NUGGETS FROM DICK BROOKS TALK AT THE 2006 NFCB CONFERENCE IN PORTLAND
"WRITING FOR THE EAR"

Before you begin writing, talk over your story with someone. Convince them that it’s interesting and you probably have something.

Strive for brevity, accuracy and clarity.

Good writing is like good conversation, but more so.

Tell your stories to your listeners as if they were a friend. Conversationally. That doesn’t mean lazy or slangy language though. (One other tip sheet I’ve seen says, “Write like you speak when you’re speaking well.”)

Write for the ear. If you read a newspaper article aloud, it doesn’t work. We have to convert that type of writing so it sounds more like speech. NOTE TO NEWSREADERS AND ANCHORS: Much AP broadcast wire is not written for the ear. Re-write it!

We need to put our attention to better writing because the listener’s ear is not ON all of the time. Once they get the idea, they tend to go to rest. So the listener needs something new in the story (as in a good conversation) to stay with it (for example, a scene change.)

Don’t use too many adjectives. Adjectives are facts that suppress the imagination of your listener. Put more thought into the use of verbs that spark the listener’s mind to paint their own picture.

Use extreme caution when using numbers in a script. Sometimes you have to but be judicious. Anytime you ask your listener to compute, you risk losing them.

Write in short, simple sentences. Watch out for long clauses. Turn them into short sentences. If it feels long when you read it out loud, it probably is too long.

Think of your script as a movie, with multiple scenes. Draw lines to indicate a scene change.

Here’s a tip for easier conversational
delivery of your script. Try setting your
script in a 3 inch column with very wide
margins. This will help you from worrying
about where you’re at in the script.

Reading tip: When you’re cutting your narration trax, look up from your script at the end of a scene without reading from the page. Your tone will change and help you “talk” it. It also gives you the pause you need before moving on to the next idea.