I’m a Ghanaian-Scottish woman with a flair for writing and storytelling, but I was pushed back from getting into the creative industries due to the lack of proper representation, and so I decided to study a masters in Screenwriting. I chose to study at Edinburgh Napier University after speaking to others who had studied the course and I just knew Edinburgh Napier would be the right fit for me.
“The course really put me through my paces and properly prepared me for the ups and downs of the industry.”
The key skills I learned whilst studying the course were very much how to bear the pressure of a time crunch, especially when doing very cerebral work in the creative field. The course really put me through my paces and properly prepared me for the ups and downs of the industry. I got a feel for the lay of the land in TV and film in Scotland and the UK, which has been invaluable! Writing-wise, this course gave me the time and pushed me to really learn the craft, particularly structure and format, which has also been incredibly useful – I’m currently working on a top secret project and I had to come up with a whole new structure and format and I could not have done this without the training I got from the MA. I was also able to get a mentor and his mentorship been amazing for me.
I’ve got so many great experiences from studying at Edinburgh Napier, including networking with peers on the same level as me and with industry professionals. Another highlight would be getting to write one of the graduate films and watching it at the Filmhouse. I also won the Glasgow Short Film Festival Short Film Pitch competition in 2019 for my short script Exotic which was a great experience at university. Getting to watch the final episode of Good Omens with Douglas McKinnon and hearing him speak gave us great insight and the industry day at the end of trimester two was definitely another highlight.
“I absolutely wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing without this degree. Other than the skills, it gave me a community of other screenwriters in my class”
Since finishing university, I developed a short script ‘Her Midas Touch’ which I submitted to Short Circuit was shortlisted and now in development, and I have another short script in pre-production. I’m working on a top-secret project with the director/producer Stewart Kyasimire and I’m a founding member of a Black theatre group and we’re currently writing a play together. I’ve also been commissioned to write articles for publications and I’m a contributing editor for a new literary magazine called Epoch Press!
I absolutely wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing without this degree. Other than the skills, it gave me a community of other screenwriters in my class, and the confidence to even think I could make it in the industry as a Black creative. I couldn’t recommend the MA Screenwriting course highly enough.
“Keep pushing, keep working on your craft, keep networking and putting yourself out there!”
My advice to anyone studying this course is you definitely need patience! But keep pushing, keep working on your craft, keep networking and putting yourself out there! Stay in touch with your peers from the course and continue to critique each other’s work and eventually, opportunities will present themselves and everything will fall into place.
Read Lorna’s article for Black Ballad here.