Audio may lack visuals, but that absence is what makes it so intimate. Without images, considerations around voice, tone, narrative arc and pacing are all the more crucial. While audio is well suited to everything from investigative reporting to fictional drama, it’s important to engage listeners’ imaginations during your show. You can do this by good writing and vivid descriptions to paint pictures in people’s minds. And use the characteristics of good storytelling — fleshed-out characters, conflict, resolution — to keep your audience engaged.
Storytelling
Narrative, tension & characters
Tips & Tricks
Good audio stories start with concise, clear writing. Pretend you’re making a movie – what scenes are we going to “see” and how is one going to lead to another? One way of planning a series is to be guided by how each episode ends, making sure you create motivation for a person to listen to the next one.Audio is powerful at creating a sense of time and space, but not so good at conveying dense amounts of information. Listeners will remember characters over anything else so spend time describing them, their environments and their actions.Burning Question
How do I keep listeners interested? You need to identify the challenges for your main characters and explain how they are trying to overcome them. It’s hard to create conflict in non-fiction when it isn’t there, but dramatic moments will keep listeners engaged.Common Mistake
Expecting a perfect ending. You’re never going to get the perfect ending, but you need to start thinking about the conclusion from the very start. You need to imagine what type of (lesser) ending would still be satisfying to a listener.Links
- Article: The Power of Storytelling in Podcasting: Engage, Entertain, and Educate Your Listeners
- Video: Mastering the Art of Storytelling as a Podcast Guest
- Article: The Power of Storytelling in Podcasting
TIPS from OUR Network
- See if you can write down your story idea in one sentence. It helps clarify things.
- Study the art of a good cliffhanger.