Godwin Okojie II

Hello, everyone! Wow, it has been quite the week since I started launching this website, and I can say that my writing life has gotten better!

But a big turning point for me happened on September 12th, 2024, which will always be known as the day I had my first Student Filmmaker Association meeting.

Before I dive into why this day was so pivotal for me, let me give you some background to put it all in perspective.

THE BEGINNING

I have been wanting to be a screenwriter for six to seven years now, since after I published the 2017 edition of October Johnson and the Secret of the Old Factory. I wanted to get my books on the big and small screen.

So I tried to write scripts featuring October Johnson—even giving him superpowers before my Auntie Cynthia strongly advised me to focus on different characters. (More on that in a future blog post!) But I couldn’t finish them, whether it was with October Johnson or the other characters.

Then, a couple of years later, a sermon from my church—as well as a suggestion from my mom gave me an idea, to write about William Tyndale.

Didn’t even make it to the drafting stage!

THE CALL TO ADVENTURE

Flashforward all the way to September 4th, 2024, the day I was attending SMU’s Night at the Club (the event where all of the student organizations were gathering) and I was looking for the Poetry Club with a new friend of mine, and we just so happened to encounter this student who was part of the Student Filmmaker Association.

A few minutes later, I went up to the table and introduced myself to Juan, the president of the club. He explained to me briefly about what the association would entail, filmmaking, film production, which would include screenwriting, so I could get help with projects!

I filled out the interest form, joined the club digitally a few days later, and I got an email with the first meeting date of the SFA!

Thank God I found that student. Without that moment, I would have left the event feeling more lost and discouraged about my future in screenwriting and my writing career in general!

A NEW BEGINNING

That’s where I’m returning to where I left off, talking about September 12th. Aside from difficulties finding the room, the club meeting was excellent! At least 15 to 20 people showed up for the meeting!

I met quite a bit of people, and I found out that several of them also wanted to write scripts! I already have one person’s phone number, and he is willing to read any scripts that I write this semester!

The club, as far as screenwriting goes, is mostly focused on short film scripts, unless I get told otherwise.

Which, I got to be admit, had me thrown when I heard because I thought I would be working on longer scripts than that!

But then…it hit me. Maybe that was part of the reason why I could never finish a script.

Because I was trying to do the screenwriting equivalent of trying to write a novel or even a novella when I hadn’t even finished a short story yet.

I had to DREAM SMALL. In my excitement to create something big, I overlooked the importance of mastering the fundamentals first.

It’s easy to get caught up in ambitious goals and big projects, but sometimes that’s what stalls progress. By focusing on something smaller—something achievable—I can build confidence, learn the craft, and develop the discipline to complete bigger projects later on. I realized I had to dream small first to accomplish something bigger down the road.

Starting small doesn’t mean thinking less of myself or my abilities. Instead, it’s about recognizing that great work often begins with mastering the basics. It’s about setting myself up for success, one manageable step at a time. Finishing a short film script will allow me to grow as a writer and, eventually, tackle the larger screenwriting projects I’ve always dreamed of.

A NEW STORY IDEA

So ever since, I had been wracking my brain, thinking about what short story, that I already wrote, could I turn into a short film script.

But then I remembered that I wanted my first screenplay that I finished to be faith-based, and that’s when I came up with this POWERFUL idea.

Instead of reaching for an overly ambitious project, I decided to focus on a story that is both personal and meaningful to me.

I’m going to adapt my moment of getting baptized, my moment of declaration of my Christianity when I was in 4th grade, into a short film!

This would be my way of honoring God! Of acknowledging that HE is the reason why I have my gift of writing in the first place!

My way of seeking God and his kingdom before I write any other screenplay so that everything else would be added!

I’m excited to begin this journey and share it with you all. I pray this project not only helps me grow as a writer but also blesses others and inspires them in their own faith and creative pursuits. Stay tuned for updates on my progress—I can’t wait to see where this leads!