Writing Radio Drama

Radio drama is the most intimate relationship a writer can have with their audience, and has one of the largest budgets in that it can create anything that you can imagine. As has been said before - the pictures are better on radio. There's nothing you can't do and nowhere you can't go. Nobody will say that they can't afford to build that set, or the lighting's not quite right, or that the bad weather is going to delay production for days. The only budget is that which is spent between you and the listener - the cost of two imaginations combined.

Know your ending and leave us satisfied - a poor ending is no reward for sticking with a story. Finish with a strong resolution (one way or another) to the issues raised.

Radio is not about sound - it's about significant sound. So don't be afraid of silence, or varying the distance between the speaker and the mike. The intimacy of a speaker with the listener can be immensely powerful.

In real life, lots of sounds happen all at once. Think of Sunday morning noise as a good example: grass cutters, distant church bells, bubbling pans, kids playing in the street. Use background sound to create an atmosphere that will help the listeners imagination create an entire world.

Choose a setting with a distinct aural environment and use those sounds to underscore the story. One way of thinking about the radio play is as a soundtrack - use sound to cut between places and times.

The medium of radio for drama is liberating, not restrictive - it can mean more variety, more locations, more action, more imagination, and more originality. So use it to its full potential!