Top tips for writing engaging podcast scripts

You’ve found your guest, sourced your equipment, booked a producer and editor, tracked down a location to record, but you’ve forgotten one key step. What are you going to say? Planning out ahead of time what you want to say on your podcast is one of the most important steps to complete before recording anything. A good podcast script will take the listener on a journey, guiding them through the story you want to tell whilst holding their attention and conveying information in an accessible way.

What is a podcast?

Think of a podcast like a radio show you listen to on demand. A podcast is a digital audio file, which you can download and stream via the internet on various devices. You might have come across podcasts on platforms like Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music or Spotify. Usually they’re made up of a series of episodes which follow a particular format or explore a certain theme.

Podcasts aren’t limited to just one format though, they can come in a range of shapes and sizes. A podcast could be a panel talking about a topic or a host interviewing a guest, or a documentary series, like a highly produced box set which explores a crime or current affairs topic. Or simply two people discussing a subject or recent events.

What is a podcast script?

There is no hard and fast rule defining what a podcast script should be. It could be as simple as a list of bullet points, giving the host a reference for guiding the discussion during an interview or discussion. It could also be a word by word plan for what you want to say on your show, allowing you to focus on delivery rather than having to think of everything on the spot. 

The benefit of having a script for your podcast is that it gives your show a structure, which is more likely to set you up for success. It also cuts down on editing time, as a clear script means you know what you want to say and provides a great reference point for your audio editor.

What makes a good podcast script?

A podcast script should be three things: one, engaging, two, accessible, and three, unique.

An engaging script helps you capture the imagination of your audience and hold their attention throughout your episode, whether it’s twenty minutes or three hours long. Your script should be concise and cuts quickly to the chase, giving your audience a reason to continue listening.

An accessible script prevents your audience from switching off when they don’t feel they can fully process or understand what you’re saying. A simple example of this is a science podcast where the host uses highly technical language which can only be understood by a small fraction of their audience. Switching to more accessible language or explaining what terms mean will maintain audience engagement and help bring them along on the journey. 

You might be wondering what we mean by the last point, having a unique script. By that we mean the script needs to be unique to you, your show and your audience. Is there a certain way you introduce your show each week, a catchphrase you use when communicating with your audience, games or particular segments you do each episode, or a certain structure you repeat for each show. These are the factors that will make your script and, more importantly, your show unique.

How to write a script for your podcast which engages your audience

Define your audience

Before putting pen to paper or finger to keyboard, you should spend some time defining who your audience may be for your podcast. What are the demographics of your target audience? How old are they, where do they live, what do they like to listen to, what are they interested in, how much technical knowledge do they have and so forth.

Saying you’d like your audience to be everyone is too broad and you’ll struggle to connect with your listeners. Think about questions like: will your audience enjoy pop culture references, will they need complex subjects to be broken down, and will your listeners prefer a conversational or more formal tone of voice. Knowing your audience will enable you to write a script which connects and resonates with them.

Make a plan

Having a plan in your head ahead of writing your script will make the process a lot easier. You should think about answers to questions like:

• What themes and topics do you want to discuss on your podcast?

• What is the purpose of your show?

• Do you have a target length for each episode? Are you aiming for short 10 minute episodes or 2 hour long discussions?

• How often do you want to publish new episodes?

• What format do you want to use for your podcast?

Decide on the structure

A structure, however simple, helps you navigate the scriptwriting process and will make your life a lot easier. Take time to think about what journey you’d like to take listeners on in each episode. Do you want to provide them with a tease of the discussion or interview that is to come later in the show? Or do you want to start at the end of the story before rewinding to explain how it happened? 

Planning a structure can be as simple as jotting down on a piece of paper something like the following:

• Attention grabbing quote from interview

• Introduction with host

• Context about today’s topic

• Introducing the guest

• The interview

• Closing remarks

• Plugging next week’s show

• Credits

Write the way you’d say it

You’re not writing an essay for school or a report for work, you’re writing a script that you are going to say aloud. There is a big difference between how we write for reading and how we speak when talking to friends or colleagues. When writing a script for your podcast you’ll want to write in the same way you’d say it. So that means using conversational language. 

If you’re struggling making the shift from writing for reports or emails to writing a script, try saying aloud what you want to say and then writing it down as you say it. Even if you just try this simple exercise for the introduction of your podcast, this will help get you in the right mindset when approaching the rest of your script.

Identify your key points

In a similar vein to planning your podcast structure, it’s important to think about the key points for the episode you’re working on before you start writing your script. Try listing these out first as bullet points or making a mind map, just so you can get down on paper the areas you want to cover during the episode.

So for example, if your show is about travel and the episode for which you want to write a script is about visiting Italy, you might have the following key points or themes you’d like to cover:

• Best times of year to visit Italy

• How to get there i.e. train vs plane

• What to eat and where

• Best activities to do

• Basic Italian phrases

Pause

When writing a script it can be easy to forget that you need to allow for moments to pause. To take a breath. To give your audience a chance to reflect on or digest what you have just said. 

Use pauses to emphasise a point or give your listeners a chance to process what you just said. Whilst it might be tempting to fill all the gaps in a discussion or narration, it’s important to build in pauses which will aid the natural flow of your podcast and give you a breather, especially if you’re recording live.

Don’t be afraid to fail so that you can improve

Most importantly, don’t avoid trying out ideas. Not all of your ideas will work out the way you want, for example segments you’ve planned in your script might not work as you planned when you come to record with guests.

It’s all part of the process of testing things out, iterating and finding what works for your show. You won’t nail everything from day one, some things might take time to finesse and develop. And sometimes you might try something which you decide to scrap altogether. So don’t be afraid to fail! Embrace the unknown and try out your ideas!

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