We’re continuing our weekly spotlight series with writer/producer Nakia Stephens! Nakia Stephens is one of the content creators you should keep your eyes on because she writes and creates realistic content that you will have you questioning your life choices!

 

When we visit your site, “Dame Write,” you see words like “DOPENESS” – “Factory of fascinating stories meant to intrigue, disturb, and enchant” with such word play, you seem heavily inspired by Hip-hop. How does music influence the stories that you write and the stories you tell?

NAKIA: “Damn Write Originals is a factory of stories meant to intrigue, disturb, and enchant.” This simply means that I want the projects we create to spark a light; whether people feel angry, sad, happy, or justified I want whatever I write to make people FEEL SOMETHING.

Though Music helps me get in my zone, I am heavily inspired by all forms of Art. Painting, Poetry, Music, Writing, Film, etc. I appreciate the stories within everything and I feel that “Stories” are what ultimately drive me to do what I do; being able to give a voice to stories that may otherwise remain untold.

 

How did you develop your writing voice and what are the things that motivate the content you make?

NAKIA:  Many things motivate the content I create. I feel my travels, various social circles, and numerous ( and sometimes peculiar) adventures and life experiences really helped me to develop my writing voice. I feel that I have experienced so much within my short 22 years of journeying: I grew up during one of the most prominent times of Atlanta Black culture, Spent summers in the country town of Macon, Georgia picking peaches with my grandmother, attended an HBCU that suffered through plenty racial controversies during my matriculation,  lived in Ghana for 6 months where I grew closer to my roots, studied in Shanghai and Beijing for 2 months, and worked in one of East Los Angeles’ most gang invested areas as the only black woman in a 98% Latino School, just to name a few.

I feel that all of these different experiences have gifted me with a new story to tell, each new person I’ve met along my journey has gifted me with pieces of their personalty to have forever.
Some things I do to keep my writing fresh is take a short hiatus between episodes or scenes in order to “People Watch”. I like to listen to people when they react to their friends or watch couples as they interact with each other. I also like to spark up conversations with total strangers; this gives me different perspectives, real reactions, and sincere character traits to use when developing the various characters for my projects (which is one of my favorite parts of the writing process).

 

1521696_10153640169715717_423016605_nWhat is the hardest thing about writing a successful webseries and what are some of the things that you could do to keep the writing fresh?

NAKIA: The hardest thing about writing a successful web series is keeping it fresh and realistic. I find myself going back through my scripts and asking myself “Would someone really say this?” or “Would someone really react this way?”. When I write, I aim for my content to be real and I want my work to trigger “thinking” which in turn leads to action. My first web series “Life Under Construction” is actually set to premier on our Youtube Channel December 21st of this year and we are excited!

 

How does the Writer in you balance the Producer?

NAKIA:  Being both Producer and Writer for a project is tricky! I love to do both but the writer in me and the producer in me sometimes don’t get along. The writer in me just wants to write and be left alone but the producer in me knows that I must handle problems with actors, make sure we are sticking to the budget, manage locations, etc. It’s very hard sometimes, but I make it work!

Storytelling is important to me, it’s my calling and purpose. Though we all have different paths, I believe we are still connected as humans. The stories we share give us that understanding and gentle reminder that “We are more alike than we are different”. As a story collector, I promise to sprinkle a little of every story I’ve ever grasped and every person I’ve ever encountered all over this world. Towards better understanding, social justice, humanity, and cultural reconstruction. This is my purpose.

 

Give us some info on your upcoming web series launching on December 21st.

NAKIA: “Life Under Construction” surrounds the  experiences of Sunday Armstrong and her friends Isis, Bianca, Sean and Nick, as they comically deal with Life’s drastic growing pains. This web series gives an hilarious peek into the World of these “Twenty Something’s” as they share lessons learned after experiencing odd jobs to pay rent, the relapse of “on again off again” celibacy pacts, new found friendships, and the many uncertainties of being young, ambitious, and optimistic in a dog eat dog world. This “Keep it 100” dramedy series delivers the trials and tribulations that many young adults experience today. They are all in their twenties, they are all trying to make it. Most of all, they depend on each other for support as they “get their shit together”.

 

Thanks Nakia for sharing your story with us! Make sure to follow her on Twitter and subscribe to her website DamnWRITEOriginals.com.

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