5 Key Rules of Writing an Audio Drama Show
The world of fiction podcast and audio dramas for screenwriters
Have you ever wondered why you can’t stop binge-watching or listening to a particular show?
You know how episodes of some audio drama series or TV shows are addicting, and you cannot wait to learn what’s next.
I’m a screenwriter in Hollywood, mentored and trained by some of the best writers in the industry, and I finally cracked the code on how to keep an audience craving for more of your story.
My credentials include my audio drama series Bonnie Screws Up, which recently got renewed for a Season 2 by the production company due to overwhelming fan emails asking for more.
Let’s get to the five key tips to writing an addicting audio drama series that you can produce even by yourself and prove yourself as a storyteller and writer.
Audio Only
As writers, we have to remember the medium we’re writing for.
The audience for fiction podcast series are listeners.
So, it’s not the same as writing a movie or a TV show because there’s no screen to show our audience what’s happening visually.
The story has to be told through sounds, including dialogues, narration, sound effects, background noise, etc.
For example, if two characters are holding hands, the audience won’t know unless they talk about holding hands or a narrator depicts the scene.
Show, Don’t Tell
The first rule might seem like it goes against the basic rule of screenwriting, which is “show, don’t tell,” but it encourages us to find the delicate balance between “show” and “tell.”
On a movie screen, we can show the character’s reactions. So, if a character doesn’t like another character, they don’t have to say it out loud. We can read their reaction and behavior.
However, in an audio drama series, the line between “show” and “tell” gets blurry, so we have to figure out the balance. I don’t recommend giving unnecessary details to the audience since listeners' attention spans are shortened nowadays.
If you want to read more about the screenwriting rule “Show, Don’t Tell,” you can check it out here. It’s a great way to improve your storytelling skills in any format.
Narration
The choice of narrator is crucial in an audio drama show. I’ve listened to many and analyzed their narration techniques.
- No narrator (The story is told through dialogue and sound effects.)
- Third-person narrator (The story is told through a narrator who is not specifically a character in the story itself.)
- Main character’s inner voice (The main character’s inner voice guides us through the scenes.)
My show, Bonnie Screws Up, utilized the main character’s inner voice as a narrator but not necessarily setting up the scene for the audience. It was more like her inner monologue and emotions taking over in specific scenes.
With this technique, I seamlessly provided information about the visuals of the scene, concealing the exposition with a conflict.
This is also a technique screenwriters use to not bore the audience in the first 10 minutes of a movie. Sometimes they succeed, sometimes they fail.
Story vs. Structure
A story is not a story without the structure.
The structure provides exciting twists and turns to the story, keeping the audience excited about what will happen next.
With structure, the story has plot points, a beginning, a middle, and an end. It has a meaning. I’ve found this trick over the years to determine whether a story has a structure or not through the ‘ands,’ ‘buts,’ and a few ‘oh my gods’ in the logline/synopsis.
Bonnie Screws Up: “Bonnie wants to level up as an actress, but she falls in love with a bartender. All it takes is some liquid courage after another failed date with a producer for Bonnie to screw up in a completely unplanned way: she breaks her NDA for a show she stars in. Bonnie is in a race to fix her mistake before it costs her everything.
Without structure, the story is plain and merely a description of events. “This happened, then this happened, then this happened.”
“Bonnie is an actress on a show. She falls in love with a bartender. She ruins a date with a producer, then she screws up when she tells the ending of a show to someone. Bonnie works hard to fix her mistake before losing her career.”
Which one made you feel like you want to know more?
Budget
Always keep the budget in mind when writing. The budget for an audio drama show includes studio rentals (or equipment rental), actors’ fees, lunch, and snacks/water for the recording day.
If you’re going to produce an audio drama show yourself, making a budget sheet is very helpful. Here’s a template.
More details and examples about each section are in my video below. Thank you for reading!
Video Version:
Bonnie Screws Up if you liked the plot as described in this article:
