The Power of a Writer on Your Podcast Production Team
I wish I had a super original “first podcast” story - that it had been some hip show that you might not have heard of. But alas: it was Serial. I’ll never forget where I was at that moment. It was November 2014, and my girlfriend and I were on a road trip together after having spent the long Thanksgiving weekend with my family. To pass the time, she suggested trying out a podcast that a couple of people had recommended to her.
At the time I barely knew what the word “podcast” meant. Yet over the next few hours, the two of us listened intently as Sarah Koenig narrated the particulars of the infamous Adnan Syed case and started to interview characters involved in the story. I was hooked from the beginning - it was like I was glued to a fascinating documentary, but in audio format. It opened my ey…..well, ears, to a brand new world of storytelling.
Over the next few days back at work, I plugged in my headphones and binged my remaining Serial episodes whenever I could: on lunch breaks, bathroom breaks, and walks in between meetings. I groaned in frustration when I finished the available downloads and had to bide my time before the next new episode was released. I searched for other podcasts I could try out while waiting as patiently as I could to finish the Serial series.
What was it about Serial that so successfully captured the attention of me and hundreds of millions of other listeners? For one, it was certainly the unveiling of a new format that could deliver high quality stories to listeners via audio, and on their personal devices of choice. But there was a lot more going on here.
Serial was developed by a team of investigative journalism veterans, many of whom had experience providing audio narratives through the popular radio program This American Life. It centered on a compelling murder mystery that hooked audiences and had listeners looking for little clues and bits of evidence that would swing the case. It was deeply researched and had audience members feeling as though they were privy to every phase of the case. And, it planted a legitimate seed of doubt that left people wondering if the case in question had potentially been unsolved, or even bungled.
But even more than that, Serial was simply written masterfully. Koenig and her team put together a script that was tight, clear, and sharp. Every scripted word was purposeful and led smoothly to the next part of the story. Every single narrative remark Koenig made was worth hanging on to.
Serial was a gripping story, and it showcased how powerful brilliant writing could be going forward in the podcast format.
Whether or not Serial was your first memorable experience with podcasts, quite a good deal has changed since that show’s release in the Fall of 2014. You probably don’t need to read this article to know that the podcast industry has exploded since then. Awareness of the medium, listenership, advertising spend, you name it - the numbers associated with the industry are increasing across the board. To cite just one number, as of the start of May 2021, there were over 2,000,000 active podcasts released on Apple Podcasts. That’s almost a 400% increase from about 550,000 shows three years ago.
There are many conclusions that can be drawn from this staggering growth in podcast releases, but one fact is indisputable: there is more content competing for listeners’ attention now than ever before. And with this growing competition, newer or less established shows must pull every string to set themselves apart.
One way to establish an edge over the field of podcasts is by having tight, dedicated writing for the show.
Some mainstays in the space have shot to the top of the charts with a loose, unstructured, casual format - with Joe Rogan’s juggernaut show being the obvious example. But shows like Rogan’s have earned the right to demand hours of listeners’ time, and these established podcasts have the listening numbers to justify a more casual set-up. Podcasts vying for their audience’s ears have not earned the same liberties. And one way to catch listeners’ attention and prove that a podcast is worth listening to is by utilizing great written material.
Serial was one of the first shows to take advantage of tight writing, and true crime podcasts such as Dirty John or Dr. Death from Wondery write scripts to push their stories forward. But not all podcasts that utilize writing have to be in this “scripted” (whether fictional or real) space. The reality is that many other types of shows, from business to tech to interview-based podcasts, can benefit from dedicated writers as well.
As Arielle Nissenblatt, Community Manager at SquadCast and the founder of the Earbuds Podcast Collective, says, “There are so many podcasts out there now. The ones that make it through the mess need to have direction. Therefore, new shows should definitely consider bringing a writer on board.”
The Benefits of Utilizing Written Work on a Podcast
There are many benefits that come from rigorous planning and thought when developing a podcast, but here are some of the biggest perks to working with a writer or utilizing formally written material on a show.
Time
It all boils down to time. Shows like Serial that started early on in the podcasting days benefited from having a less crowded market to compete against; newer shows sadly don’t have that same luxury. Thus, newer or less established entities need to capture their listeners’ attention right away. As podcast industry expert and writer Skye Pillsbury says, “Time is the most valuable currency we have. Asking someone to listen to your podcast is a huge ask. You want to feel like you’re constantly giving your listener a reason to stay on your podcast.”
The goal is to make it easy on the listener. Don’t make them wait around and question why they pressed play in the first place. Odds are that in that scenario, they can find another show that might surface the good stuff more efficiently. Working with a writer can help factor in more intentionality, in order to get to the point right away.
