Every podcast has some amount of writing. Some are entirely written ahead of time (audio stories), while others have only small parts that are scripted (interviews). Even if you're joking around with friends, you still need an introduction explaining the podcast to your listeners. Or if you are interviewing someone, you need to introduce them.
We will break down:
How to write an audio script
How to prepare for an interview
Once you've settled on a structure, your narration is what will drive the story and add context for the listener.
Ask yourself:
"How would I tell this to a friend?"
Or alternatively, "Who is my audience?" Tailor your language to your listeners.
"Excavate the essential element" - effective narration conveys the most information with the fewest words necessary
Don't forget to research. Whether you’re discussing a new medical procedure or interviewing a local historian, conduct extensive research on your topic. Explore news, academic journals, blogs, personal websites. Your research will lead to more questions to explore and interesting new insights.
Make it "sayable" - this can mean short sentences and using words that flow into one another. Try to avoid writing sentences with a lot of clauses; these will be hard to say.
Use everyday language. Define key terms based on your intended audience.
If you muddle up a word or phrase, you can repeat it without redoing your entire narration. Remember, you can cut and delete your audio later! Few reporters do only one cut of narration. Don't be afraid to record it again.
Don't over-perform emotion. Let your writing "speak" for itself.
Whether you're interviewing a single guest or leading a roundtable, you should prepare some structure to your interview. Use your research to guide the interview. Think about what surprised or amused you.
Who are you interviewing? What do you imagine as the role of their voice in the piece? Do research on your interview subject's background. Use this information to guide interview questions. Think about what part of your subject's biography you want to know more about.
Spend time brainstorming/writing out all your questions. Ask open ended questions - start questions with “How” “Why” “What” “Who” - not questions that can be answered with a yes or no answer. Generate more questions than you think you need.
Type your questions and organize them by category.
Tip: For help brainstorming interviewing questions, check out StoryCorps' Great Questions page.
Try to get the subject to tell a visual story. Orient your questions to get the richest descriptions possible. Be specific in your questions and ask the subject to clarify - “And then what happened?” “And then what did he say?” “And what did you say?” Ask questions about sensory details. Ask your interviewee to tell smaller anecdotes inside the larger story.
In the interview, conduct the interview like a conversation. Don’t ask all the questions in order. Be genuinely curious. Let there be silences - the subject will often fill in the silence with more information.
Practice with your phone or recorder (see the next section for tips). Make sure you have your questions available.