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Craft of Writing

George W. Bateson

Writing For The Ear
Crafting Short Stories for Radio

While in the United States and many other countries news, news-related talk shows, or music are the mainstay of radio, in other countries (in particular, the United Kingdom) radio broadcasts include stories, plays, and dramas as well as the “other stuff.” In fact, each afternoon at 3.30 (U.K. time), some 340,000 listeners tune into British Broadcasting Company (BBC) Radio 4 to hear Afternoon Reading, a fifteen-minute programme devoted to the short story.

The Reading Unit of the BBC accepts English language submissions for this programme from anywhere in the world, and all receive equal consideration. But before you grab that mouse to check the BBC Web site for guidelines (see details below), you should be aware that the standards are very high, so a word or two about writing specifically for this medium might be in order. Especially as many of the same rules could apply to any piece of  “very short fiction.”

Tips On Writing Short Stories For Radio Write for the ear Keep plots uncomplicated Descriptions should be short and accurate Dialogue must be crisp and relevant Above all, remember to write for the listener and not the reader Write For The Ear I started writing stories for the radio simply by sending off some I had written for magazines, only to be told (quickly and politely) that writing for radio is to hear what has been written and not see it. Writing for radio does not mean learning new rules of grammar or changing the basic methods used when writing short stories, plays, or general/news items. What it does entail is a re-evaluation of those rules to suit the medium. Stories produced for the printed page are meant for the eye, whereas stories produced for radio are meant for the ear. Short stories written for radio are meant to be whispered directly into the ear of the listener. Even though it may be listened to by many, it is still a very personal affair. For this reason, stories in the first person are particularly appealing. They heighten this intimacy between the storyteller and the listener. They should be written as a letter meant for that one person alone to savor. You want to have each listener believe you wrote the story just for him or her. Plot Plot, of course, is the most important part of any story. Due to the small time slot, the BBC suggests stories of 1900 to 2000 words. So, as with any piece of very short fiction, the plot should be simple. There just isn’t the time to go for a "War and Peace" with all its complications and a cast of thousands. Also, when listening, rather than reading, an uncomplicated plot is much easier to follow. A plot that is complicated will probably cause the listener to miss parts, lose track of what is happening, and then become agitated and switch off. The simpler the plot, and the fewer characters to keep track of, the easier it will be for the listener to sit back, relax, and enjoy it. Descriptions As with any piece of very limited word count, descriptions should be concise but accurate. You want the listener to “see” the story, to close their eyes as they listen and follow the mental movie you have created for them. But to do this, you must make sure they see the right things. It is simply not enough to say, for example, “That tree over there.” Better to say “That oak tree over there," so that the listener gets a better picture. True, your story will be read by a professional, and it is he or she who will, by tone of voice and pauses, pump the life blood into your work, making it believable and, most of all, enjoyable to the listener. But they will only be able to read what you have written and no amount of talent by the reader can substitute for vague descriptions. Dialogue Dialogue is important to any story but when writing for radio, or any very short piece, it is vital. The BBC short story slot has an emphasis on narrative-based material, so dialogue has to be kept to the minimum required to move the action forward. When dialogue is on the written page, the start of a new paragraph normally means one speaker has stopped and another started. This, however, is not so clear when broadcast. However, a monotonous “he said, she said” or “said Julie, said Jim” will no doubt have any listener sighing with impatience and flicking to another channel. So try to give clues within the dialogue as to who is speaking.         “Please, Jim, don’t do that.”         “But, Julie, I must.” Put It To The Test Remember—your audience will hear what you have written, not see it. When you have finished your piece, try reading it into a tape recorder. When you play it back, close your eyes and see if a movie unfolds in your mind’s eye. If you can see it that way, then get it dispatched to the radio station, and hopefully let everyone else "see" what you have written. Additional Reading Guidelines for the BBC’s Afternoon Reading and other programmes can be found at http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/writing/.  On the menu for Radio Guidelines, click Entertainment, then click The Readings Unit for Short Stories. Shaun MacLoughlin. Writing For Radio: How to Write Plays, Features, and Short Stories That Get You on Air. Oxford: How To Books, Limited, 1998. Available at Amazon.com for $19.95 About the Author George W. Bateson was born in England, where he still lives with his wife Marjorie. He has had articles and short stories published in various magazines and newspapers and has had material broadcast on BBC local radio. He contributes a regular feature in a U.K. quarterly magazine and, at the moment, is working on a crime genre novel.