A Tip For Writing Like You Talk (w/ Megan Tan)

Writing for audio requires a shift from traditional composition to a more natural, conversational style that mirrors the creator's authentic voice. Guest Megan Tan suggests that writers and podcasters should speak their thoughts aloud during the drafting process or record themselves talking and use the resulting transcript as a foundation for their scripts. This technique prevents the writing from becoming overly formal or detached, which often happens when a voice is over-analyzed. While effective for personal narration and podcasting, this method carries the risk of making every character sound identical in multi-character scripts, such as movies. Consequently, creators must balance instinctive vocal writing with deliberate character differentiation when working outside of personal storytelling. This approach ensures that the final product remains engaging and sounds like a real person speaking rather than a text being read.