Why should you as a visitor to TVWriter™ be interested in making audio fiction? Why should you be interested in making podcasts? Discoverability, that’s why.
The meaning of the word podcast is evolving to include any episodic, audio-only production whether nonfiction or fiction. Agents and major studios are now trawling through podcasts looking for new content and talent.
In this installment of her web series writing tips, Stephanie Bourbon hits us with one of the most important – yet little known – elements successful TV and film writers use – writing from the POV of the actors who will be saying our words. And guess what? It works for writing fiction intended for publication as well.
That’s right, kids, actors are more than a necessary evil. They’re the reason TV and film writers exist, and, to quote a wonderful line from a wonderful stage play, “Attention must be paid!”
Music in the podcast provided by: https://filmmusic.io
“The Builder” by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
PAY ATTENTION!
Why should you be interested in making audio fiction? Why should you be interested in making podcasts? Discoverability, that’s why.
Since college I’ve had a folder on my laptop called “Be Professional,” where I keep the various versions of my resume, my professional headshots (a thing I never thought I’d need), my business card InDesign file, and my cover letter templates.
Since childhood, I’ve had a pretty clear understanding of what my professional path would be. It was gonna be great- I’d go to a small liberal arts college somewhere in Oregon or Washington, graduate with a creative writing degree, write novels, and work as a barista until I was published.
It’s misleading to say that was always the plan, I guess. I had a brief flirtation with law school after my first year doing speech and debate in high school, and I dabbled with graphic design because I was an early (and young) adopter of Photoshop and rudimentary web design. In both cases the plan was still to be a published novelist (and maybe YouTuber- John Green I’m comin’ for ya), but I knew I needed a survival job that paid well in the meantime.
Stephanie Bourbon is right on target once again with excellent advice on a subject that just may be the most necessary yet problematic skill writers need to master.
We’re talking dialog here. AKA “dialogue.” AKA good talk. So, as John Wayne so often said, “Listen up, pilgrims!”