Writing for Radio
Do you have ambitions to break into writing for the performing arts? There's plenty of scope. Radio and television in particular eat up material with an insatiable appetite. To break in, however, you need writing and marketing techniques different from those required in conventional publishing.
You'll have a far greater chance of breaking into television if you've already established yourself in writing for radio. Radio is the best starting point by far for new writers, especially new playwrights.
Radio allows far more freedom than TV. Anything goes. You can:
- Cast as many characters as you like, because the actors can play more than one part.
- Take the listener anywhere in the world with appropriate sound effects.
- Set your play against any kind of background in any kind of weather, in daylight or darkness.
In television, all productions are subject to budget constraints.
Listen to as much radio as you can. Tape programmes you like and analyse them, noting, for example:
- How many scenes?
- How long are the scenes?
- How many changes of scene?
- How many players per scene?
- How many players in total?
- What kind of dialogue?
- What sound effects?
Note the names of producers whose work appeals to you, and try sending your script to them.
Finding Markets
The British Broadcasting Company (BBC) is one of the biggest markets for freelance writers. Radios 3 and 4 broadcast around 500 plays a year between them, and with the coming of digital radio, new channels are opening up all the time. There are opportunities for comedy, drama, short stories, panel game ideas ... the scope is as wide as your imagination.
The best source of information by far is the BBC website (www.bbc.co.uk) where you can access 'The Writer's Room'. Here you'll find all the appropriate addresses and guidelines for script submissions, including the required script formats. If you're not on the Internet, beg or bribe a friend to download the information for you.
If you're interested in writing comedy, you can subscribe (free) to the Entertainment Writers' e-mail newsletter, and apply for tickets so you can attend programme recordings.
The Writers' & Artists' Yearbook gives a lot of information and advice on writing for radio and television, as well as for film and stage.
