A Mystery Writer’s 5 Secrets will Make you Better at Radio

As a member of the Florida Writers Association I’ve had the privilege of listening to professional authors generously share their techniques, insights and secrets. One of those is mystery writer Susan Slater (the Ben Pecos Mysteries and the Dan Mahoney Mysteries series). As she shared her essentials for successful writing, I couldn’t help but think how relevant they are to what we in radio do for a living. So whether you’re on the air, in sales, or simply believe in the power of a well-told story, adopting a mystery writer’s 5 secrets will make you better at radio (the bullets are Susan’s, the interpretations are mine).

1 – Writing a book means constant decisions – the most important one is how to keep readers turning the pages.

Novels, like most performances, are a series of events that are sequenced in a way that pulls the audience through the story. The same is true for radio shows and sales pitches, podcasts and blogs.

The goal is to be so entertaining or informative that the reader/listener is continually engaged. Thus every part of the narrative must contribute to the plot. Nothing should exist simply because it can.

Use this rule as a filter when laying out your show, sales pitch, presentation – or novel if you’re so inclined. Be a ruthless editor always asking, “Does what I’m about to communicate enhance the story and push it forward?” If the answer is no, let it go.

2 – Give the important information right away

Immediately immersing the audience in the action avoids time-wasting irrelevancies and banalities. Set the location, mystery, players in the first chapter.

There are many great examples:

“Once upon a time, not so long ago, a monster came to the small town of Castle Rock, Maine.” (“Cujo” by Stephen King)

“As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect.” (The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka)

“We were somewhere around Barstow on the edge of the desert when the drugs began to take hold.” (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson)

“We went to the moon to have fun, but the moon turned out to completely suck.” (Feed by M. T. Anderson).

This is another way of saying “lead with your point” which is one of my favorite pieces of advice to give to talent when starting a content piece. If you waste a minute getting to the point, you’ve wasted 7% of a listener’s 15 minute commute.

Of course that’s assuming they listened beyond the first 10 seconds.

3 – Visual media has put pressure on our writing; word choice matters

What a great insight! And so true!

We all regularly encourage talent to use their words to help listeners “see” or “experience” what is being talked about. But considering the choice of words in light of visual competition injects a new sense of urgency to the equation.

There are lots of useful tools help: imagery, short or even single word sentences, and primary interjections (“sounds” like “argh” and “eeew”). Even rarely used yet understood adjectives (think of words like “feckless” and “tenacious”).

Being thoughtfully creative in your choice of words will add power to your breaks and pitches.

4 – Your setting is also a character

This is somewhat related to #3 in that it’s about being visual. But thinking of setting as a character increases credibility and provides story support, and context.

As examples, think of the snow in the movie Fargo, the barren New Mexican desert in Breaking Bad, or Scrooge’s cold and dingy counting office in A Christmas Carol. These are powerful parts of the story. Just like an abandoned store or a waiting line at a drive-thru could be a powerful part of a sales pitch or slide deck.

They are all aids to help you more dramatically and powerfully make your point.

5 – Treat your writing like a job

A typical day for a writer can be 6 or more hours. While we likely don’t have that kind of time each day, the point is that when you make writing or story telling a daily practice you become far more proficient at it.

If you’re not on the air, get started by dedicating just 3% of an 8-hour day (about 15 minutes) to writing something beneficial to clients. Your piece doesn’t have to be completed in that time, just started. However over the course of a week, you’ll likely have at least the bones of a great story to share with clients and prospects.

Of course you’ll want to spend a lot more time writing if you’re a talent. 15% of an 8 hour day would be about an hour and a quarter. Add another 30 minutes or so for research and you’ve got a good ratio of prep-to-performance.

However or whenever you choose to do it, the point is to make writing every day part of your job.

How you perform today will impact tomorrow

Mickey Spillane is crediting with saying, “Your first chapter sells you current book. Your last chapter sells your next book.”

Assuming your goals include adding listening occasions or landing new accounts, embracing this mystery writer’s 5 secrets will make you better at radio by improving your storytelling skills.

Thanks, Susan!

Related:

Seven Showmanship Lessons from Blake Shelton

Episodic Content: Lessons from a Bunch of Bananas

How Songwriters Can Help You Tell Better Stories

(c) 2020, Mike O’Malley, O’Malley Media Group, LLC

Photo by Andrew Seaman on Unsplash