Organization & Structure
Podcast listeners now have a more trained ear and will be able to tell if a show is not organized properly. Their “spidey senses” may activate if a show suffers from some of the markers of disorganization. These flaws can take many shapes but oftentimes look like some of the following: idle chit chat, belaboring of well-established points, and irrelevant information that detracts from a show’s core purpose.
Of course, you still do want to showcase personality, levity, and maybe even humor when appropriate; you don’t want to come off as overly stiff. But, it’s important to not over-index on some of the fluffier elements in sacrifice of the meat and potatoes of the show. “You have to treat your podcast as if you are on a contract with your listener to give them what you said you would give them,” Pillsbury advises. “You are going to lose your listener if you don’t organize your show.”
Surfacing the Best Moments and Information
Writers can help to synthesize interviews or a slew of information and bring the most crucial moments to light. In an interview or during the course of a story, there are sure to be lulls that are less interesting than most material. A writer can help to eliminate these more boring elements and keep listeners’ attention in the process.
Podcast writer Jack Buehrer works primarily with interview-based podcasts, but typically will work with a narrator to keep the narrative arc of the show flowing. “I like to pull out the best parts of the interview to use and remove some of the more boring but necessary details,” Buehrer says. “Then, I’ll have the narrator impart some of these details to the listener to fill in bits of the story while also whittling the content down.”
The process Buehrer describes can help to shorten the podcast while also maintaining a sensible structure and keeping the listener engaged. One podcast that Buehrer worked on, Ground Truth from Dogpatch Advisors (produced by StudioPod Media), benefited enormously from written direction. The show aimed to illustrate the power of a data-driven approach to the sales profession. The carefully crafted narrative arc of the podcast hammered home the show’s purpose; with just raw audio, listeners may not have fully understood what they were listening for.
Without a writer to help in this process, podcasts risk losing their audience with unnecessary information and lengthy exposition.
Storytelling
Working with a writer can help to turn an interview or a trove of information into a compelling story. Writing on the front end can help to ensure that listeners are invested in the podcast’s story from start to finish. “Having a written podcast allows you to turn an interview into a story,” Buehrer notes. “It can help to thread the needle nicely between two people talking and painting a full picture.”
Pillsbury agrees that writing out material in advance is crucial to maintaining a strong storytelling component. “Just like any other medium, there’s a story arc to doing a podcast,” she notes. “If you’re not being thoughtful about guiding the listener through the story, you’re not doing everything you can to bring it out.”
The Challenges of Writing for Podcasts
Just because it’s a good idea to put writing groundwork into a successful podcast doesn’t mean it’s always an easy process. Here are some of the challenges that writers can encounter when delivering their messages to an audience.
Writing for Audio
A common challenge that writers face is writing for audio as opposed to print or online publications. Buehrer started writing for podcasts after a background in journalism, and noted a difference in the type of writing he was being tasked with. “Knowing that you’re writing for the ears and not for the eyes is crucial,” he says. “Making the move from writing for news articles on the web to writing for audio was a major challenge.”
Podcast producer and consultant Anna McClain agrees. “It can’t be overstated how different writing for voice is,” McClain remarks. “Working with someone who knows how to write for voice can help reassure on-air participants before they record and really makes things shine and sound great.”
Writing in a Natural Manner
Working formally written content into a podcast can always add the risk of muddying up the language of the presenters. There’s a balance to be met between delivering sharp, clean writing and actually writing like people speak. “I can always tell when someone is reading from a script when they’ll say ‘will not’ instead of ‘won’t,’ Nissenblatt points out. “You want to make sure it sounds like a conversation between real people.”
Maintaining Authenticity
As referenced earlier, it’s important to organize a show and surface the most interesting information in a timely manner for the listener. However, it’d also be a mistake to completely remove all flair, spontaneity, or levity from a podcast where such elements are authentic to the show’s existence. If it’s important to showcase the host’s personality, showcase it. If there’s a comedic moment during the course of an interview, don’t cut the humor just for the sake of organization.
Make sure to use best judgment when cutting or leaving in these lighter moments. While on occasion too much frivolity can detract from a podcast’s purpose, it’d be a mistake to remove all authentically fun moments from a show entirely.
As I hope this article has made clear, the podcast industry has undergone a multitude of changes since the advent of the format and since the explosion of podcasts with the premier of Serial just a few years ago. These changes present their slew of challenges, such as the simple fact that there is more competition for listeners’ attention than ever before. But with these challenges come their fair share of opportunities as well. One such opportunity is to craft clear, sharp written material that can present a more fully formed and cohesive podcast. Hopefully, with an emphasis on writing and organization, your podcast or show of interest can break through the noise and prove more than worthy of your target listeners’ time.
Other Resources and Links:
Podcast: “Podcast Writing 101 with Jack Buehrer” from the PodOn Podcast
