Scripting Your Podcast

IN THIS ARTICLE

• “The best ad-libs are scripted”
• Script mechanics
• 3 Tips to make your scripts sound better

By Jonathan Halls

When you write for audio podcasts, you are writing for the ear.  This requires a different way of thinking than writing for publication.

One of the differences between written and oral communication is that written communication is often more formal.

We tend to spend more time getting the grammar right when we write an article for a magazine or a report for the boss.

But in conversation, we tend to break a lot of rules.  And no-one cares.  Confuse a tense or mix a metaphor in a written article, and you’ll be chased by the grammar-nazis.

But for speech, you only get complaints if you’re broadcasting on a BBC station.

Scripts Should Be Conversational

Non-written communication is more like a conversation and less like written content.  So to be truly effective, we need to follow more closely the rules for speaking than the rules for writing.

This is fundamental if you want your listeners to quickly and easily understand what you have to say.

I’ve seen many new podcasters and radio broadcasters write scripts based on the essay writing rules they learned at school.

As a result, their podcasts sounded formal, unnatural and boring.  To start with, these folks used more words than most.  And they searched deeper in their dictionaries for words that lasted longer than a yawn.

If you want people to listen to you, understand you and remember you; don’t write scripts that are like school essays.  Don’t write scripts as if they’re a management report.

Avoid writing in a formal style and adopt a conversational tone.  Imagine you’re in conversation around the office water cooler or at a coffee shop after work, and write as if you are in that conversation.

Layout for podcast scripts

The purpose of a script is to help you sound natural.  So you need to lay your script out in a way that makes it as easy to read as possible.

Always type your script in a serif font and lower case letters. Lower case letters are easier for your eye to read as eyes tend to recognize the word shapes.

If you write your whole script in capitals, your eye needs to read each letter individually before you recognize the word.

I recommend you use capitals on words where you know you want to slow down, or difficult words you need to be careful with such as names or words from other languages.

Include a margin and double space your lines. This allows space to underline words you wish to highlight or draw lines that help you recognize phrases such as the slur mark used in music manuscripts.

Type your script so that the column of text is about 10 to 12 centimeters as this makes it easier for your eye to find the next line as you read.

3 Tips for Making Your Scripts Sound Better

So how do you write scripts that are conversational?  Focus on:

• Words – make them short, visual and easy to recognize.
• Sentences – make them short and crisp.
• Sound – choose words and construct sentences to draw your listener in

You’ll find specific tips for each of these in separate articles on this site.