: MWENGE WA HOPE
WRITER: Asha Mohamed

CHARACTERS:
- AMINA – a young mother
- FATHER FRANCIS – community leader

[LOCATION: VILLAGE MARKET – MORNING]

[SFX: CROWD CHATTERING, ROOSTER CROWS]

NARRATOR:
Asubuhi hii, Amina alikuwa sokoni kununua mboga...

AMINA:
(mcheerful)
Jambo mama, bei ya tomatoes ni ngapi leo?

Screenplay Principles

• Describe what the camera sees (sight and sound)
• Write in present tense
• Show emotions through action, not narration
• Write to be made, not just to be read

Stage Play Principles

• Dialogue is the primary tool (characters "argue, shout, and monologue")
• Limited locations are common
• Stage directions guide actors and directors

Radio Play Principles

• Rely on sound effects and dialogue to create imagery
• Develop distinctive character voices
• Use pacing to build tension
• Follow the format: dialogues indented and numbered, SFX in capitals

In Tanzania, scriptwriting skills are directly useful when participating in school drama competitions like the National Drama Festivals, creating content for community radio dramas on health or social issues, or writing scripts for local television productions such as those aired on TVT and TBC. For example, a student could write a 10-minute radio drama about water scarcity in their village and submit it to a local radio station for broadcast—applying the same formatting and storytelling techniques taught in this topic.