How is radio put together?

NPR's "On the Media," Pulling Back the Curtain

Writing for the ear

Writing for print versus writing for radio

1: The New York Times

"Rescues Continue in Texas; Millions Without Power"

2: NPR

"Hunt is On for Generations, Gasoline in Houston"

One thought per sentence

Just write one thought per sentence
Even put each sentence on its own line
This is not a place for run-on sentences
The most effective way to trim long sentences is to look for those yellow flags that signal you are trying to cram too many ideas into one sentence
Watch for connector words such as “and,” “but” and “or.”
Be attentive to your use of commas and introductory clauses
Keep your sentences simple ― subject/verb/object
Stick to one thought per sentence
You’ll write shorter

Be Concise

Budget for three words per second
There may not be enough time so read the sentences aloud and ask yourself, “Is there a way I could say this more simply?”
Make each word count
Think: Could I say this more economically?
You’ll know a sentence is too long if you find yourself running out of air before you finish it or taking a huge gulp of air to get the whole thing out or taking a breath halfway through.
An effective sentence written for the ear should be able to be said in one normal breath. So, a good way to identify a long sentence is to read it out loud.

Active Verbs

Be descriptive with your verbs
- Walking? Strolling, Strutting, Swaggering, Running
- This saves you from becoming overly flowery with adjectives
The best sentence structure when writing for the ear is subject (someone) / verb (doing) / object (something)
- Sentences constructed this way put emphasis on the action ― on the verb (someone does something)
- Verbs are the most important words in writing for the ear
- Strong action verbs can almost eliminate the need for adjectives and they can make your prose vigorous, streamlined and energetic.
Passive voice (structured as object/verb/subject)is the opposite of good writing.
- That’s something being done to someone-The doer of the action disappears in that construction
- We don’t think in passive voice and we don’t speak in passive voice, so we shouldn’t write in passive voice.
- e.g. Why was the road crossed by the chicken?

Say what you mean

Be yourself, use your own words
Avoid jargon and clichés
If you need to use, make sure to explain it.
Avoid acronyms
Use words you’re likely to use
Use contractions
Avoid tongue twisters

Telling Detail

Synecdoche
Find those important descriptors
Resist the impulse to pile on descriptive words
- Ask yourself, “Is there a single telling detail I can use to paint a picture in the reader’s mind?”
Use analogies in place of precise measurements: “The size of a football field”

Logic

Do these sentences flow and make sense?
Think of how someone would think this topic through
Would someone unfamiliar with this topic be able to follow this thread.
The listener only gets one chance. There is no rewind.
Avoid homonyms: Police at the scene say they’ve seen two men behaving strangely.
Be direct, avoiding the use of clauses.
Round up figures: Nearly 15000

The Ending

From Poynter's "Writing for the Ear"

Forward endings

Endings that point to the future show where things are headed. They present one or more possible paths the characters in a story might take. So, you might describe a dilemma that a character has or a decision he or she has made and save the “what next” for the end.

Future-looking endings are a great approach because they help listeners feel satisfied by putting them ahead of the news. Future-looking endings offer another great benefit: They’re a way to cultivate story ideas. One story’s ending might be another’s beginning.

Image Endings

Image endings often work better than most. They describe a scene ― specifically, a “parting shot” ― with description and detail. These endings work best for scene-driven stories, and they usually require a lot of reporting. The idea is to focus on a single detail, something small that stands for something big, and describe it in a short but descriptive fashion.

Circular endings

These endings loop back to where they began. They can provide a sense of closure and completeness. To craft this kind of ending, look at the point the last person is making, look at their actualities and think about how to wrap things up from there. Is there a way to echo the words? Something they’re saying that I can build off of?

So-what endings

Whereas image endings present something concrete that stands for a bigger issue, “so-what” endings raise the level of abstraction, introducing themes previously untouched but symbolized by the rest of the story.

Echo endings

With echo endings, you look at the last words in the final interview in the piece, and echo some word, phrase or idea in your ending. Ask yourself: Is there a way to echo the words? Something they’re saying that I can build off of? Echo endings sound good, but they’re kind of a gimmick. They should be reserved for when you’re on a tight deadline.

Surprise and discovery endings

Surprise is an incredibly powerful tool in audio. It might be tempting to apply this technique to your endings. This is something I’d caution against, except in special cases.

Surprise is the lifeblood of radio, but throwing a curve ball at the end can confuse an audience. Rather than leaving them satisfied, frustration results. I recommend introducing surprise early and often, when it can be used as a hook. Twists can occur in the last third of a piece, when there’s still time for a final resolution or explanation.

The Mouth Edit

You have to read aloud what you have written, part of the process
What matters is what is said, not what is written.
Tips for re-reading:
- Read the first two sentences of your script to yourself
- If the script is properly formatted, the sentences will be on separate lines with narrow margins
- You should be able to take them in with a single glance, like taking a sip of water
- Now look up from your script and say the lines without looking back at the page
- Don’t recite the lines; say them as if they were just coming out of your mouth in conversation
- Now listen to what you said and compare that to what was written on your page.
- Any discrepancies? Adjust the script
- The ultimate arbiter of what you voice is what feels comfortable in your mouth. That’s why it’s called a mouth edit.

Just Be Yourself! :)