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A COLLECTION OF DOs AND DON'Ts
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When you sit down to write you'll probably be surrounded
by bits of research. Try not to lift bits here and bits there and
stick them all together. Even the most distracted listener will
hear the joins between the different styles.
Read through your handouts, notes, etc., then put
them to one side and write or dictate the story in your own words;
as if you were telling it to a friend.
As well as avoiding a clash of styles, this forces
you to construct the overall shape of the thing in your head before
you put down the opening phrase.
DON'T TRY TO GET IN TOO MANY
FACTS
Above all, simplicity is the keynote - one thought,
one sentence. We're all used to complicated sentences - books are
full of them. They're fine when they're on the paper in front of
us. But when we speak we're (generally) voicing our thoughts as
soon as we think them. That way each sentence automatically contains
one, and only one, thought. Our brains are used to this, but they
become confused when they hear rather than read complex sentences.
BE CAREFUL OF FACTS
I've been told recently that a certain piece of music
was by 'ANON' - one of his best-known melodies! Another was described
as having been written by Johan Strauss especially for the film
'2001'! Along similar thoughts, no disease should be described
as 'incurable'. A cure has not been discovered yet.
THE PROBLEM WITH NUMBERS
Be wary of numbers. They aren't friendly things.
Don't include any more than you have to - unless it's a very simple
number or memorable in some way (e.g. 1066, the fourth of July),
it will be forgotten as soon as it's heard. If you must have a
number, make it friendly if you possibly can. Two thirds is better
than 64 per cent; nearly a thousand preferable to 983; one person
in four clearer than 23 percent of the population.
Spell out numbers to make them easier for your presenter
to read. Standards differ here - some people can read '97' better
than 'ninety seven', but all agree that 'one' is better than '1',
and any writer who expects a presenter to lift '$3,693,224.88'
off the page without a stumble had better think again. 'Three million,
six hundred and ninety three thousand, two hundred and twenty four
dollars (and eighty eight cents)' is one thousand, two hundred
and twenty four times easier!
BE CAREFUL WITH DATES
They're written for print as 2nd September; but spoken
as 'the second of September'. So for broadcasting they should be
written as the second example.
USE VERBS
Verbs are goodies - they're the chief tool in spoken
word writing. Just listen to people talking. Conversely, adjectives
are seldom good news. They tend to slow the pace and obstruct good
delivery. This is particularly so of the more vague adjectives
- colourful, traditional, drastic, etc.
N.B. If your interest is in writing for radio then
reverse that rule! Adjectives are fine things when you can't see
the subject under discussion. But this is mainly a film and television
site, so I'll bash on in that direction.
WHAT THE LISTENER HEARS ISN'T ALWAYS WHAT
YOU MEAN
Reportedly seen in a set of instructions to volunteer
workers in India; 'If the baby doesn't thrive on fresh milk, boil
it'! Not all examples are that obvious, but try to make sure you've
said what you intended to say.
BE CAREFUL WITH GRAMMAR
The grammar must be correct, of course; that goes
without saying. But it's curious how many mistakes creep into scripts.
There are at least three good reasons for being ultra-careful if
your grammar is below average:
| 1 |
Not very important but worth mentioning:
Broadcasters in any country are the repository of the nation's
culture. You are responsible in large measure for how the next
generation speaks and writes. Do you want a country full of
semi-literates? |
| 2 |
More important: Careless grammar
implies careless research. Should the viewer believe what you're
telling him, or are you as shoddy with your facts as you are
with your words? |
| 3 |
Most important: A mistake on paper will make
the reader pause, re-read some parts, then go on from where
he stopped. A mistake on air causes the viewer to stop in
the same way, but the programme won't wait for him. He'll
be trying to comprehend your words, if only to think 'what
on earth was that?' And while he's thinking for himself he's
not following your line of argument. He'll miss the next
sentence or so and when he begins to listen again he won't
know what it is you're on about.
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WARMING TRICKS
There are so many little tricks you can use to encourage
the viewer to warm to your piece - the rule of three, visual puns,
alliteration, etc. But please use them only in moderation. And
then only if it's the way you'd speak. If a warming device isn't
comfortably integrated with the rest of the script, it'll stick
out like a Proton Saga with Kangaroo bars.
The Rule of Three
I don't know why we like things in threes. But we do. The long and the
short and the tall. The good, the bad and the ugly. Three wise men.
Pawnbrokers. Eh! I'm going too far here . . . but why is it we like
threes so much? Whatever, use them - especially for examples. As I
just did! Then there's the father, the son and the holy ghost. And
three-in-one oil.
Visual Puns
Visual puns are also attractive. I've got a spectacularly bad piece of
writing I show to classes now and again. (Well I believe you can learn
much more from studying bad films than from staring open-mouthed at
something wonderful). Anyway, the tape is part of a business programme.
The words go in one direction and the pictures in an entirely different
one. The pictures, of course, win. Nobody listens to the words. Except
now and again, when there's a visual pun. (The words and pictures have
to coincide then, otherwise there wouldn't be a pun, of course). After
I've shown them the tape I ask what it was about. They usually remember
the headline, but almost nothing after that. But the whole class remembers
the puns very clearly, including the exact picture that went with it.
Including my favourite; a shot of a steaming pot over a camp fire,
plus the line " . . . the directors will be in pretty hot water if
the share price doesn't . . . ". The story is, of course, nothing to
do with food, camping, water supplies, or anything in the picture.
But people like visual puns. So use them - sparingly.
Alliteration
Another warming trick. Sea, sun and sand. That's another 'rule of three'
as well as alliteration. I always remember a headline in a California
newspaper over a story about the latest doings of the British royal
family; 'Liz Quiz Biz'. Oh woe! Another three. Going really down-market
there's the "green, green grass of home". 'Buy Blogg's Best Beer'.
No, maybe not!
THE SEVEN RULES FOR PERFECT SCRIPT-WRITING
| 1 |
First decide what it is you want
to say. This sounds silly, but so many people embark on a script
without knowing where they're going. |
| 2 |
Make a list of points you want to
make. Put the list in a logical order. |
| 3 |
Decide who your listener is - a
six year old, a businessman, or a busy housewife. Think of
just one listener, and visualise him or her as you formulate
your thoughts. |
| 4 |
Then say it. Try and listen to yourself
say it. Get someone else to listen to you. When the viewer
or listener receives your script, he will be listening, not
reading. If it sounds like the kind of ordinary everyday language
that people normally use, it will be easy to understand. |
| 5 |
Only now should you write it. But
try to remember to speak to just one person, to use ordinary
conversational language, and keep the sentences short. But
don't give them all the same rhythm - variety is the spice
of life. |
| 6 |
Remember the presenter as well as
the listener. He doesn't have your background knowledge of
the subject, and you may have to put in extra punctuation or
other hints so he reads it correctly. |
| 7 |
The most important rule of all:
Good luck! |
Now you've mastered the basics, you'll probably want
to look at the sections on writing drama or commentary for documentaries.
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