Podcasting Tools

Radio Copywriting: Copywriting for The Ear

By Tim ‘Gonzo’ Gordon

When writing copy that’s going to be read out loud you must take an entirely different approach.

• Write the way people talk / listen
• Use phrases occasionally
• Use shorter sentences

In this case you’re encouraged to break rules, and write in both full sentences and short phrases. That’s the way people talk. In fact, anything you write for a radio or podcast commercial should be read out loud for a number of reasons:

a. to see how it sounds
b. to get the ‘feel’ for it
c. to determine it’s authenticity and accuracy
d. to see if it sounds like people actually talk
e. for length

When writing for radio (especially), length is very important. In fact, in the old days when I wrote a lot or radio commercials on the typewriter, way before word processors, we’d have special forms printed up that would have the standard 30” and 60” lengths on them so that you’d know about when you were reaching the limit of your time frame.

In podcasting, of course, it’s not that critical, but still not a bad idea. If you’re selling commercials for your podcast, and selling specific lengths, such as 30” or 60” spots (as they’re called), you should make sure that you give your clients the proper length. Nothing wrong with going over the length, but the closer you are to the actual pre-determined length the more professional you’ll sound.

How does it sound out loud? Read your copy out loud. Compare copy written for radio vs. copy written for a newspaper or magazine. Read both out loud. You’ll find that copy written for ‘print’ is usually more wordy and verbose. And when you read it, you’ll typically feel like it’s harder to read.

Writing for the ear is not necessarily an easy skill to learn. But one way to get better at it – besides the standard ‘practice, practice, practice,’ – is to listen close to how people talk. Imagine that as they’re talking, you’re writing the words down as dialogue. It’s easier to do when you’re listening to someone else have a conversation rather than when you’re taking part in it. Pay attention to phrasing.

Some people talk in complete, well-thought out sentences. Others talk in bullet points or short phrases, or combinations of all of the above.

Another way to practice writing for the ear is to read fiction with a lot of sharp dialogue. Novels, short stories, it doesn’t matter. If the writing is concise and the dialogue crisp, you’ll get a feel for it quickly.

Even though you may read a lot of fiction, unless you pay particular attention to the writing style and the way the characters talk in the story, it can pass you by quickly. Let it sink it. Read the passages a couple of times. Read some of the dialogue out loud.

Now of course, in fiction, dialogue is a stylized way of getting a character’s thoughts on paper. People don’t necessarily talk the way a writer presents it on paper. Again, you’re looking at another side of the picture: a writer’s representation of how a character might talk, based on the character’s motivation, and how the writer wants the writer’s thoughts and actions developed.

About The Author:

Tim 'Gonzo' Gordon shows you how to create professional, high-quality audio on your home computer. With 25+ years of radio production, writing and voice talent, Tim can show you how to set up a small pro studio and create audio for fun and profit.

Learn how to podcast with Podcasting Adventures Online at http://podcastingadventuresonline.com.

Learn Public Speaking and Professional Communication with Tim Gordon and Roger Pike at Communication Steroids.