BlogWalker

Muddling through the blogosphere

Writing to Be Heard (e.g., Podcasting)

| 2 Comments

I don’t know why it was not obvious to me that writing to be heard is different from writing to be read. Miguel Guhlin‘s recent post Podcasting as Writing was a huge “ah-ha” for me. I’ve already tagged and printed out the article he references by Nancy Updike. I was barely past Nancy’s statement “I had to stop writing the way I thought I should, and start writing closer to the way I think and speak; the words had to fit me, so that I could read them out loud,” when I reached for the highlighting pen and starting underlining not just the parts about “better writing through radio” but also the parts that make clear to me why I was having a hard time recording my own writing.

Writing to be heard is its own genre with its own set of rules. In a nutshell, I realize that outside of emails, I don’t write the way I speak. Hence, when the microphone is on, I stumble through my written script.

I like Miguel’s summary:

  • Think of podcasting as story-writing.
  • Hook ’em fast and hard.
  • Frontload the drama.
  • Don’t be afraid to ask the questions floating through your head during an interview.
  • Write simply

From Miguel’s and Nancy’s excellent tips, I headed over to NPR. As a commuter, I spend at least 2 hours a day in the car. A highlight of my commute is being able to catch an NPR This I Believe audio essay. Of the many I have listened to, each one draws me in, with one story as compelling as the next. The first story to pop up on the NPR site today was Living What You Do Every Day. Yep, it follows the suggestions (rules) listed above, including one Miguel did not include: “Try writing a host intro before starting to write the opening of the story.  That will help you sort out what should go in the story’s set-up, versus how the story itself should start.”

After listening to a few more from the This I Believe collection (and with a vow to listen to one-per day from now on), I’m adding a few more suggestions to the list:

  • Short sentences are good.
  • Don’t use a 25 cent word when a 5 cent one will work
  • Contractions are ok to use
  • Active verbs are easier to understand than passive
  • Highlight and mark up your script so you know which words/phrases you were intending to emphasize

Next on my do-write list: a PowerPoint on Podcasting as Genre:-)
Technorati Tags: , , ,

2 Comments

Leave a Reply

Required fields are marked *.


Skip to toolbar