#Blog Alert Writing for Audio Podcasts.

  Writing for Podcast is different than writing for print.  You're writing for the ear, not the eye.  Your listener has to get what you are trying to say first time round. 

Technically they can play back a small section of your recording, but for me, unless it is something vital, I just don't bother.

So you want to grab their attention and then hold onto it for as long as possible.  When you write feature stories the power of the narrative is on your side to help you achieve this.

The Interview

Only record what you need, always go to an interview with a clear idea of the purpose of that interview.  When you are back listening to that recording keep a raw copy of the recording then save rough selections (save as selection) of the audio you maybe want to use.  Make sure you title each saved selection with a number and what the selection is.

Numbers really help as you can make notes about individual cuts and use the number of the cut in the script, that makes it easier to put the jigsaw of your production together.

The Structure

Drop me into the story, grab my attention.  Plan the order of your cuts and write the narration around them.  All stories have a beginnings, middles and ends.

The Intro

An introduction should put a story into context and might be used as the start of all the episodes.  You still have to make this engaging and lead your listener into the story.  Remember it can take just a one finger swipe to end your Podcast and move onto the next.

Back to the story

Draw the listener in with scene setting, maybe ask a question, a short piece of interesting production music or FX, introduce me to a character.  Add mystery and suspense and scene changers to move a story along.

The Last Word

Don't leave your listener mid-air - the last word should usually come from you.  A conclusion or a tease to the next episode.  Then you can sign-off.