Writing scripts
I’m not talking about screenplays or teleplays or even radio scripts. I’m talking about scripts for podcasts, presentations, speeches, instructional material, and the like. It sounds simple: write a few lines here and there, and pretend that you’re speaking directly to the audience.
In fact, it’s not that easy at all. Writing these kinds of scripts is difficult, but you can master that skill. And it’s definitely a useful skill to have.
Here are a few tips for writing effective scripts.
Outline and structure
As with any other kind of writing, planning is the key to creating a successful script. Start with an outline. Build your key points and arguments. Then, put them into a structure. Write section and subsection titles. Move the elements of the outline around until you have the optimal structure. Then, start your research and writing in earnest.
Keep it tight
No one wants to listen to a long-winded dissertation or diatribe. Rambling on will cause your audience to lose interest — a cardinal sin.
Try to write as concisely as possible without losing the flavour of what you’re trying to get across. Don’t take shortcuts –like writing “based on application status” instead of the more natural “based on the status of the application” — but only use the number of words that is actually needed.
Keep things interesting and lively
Write as you speak. Don’t use the passive, and feel free to toss in the occasional turn of phrase or jokey allusion. But don’t be too facetious. Have fun, but don’t treat your subject matter like it’s a joke.
Show your passion
If you’re not passionate about the subject, you won’t be able to make a connection with your audience. The passion has to come out in your script. How well you do it depends on how you use the language.
But don’t be insincere. My business partner and I constantly say that you can’t fake passion. And if you try, or try too hard to show your passion, then some or all of your audience will see through you. This is as bad as not having any passion, or not enough of it.
Edit and rewrite
Not much needs to be said about that, does it? Editing and rewriting will help to keep things tight and maintain a good flow.
Tone
As I mentioned earlier, you don’t want to sound like you’re treating the subject matter lightly. Remember to take what you’re talking about seriously. That doesn’t mean that you need to adopt a portentous tone. Have fun, keep it natural. Throw in the occasional bit of humour, but do so sparingly.
Make your transitions smooth
A sudden jump is jolting and confusing to the listener. The key phrase to remember here is smooth segue. Just as you would in an article or essay or story, add a linking paragraph or sentence. If you have to, make the transition obvious.
For example, earlier this year my business partner and I did a presentation on podcasting in the enterprise. One portion of the presentation touched on some successful podcasts, and why they were successful. The section following that covered the keys to a successful enterprise podcast. To smooth the transition between the two sections, we wrote “You’re probably starting to see a definite pattern forming here.” Trust me, it reads better in context of the script than it does here.
Closing thoughts
Writing any kind of non-fiction script takes a lot of work and a lot of practice. There’s a lot going on, and the tips that I’ve outlined above definitely don’t cover everything that you need to know and do.
They key, though, is practice. Keep writing and keep analyzing and critiquing your work. Eventually, it will get better.
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