Writing for the Ear: The Final Project

Thanks to JRN 521 for joining me online to discuss the final project. You've probably already seen the parameters for story ideas that I've put down...here they are:

1. Find a controversy Something in your town, or that you know about, that has clear tension. A dispute over land-use, perhaps...a battle over noisy neighbors...a plan to shut down a town landmark. You want a story where you can find real passion on both sides of an issue.

2. Find the stakeholders Who are the people you really need to talk to if you're going to tell this story? Who is most affected? Who would be sorely missed if you did the story without them? Chart out who these people are, and come up with some ways to contact them. For our purposes, we'll want at least one character on each side of the issue, people with a clear stake in what's happening. And, we'll want at least two "outside" voices - it could be "man on the street" - getting reaction to this issue.

3. Find a scene We've heard some great scenes in class already, and I'll be sharing more examples. What we want is one of our stakeholders speaking in a place key to the story. Or, some action happening in that place. For the purpose of our exercise, look for a scene that will open the story...the first thing the audience will hear after the host intro.

4. Find your themes Even a great story has to be "framed" right for the radio. How do you want to tell your story? Whose points of view should be heard first? Who else needs to be heard? How do you work in your "outside" voices?

So, in your comments, tell me how you'd address these issues. What controversy? What stakeholders? What scene(s)? What themes? I've adjusted the comment field so you don't have to go through the google logon...but please put your name on the comment, so I can tell who you are!

Porn case raises questions for teachers

WNPR's Diane Orson is covering a rather remarkable case. A substitute teacher in Norwich, Connecticut faces up to 40 years in prison for exposing students to pornography. The thing is, many experts say she's not to blame - instead, they say, it's the school that should take the rap

This story was originally broadcast on NPR's Morning Edition.

"Your skin would feel like it's burning..."

David Kestenbaum is a great storyteller. He's a trained physicist who does science reporting because he seems to truly love putting a human face on stuffy scientists.

In this story about a new, experimental, non-lethal weapon he uses some great techniques that we can all apply to our radio reporting. He sets up the story with a "host intro" that really makes us want to listen.

Then, he starts his copy with a very simple technique...he goes back "to the beginning" where the technology was still young. He's found a way to illustrate just what the ray-gun does by using a personal experience of someone who helped build it, and who's been hit by it. We "feel" it in a way we wouldn't if the reporter just explained what he "heard" it felt like.

Spots of different spots

"Spot" News can be breaking stories, daily updates, important items, and total trivia. The idea is that these stories encapsulate what's happening right now, that radio listeners should hear. And hear quickly. For our purposes, the spot news story is no longer than 1:15.

A few examples include the sad but silly story of "The Nut Lady," a 94-year-old Connecticut resident who devoted her life to, well...nuts. It includes a few interesting, archival pieces of tape - telling the important parts of a life in a very short bit of time.

A "newsier" spot might include the elements of this story about pending legislation at the state capitol. A controversial issue, where you hear both sides of the story...again, very quickly. When we include audio in a story like this, it's a "wrap."

Here's another story, basically ripped from the day's newspaper. It's what we call a "voicer" - just a story, written by a reporter, and read as a script. There's no sound bite involved.

"Thank you for joining us this morning"

When faced with a Washington news policy piece, there's sometimes little a reporter can do to make it interesting and lively. The chances to find ambient sound, quirky events, or connections with real people are very difficult...especially under deadline. That's why I love what NPR's Andrea Seabrook did with her story "Can We Afford State of the Union Proposals?".

She uses some techniques that I wouldn't try too often, including the way she introduces the story's first character. But look at the writing, and the way she uses very conversational, non-sentences to explain...or "translate" what the subjects are saying.

The "99 Ways"

For both intriguing listening, and an excellent production lesson, take a listen to 99 Ways to Tell a Radio Story at the Third Coast International Audio Festival site. The premise is simple: Set up some basic rules about what the story should contain - but limit the production style in no other way.

This results in some straightforwardly compelling pieces, and some just downright strange ones.

Updike Manifesto Pt. 2

Part two of the Updike manifesto is a step-by-step about how to write to tape. She includes some perfect examples, and boils it down to a few key points:

~ Don't repeat the tape.
~ Let the tape have the money shot.
~ Tell listeners what they need to know to get the most out of the tape.

Updike Manifesto

One of the problems I've had in teaching "Writing for the Ear" classes in the past is finding - for lack of a better word - "inspirational" writing about radio writing. Here is part of a radio production manifesto by Nancy Updike who has done stories for This American Life among others. It gives a really good sense of how to start a radio story.

"Wailing like a lost soul..." or "Moaning like a lost spirit..."

During a new, monthly "listening lunch" at WNPR, Nancy Cohen reminded us of this amazing piece of reporting by NPR's John Burnett. It's a story about a sandstorm hitting U.S. Troops in Iraq. Listen for the evocative writing...and the few things left in that could have been left out.