Planning Tools

The TSW Formula for Radio Scriptwriting

Radio scriptwriting process and principle meet in the TSW Formula, a simple checklist to guide the planning and creative element of radio scriptwriting.

TSW is: T—Think it first. S—Then Say it . W—Only now, finally, Write it

It is tempting to begin writing before thoroughly thinking through the issues. In larger projects, a Design Team will normally consider and make decisions about the Structure (1.1) and Learning Priorities (1.2) and give the scriptwriters a Creative Briefing Document to guide their writing. In other circumstances, it may be the producer or writer who is responsible for determining the Listener-learners, purpose and content, and Learning Priorities.

After Thinking it, SAY it. Radio is a medium for the ears. It’s oral-centric. It’s speech. So—Say it as it would be spoken.

Then, only then, WRITE down what you have said.

THINK about it

Think about Structure

Listener-learners:	Who am I talking to?
Learning purpose:	Why am I writing this script? What is the health promotion problem?
Learning content:	What do I have to say? What is the desired outcome? What is the key message? What facts do you need to include in the script to achieve the purpose? What ideas do you need to convey? List them. Identify the main structure or organisation to keep ideas related and connected. Give the script room to "breath".

Think about the ABC of Learning Priorities
- Association: Association of new information with what is familiar and known. Create pictures for the mind or wordscapes, images of familiar settings and experiences, background noise, sound effects, silence, tone, volume, pace. Describe space, sight, smell, feel, taste, etc.
- Believability: Believable arguments and trustworthy sources of information.
- Changeability: Overcoming barriers to change.
- Desirability: Motivate to change in order to achieve desirable or valued goal in life.
- Extendability: Support radio programming with other information sources that extend messages in breadth and depth
Think about the Opening
- Create a picture in the Listener-learner's mind.
- Present a problem to be solved. Ask a question. Questions effectively create mental images: "Have you ever seen/ wondered/ thought ...?" or "Remember when...?" or "Do you ...?" or "If you ... Would you ...?" or "If someone told you ... what would you think/ say/ do?", etc.
- Connect script content with a well-known proverb or homily: "You've heard people say...", etc.
- Be conversational. Talk. Use a personal comment or observation: "I didn't know ..." or "I was surprised to read ...", etc.
Think about Internal Content
- Use short sentences with only one idea. Leave out unnecessary, complicated detail.
- Unless it is absolutely necessary to be precise, round out large numbers or use "around"; "about"; "nearly"; "just over"; "a little less than" etc. "Just over one thousand patients" is preferable to "1,097 patients". Similarly, "about 55% is better than 53.65%"
- Be time-sensitive when writing scripts that may be repeated. Some detail, while correct now, may be out of date and incorrect later. E.g., "In the Sydney Olympics next year…" is better written as, "In the 2000 Olympics in Sydney …" etc.
Think about the Ending
- Relate it to the opening idea.
- Summarise
- Give the Listener-learner a cue to action. Tell them the next step they can take.

SAY it

After thinking about it, say it. Out loud. "Talk the script."

WRITE it

Now write what you have said. Use double spacing, 4 cm-wide margins and a single side of the paper.

Review the script by reading aloud to another person. Check flow, timing, information accuracy and relevance, ambiguous phrases, unnecessary or clumsy repetition. Check that the script meets the requirements of the producer. Discuss it. Revise it.