How to write plays, features and short stories that get you on air. With new advice on working in schools, universities, drama schools, prisons and on the making of audio travel guides. How to direct radio plays. With a new chapter on Acting for Radio. It contains many practical examples, excerpts from plays and features and quotes from many currently working in radio.
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If you have ambitions to break into writing for radio, this book will put you streets ahead of the competition. The never ending demand for radio plays and short stories offers exciting opportunities for new and established authors. How to structure a play, use music and sound effects, create character and comedy - it's all here. --Writer's Bulletin
About the Author
Shaun MacLoughlin having been a Single TV Plays Script Editor with the BBC made the unusual career move to radio, because he loves working with original writers. He became Script Editor of the Afternoon Play, commissioning about 600 radio plays, and then Senior Radio Drama Producer in Bristol. He has produced about 350 plays, won numerous awards and also worked as a director/producer in the USA, Australia, Ireland, Vietnam and China. He now teaches at universities, drama schools and in prisons and makes the occasional programme for the BBC.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
I spent most of yesterday in my garden hut, setting out on another radio play - I think it will be my 21st for the BBC. It's due in by the middle of May so I have to get on with it. I was struggling a bit, as I often do in the early stages, filling up my wastepaper basket rather than shaping potentially good scenes. So I put down my pencil and watched the birds for a while, eight goldfinches in all, then walked around, played some music and read the paper. Still restless, I wandered into the house and made some coffee, when my eye picked up Shaun MacLoughlin's book on my study shelf. I took it back out to my hut and started to read it again.
I was soon nodding, soon encouraged, and soon reassured. I felt I was once again sitting next to Shaun in the pub or listening to him on the phone or watching him work with the actors.
For twenty years - from 1980 to 2000 - Shaun produced my work in the BBC Christchurch studios in Bristol. I learnt almost everything I know about writing for radio from discussing drafts with Shaun, from listening to his productions of plays by other writers, and from collaborating with him in the studio. In Writing For Radio he comes as close as you can to reproducing that experience. Whether you have just had an exciting idea and are starting to write your first draft of your first radio play, or whether you have written some plays but need to be reminded of the essential skills, or whether you have just hit the wall in your garden hut, this is the book I would recommend.
Shaun knows radio drama inside out. Do read it.
Jonathan Smith
I was soon nodding, soon encouraged, and soon reassured. I felt I was once again sitting next to Shaun in the pub or listening to him on the phone or watching him work with the actors.
For twenty years - from 1980 to 2000 - Shaun produced my work in the BBC Christchurch studios in Bristol. I learnt almost everything I know about writing for radio from discussing drafts with Shaun, from listening to his productions of plays by other writers, and from collaborating with him in the studio. In Writing For Radio he comes as close as you can to reproducing that experience. Whether you have just had an exciting idea and are starting to write your first draft of your first radio play, or whether you have written some plays but need to be reminded of the essential skills, or whether you have just hit the wall in your garden hut, this is the book I would recommend.
Shaun knows radio drama inside out. Do read it.
Jonathan Smith
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
This book covers drama, comedy, short stories and features which makes it a broad view of radio writing. The author uses scripts he has produced for the BBC to illustrate points. Most useful though are the lists of websites and contacts and chapter, `From Script to Production' which gives a behind the scenes look at radio production.
Mr Macloughlin has good ideas and really knows his subject but there are no exercises or lessons for readers to try apart from to try and emulate the examples he give. As readers of my other reviews might know this is my pet-hate in books that purport to be `how to' books. I do still highly recommend this book for the novices to the craft of writing for radio.
Mr Macloughlin has good ideas and really knows his subject but there are no exercises or lessons for readers to try apart from to try and emulate the examples he give. As readers of my other reviews might know this is my pet-hate in books that purport to be `how to' books. I do still highly recommend this book for the novices to the craft of writing for radio.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By C. Poulson
A first-rate starting point for anyone wanting to write for radio. Shaun MacLoughin draws on a wealth of experience from his career as a radio drama producer and director. The book is very readable, he uses some fascinating examples and his own enthusiasm for the genre is inspiring.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Emily
I'll be honest- I only bought this book because it was on my course reading list. However, I am so glad I did. I didn't really have any interest in writing for radio; I listen to audiobooks a lot but they're all unabridged novels, not radio plays. Now, as a direct result of this book, I do want to listen to and write radio plays. The tone of the book is educational and friendly, but with no nonsense. The frequent example texts are really illustrative. Seriously, if you're thinking of writing (or improving your writing of) radio plays; get this book. You'll enjoy reading it, and you will create better plays for it.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Radioman
Shaun MacLouglin is one of that select few who truly understands radio and writing for radio: an 'elemental'. It was Sir Bob Geldof who, famously, divided radio people into the sheep and the goats. The goats were those who did radio as a job; the second were the 'elementals': people who instinctively understand the medium in the way that a master chef understands cooking. Shaun combines that extraordinary and rare ability to create, to teach radio and to explain writing for radio. This excellent book teaches, clearly and concisely, using examples taken from his award-winning career as a radio drama producer. I can thoroughly recommend this tome both to the beginner and to the practitioner. Read this, use this, and if you have it in you it will transform that raw ability into literature for the ear.
By missg90
Amazon Verified Purchase
I purchased this book as a study reference whilst at university to aid me in my research into writing radio drama. I found it very useful, very easy to read and would definitely recommend it to others.
4 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By Champollion
VINE™ VOICE
Amazon Verified Purchase
This book, which is written by an experienced radio drama producer, is very helpful for aspiring writers.
Helpfully, broken down into sections from start to finish, it will assist and instruct in the craft of scriptwriting.
It is also accessible and is a must for anyone starting the long road of writing for radio.
Helpfully, broken down into sections from start to finish, it will assist and instruct in the craft of scriptwriting.
It is also accessible and is a must for anyone starting the long road of writing for radio.
3 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By Ms Cook
Amazon Verified Purchase
Is this an autobiography or a 'How To' text? There is good advice but you have to trawl through a lot of personal information about the author's past career to get it. The 'Revised and updated 4th edition' contains so many errors the proof-reader/s (if there were any) should be sacked! Such carelessness seems to me to indicate a contempt for the book-buying public. Isn't accuracy and attention to detail the first rule of professional writing?
Writing for Radio
Writing for Radio
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