So You Want to Write Radio Drama?

by Clare Grove, Stephen Wyatt

A practical guide to writing radio drama and getting it produced, by a leading radio dramatist and a hugely experienced radio drama producer who have both created award-winning dramas for the BBC.

For writers, radio drama offers a remarkable degree of creative freedom, a unique relationship with an audience listening at home or on the move, and a wealth of opportunities to earn a living. But writing for radio is also a very particular craft, with its own distinctive conventions, techniques and pitfalls. And you need to know how the industry works to stand the best chance of getting your play commissioned.

This book, written from the dual perspective of a writer and a radio drama producer, tells you all you need to know about what works well on radio and what doesn’t, how to hook listeners from the start, and how to keep them listening, how to format your script, how to research and contact the right producer for your play, what to expect after you’ve received a commission, and what happens when you’re in the recording studio.

Full of practical advice, tips and invaluable inside information about the industry, it also includes extracts from many outstanding radio dramas and a series of writing exercises to help put ideas into practice.

So You Want To Write Radio Drama? is an essential guide for anybody who wants to write a radio play, whether you’re a ?rst-time writer or one currently working in a different medium. It will also be of help to those already involved in making radio drama, or who simply want an insight into how it is written and made.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2014

Reviews

[Salli · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written book by people who know their field very well, I do wonder if it is a little dated and could have more about self-production and posting to the internet. Production was rather dismissed as what a producer will do for you but as we all know you need to do it for yourself these days.

It covers the subject "writing radio drama" in perhaps its narrowest sense and has very little on more experimental work with sound. It lacks a reading list per se, though it does suggest many examples of plays to read or listen to, but no further reading into say the psychology of listening or radio listener figures or even the American/Canadian/ANZAC public broadcasting networks.

I enjoyed reading it and found its suggestions helpful and practical.

[Colin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Only one outlet for radio plays and that is the BBC and they only accept plays which are left wing and very politically correct so unless you can write something that fits into that narrow box don't bother.