Plot vs. Pants? Try The Skort Method of Audio Drama Script Craft.
04/26/25 • 31 min
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Sarah Golding and Lindsay Harris Friel dive into the great debate of audio drama writing: whether to meticulously outline your story or write by the seat of your pants. Though this debate may never be solved, Lindsay proposes a third option: the skort method. The skort method of story planning gives you the freedom of pantsing, helps you set up structure for an outline, and has pockets for later research.
- Outlining benefits writers because it shows the entire story structure, helps you set up plot twists, and conserves your creative energy.
- "Pantsing" creates excitement and momentum but can lead to continuity errors and unfinished projects.
- The "Skort Method" combines both approaches: write a broad summary first, then detail individual scenes.
- Breaking scripts into episodes works best at natural decision points where characters face meaningful choices.
- Cliffhangers are most effective when characters have to choose something right before a break, with consequences revealed after the story returns to the audience.
- Write an entire season or story before you start production to avoid creative burnout.
- Consider using sensitivity or beta readers to understand your script's impact before production.
Talking points written by Lindsay Harris Friel
Edited by Sarah Golding
Music by Vince Friel
Additional Resources:
Give me Away
Almelem
Scrivener
The Muppets Mayhem
Get the scoop on audio drama news, opportunities, creative resources and more with The Fiction Podcast Weekly newsletter. For more info, visit The Podcast Host's Fiction Podcast Weekly.
Want to get in touch? You can send us a text message with the link at the top, email us at [email protected], join our Discord server, or visit our website at adwit.org.
Share the love. Please write a review on Podchaser or on Apple Podcasts.
Thank you!
Sarah and Lindsay
Click here to tell us what you think!
Sarah Golding and Lindsay Harris Friel dive into the great debate of audio drama writing: whether to meticulously outline your story or write by the seat of your pants. Though this debate may never be solved, Lindsay proposes a third option: the skort method. The skort method of story planning gives you the freedom of pantsing, helps you set up structure for an outline, and has pockets for later research.
- Outlining benefits writers because it shows the entire story structure, helps you set up plot twists, and conserves your creative energy.
- "Pantsing" creates excitement and momentum but can lead to continuity errors and unfinished projects.
- The "Skort Method" combines both approaches: write a broad summary first, then detail individual scenes.
- Breaking scripts into episodes works best at natural decision points where characters face meaningful choices.
- Cliffhangers are most effective when characters have to choose something right before a break, with consequences revealed after the story returns to the audience.
- Write an entire season or story before you start production to avoid creative burnout.
- Consider using sensitivity or beta readers to understand your script's impact before production.
Talking points written by Lindsay Harris Friel
Edited by Sarah Golding
Music by Vince Friel
Additional Resources:
Give me Away
Almelem
Scrivener
The Muppets Mayhem
Get the scoop on audio drama news, opportunities, creative resources and more with The Fiction Podcast Weekly newsletter. For more info, visit The Podcast Host's Fiction Podcast Weekly.
Want to get in touch? You can send us a text message with the link at the top, email us at [email protected], join our Discord server, or visit our website at adwit.org.
Share the love. Please write a review on Podchaser or on Apple Podcasts.
Thank you!
Sarah and Lindsay
Previous Episode
Character Breakdowns That Jump Off the Page
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Sarah and Lindsay explore how to craft character breakdowns that genuinely serve audio drama production, focusing on vocal qualities and core characteristics rather than irrelevant physical attributes and other animals.
• Character breakdowns serve many key purposes including concisely guiding actors/casting directors, showing character relationships, and informing technical production choices if deftly employed.
• Effective breakdowns include vocal qualities, status, relationships, and intentions rather than physical appearance
• Consider what "singing voice part" might match your character (soprano, alto, tenor, baritone) or orchestral instrument a character might be to instantly convey vocal quality
• Script clues like sentence length, punctuation, vocabulary choices, and verbal tics help create distinctive character voices
• Characters are distinguished by what they want and how they pursue it— objectives - some are direct "blunt instruments," others subtle and calculating
• Great characters may have internal conflicts between their public and private selves
• A character web showing relationships and conflicts helps visualize how characters interact
• Focus on what drives characters, their objectives, and the barriers they face
Links for ADWIT EP 303
John Yorke Into the woods - a five act journey into story
Hamlet to Hamilton - Emily C A Snyder
TUMBLR page - F**k yeah character development - worksheets a plenty
Maslow's hierarchy of needs pyramid - oxygen food shelter sleep...
Join our Discord community! Find the link in the show notes. Write to us at [email protected] with your thoughts and examples of effective character breakdowns.
Get the scoop on audio drama news, opportunities, creative resources and more with The Fiction Podcast Weekly newsletter. For more info, visit The Podcast Host's Fiction Podcast Weekly.
Want to get in touch? You can send us a text message with the link at the top, email us at [email protected], join our Discord server, or visit our website at adwit.org.
Share the love. Please write a review on Podchaser or on Apple Podcasts.
Thank you!
Sarah and Lindsay
Next Episode
Mastering Character Dialogue: Beyond the Words
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Welcome to another jam packed episode of ADWIT with Lindsay Harris-Friel and Sarah Golding!
Dialogue is the lifeblood of audio drama, serving both the author's intent to move the plot forward and revealing what characters truly want. We explore how effective dialogue communicates information while entertaining the audience and avoiding the pitfalls of unnecessary exposition.
• Good dialogue has two essential jobs: communicating what the author wants and what the character wants
• Audio storytelling creates stronger physiological responses than visual media, according to research by University College London
• Dialogue doesn't need to spell everything out – trust the audience to fill in blanks with their imagination
• All dialogue should move the story forward into future action, not dwell in the past
• "The Dark End of the Mall" by The Truth podcast demonstrates masterful dialogue techniques
• Small talk can establish character dynamics but should be minimal in audio drama
Writing exercise: Create a standalone podcast episode based on the folktale about the woman who always wore a ribbon around her neck (see below or research!) focusing on the wedding night conversation between the two main characters.
A LINK TO The Green Ribbon ...But there are many!
Send your script excerpt to our Discord channel - here
Or ping to our email - [email protected] - thank you
Links Talked about herein!
The Dark end of the mall - The Truth Podcast
John Yorke Into the woods – a five act journey into story
Hitchikers Guide To The Galaxy
Audible commissioned UCL survey info
Talking points written by Lindsay Harris Friel.
Edited by Sarah Golding.
Music by Vince Friel.
HAPPY WRITING!
Get the scoop on audio drama news, opportunities, creative resources and more with The Fiction Podcast Weekly newsletter. For more info, visit The Podcast Host's Fiction Podcast Weekly.
Want to get in touch? You can send us a text message with the link at the top, email us at [email protected], join our Discord server, or visit our website at adwit.org.
Share the love. Please write a review on Podchaser or on Apple Podcasts.
Thank you!
Sarah and Lindsay
ADWIT: The Audio Drama Writers' Independent Toolkit - Plot vs. Pants? Try The Skort Method of Audio Drama Script Craft.
Transcript
Hello , hello , sarah Golding here , and who are you again ? I am Lindsay Harris Friel . You sound beautiful by the way , why , thank you ? I'm doing my deep voice today .
SarahDo I have to go lower ? Yes , I could speak like that . That's the lowest I'd do . Oh , I like that one . Thank you , it's my old block . I like doing him .
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