For this week’s Programming To Win column, Pat Welsh looks at the importance of writing when it comes to your on-air content. Welsh passes on some of the advice directed at writers and suggests ways it can easily apply to radio as well.
By Pat Welsh
I’ve always enjoyed writing, and I constantly try to find ways to not only do it, but to improve it. So, from time to time I read books or articles so I can learn from people who write for a living. Each time it strikes me how much of this advice is applicable to radio. Writing is at the core of much of what we do, from the mundane behind-the-scenes things such as creating promotional proposals, to writing promo and sweeper copy, or prepping for our own on-air shows.
Several of the books that I’ve read recently – each coming at it from a different point of view – provide practical advice on how we can improve our writing and presentation. Below are some of the lessons that apply equally well to radio. I’ve also included the names of some books and their authors.
- “Write about real people”– This comes from Make Your Words Work by Gary Prevost, a freelance writer of fiction and magazine articles. Prevost goes on to say, “The basic reason that people go the movies, watch television and read…is to see, to hear…other people.” He does a good job of summarizing the approach that air personalities should take. Listeners are more interested in hearing about people than they are about surveys, trends or general concepts. Often I hear morning shows talk about the latest survey on a particular lifestyle topic. That’s fine for introducing the subject – it’s a good excuse to bring it up – but turn it into something about people. “Tell me a story,” another author said. Don’t tell me about a survey, tell me the story of a person that has experienced that situation, problem or dilemma.
- “Get to the point” – Sell the benefit, and do it fast. This applies to anything we’re going to put on the air. Listeners don’t care about a promotion or an appearance; they care about what’s in it for them. Furthermore, one of the harsh lessons of the PPM is that you only have a few seconds to engage listeners. If they don’t hear a clear benefit – the chance to win a prize, an entertaining topic, a good laugh, etc. – they won’t stick around.
- “Dialog should reveal character, not be a transcript of a conversation” – This is more important advice from Make Your Words Work that can be directed at on-air talent. Prevost bluntly advises writers to “cut out the boring parts” of conversations. This is also applies to editing audio, especially phone calls. Sound bites and phoners should be cut down to the essential elements. Save the core of the call or clip to drive home the point. Create your own concise intro and outro to wrap around the audio, ensuring maximum effectiveness.
- “Write the way you talk” – This was one of many fundamental concepts from A Writer’s Coach by Jack Hart, who coaches the writers for a major daily newspaper. Hart sounds like a PD coaching talent. Hart’s perspective is as a journalist, but most of his advice easily translates to other forms of writing. Another wonderful book, Death Sentences by Don Watson, advises writer’s to “cut out the weasel words” (e.g. don’t say “issues” when you mean “problems”). Watson is merciless on government officials, academics and business people who use impenetrable language instead of telling people clearly what they mean. Hart and Watson both advise people to write (and speak) using simple words not jargon. In short, sue words to inform and entertain, not to impress.
- “Write down everything – You might need it someday” – That line comes from The Everything Guide To Comedy Writing by Mike Bent, but the idea of keeping a writer’s notebook has been mentioned in every book I’ve read. Each of the authors suggested strongly recommended archiving all ideas. Some advocated simple note taking in your smartphone; others talked about elaborate systems of loose leaf binders. I’ll endorse whatever system works for you. Whether you’re a PD writing imaging, or a morning show personality prepping topics, don’t let a good idea – even a simple one – escape. It doesn’t matter if you’ve only have the germ of an idea, or you’ve started to map out a more developed story or bit. Even if it’s not ready for prime drive time now, saving it for later review is a great way to build a bank of ideas ffr the inevitable dry spells.
- “Use the right sounds” – Interestingly, books as diverse as A Writer’s Coach and The Everything Guide To Comedy both talked about the sounds of words. The former is oriented towards the printed page, while the latter is aimed at comedy performances, but both stress the importance of sound. Common concepts included using hard consonant sounds (both books mentioned words that have the “k” sound), alliteration (“common concepts”), and the importance of rhythm and pace in what a reader reads or an audience hears.
- “Trust the script” – Here’s more good advice from The Everything Guide To Comedy Writing. I read this book not because I wanted to learn stand up, but because of the strong connection between writing and performing. I believe that scripted content – whether live pieces done from detailed notes or fully-scripted and recorded parodies – still belongs on the air. Starting in the 90s, we moved away from scripted bits as many morning shows followed Howard Stern into the “reality radio” world. Frankly, a lot of talent can’t pull off the all-talk approach without sounding self-indulgent. On the other hand, good scripted material, by definition, will have a beginning, middle and end. A few laughs and a focus on payoffs is – and always has been – a strong recipe for entertaining content.
Each of the how-to books stresses how much work needs to go into good writing. It’s not a gift; it’s a craft. Each book has examples of brainstorming exercises, techniques for strengthening your writing, and tips on breaking writer’s block. Most of these suggestions apply to what we do in radio, whether it’s writing liners or prepping for the next day’s morning show.
The link between writing and performing is so strong that picking up a book or reading an online article about writing will pay off for any programmer or personality. And great on-air payoffs are what great radio is all about.
Pat Welsh, Senior Vice President/Digital Content, Pollack Media Group, can be reached at 310 459-8556, fax: 310-454-5046, or at pat@pollackmedia.com.
