Click here to tell us what you think! Here are all the short yet important topics that don't justify their own episode, yet make a difference for writers. Ever wondered what truly stops creative writers from finishing their audio dramas? It's the invisible barriers we construct for ourselves. For our season finale, we tackle those stubborn obstacles head-on, offering practical solutions to help you move your scripts from perpetual development into production. Money concerns often top the list of...
May 30, 2025•50 min•Season 3Ep. 9
Click here to tell us what you think! Table reads are an essential tool for audio drama writers to hear their work aloud and gather feedback for improvement before production. The process helps identify issues with dialogue, pacing, and storytelling that may not be apparent on the page. • Type of table reads: in-person versus video conferencing, each with benefits and challenges • Finding participants: seek people with strong reading comprehension, not necessarily professional actors • Preparati...
May 23, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Season 3Ep. 308
Click here to tell us what you think! Hello! We continue our chat with... Brendon Connelly of Circles Emily Inkpen of Alternative Stories and The Dex Legacy Flloyd Kennedy of Am I Old Yet ? and Baked Off ! Shannon K. Perry of Oz 9 and Audiotocracy Podcast Production .... about their writing tools of choice for audio drama scripts. Some strategies to keep in your back pocket: • Pronunciation guides with bold words in scripts help actors with difficult or made-up words • Voice actors need clear no...
May 17, 2025•40 min•Season 3Ep. 307
Click here to tell us what you think! The day a software developer creates software for audio drama scriptwriters that has BBC Radio Drama-style formatting, the option to include line numbers on the script page, page numbers, and a reasonable price, a zillion scriptwriters will give them wads of money hand over fist. Until that fateful day, audio drama writers will debate which software, strategy, or tool spins their story into gold. Fortunately, ADWIT, The Audio Drama Writers' Independent Toolk...
May 09, 2025•53 min•Season 3Ep. 6
Click here to tell us what you think! 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...
May 02, 2025•45 min•Season 3Ep. 305
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 entir...
Apr 26, 2025•31 min•Season 3Ep. 4
Click here to tell us what you think! 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 qualitie...
Apr 18, 2025•50 min•Season 3Ep. 303
Click here to tell us what you think! Ideas constantly surround us—emerging from single words, current events, or persistent questions. From Rajiv Joseph finding a newspaper article about a Bengal tiger killed by American soldiers (which eventually became a Broadway play starring Robin Williams) to Lynn Nottage crafting "Ruined" as a commentary on conflict minerals powering our smartphones, we examine how to refine these ideas into compelling fictional narratives using real-world connections. Wh...
Apr 11, 2025•39 min•Season 3Ep. 2
Click here to tell us what you think! Get Started The blank page stares back at you. Your fingers hover uncertainly. That familiar anxiety creeps in—but what if there was a better way to begin? Our latest episode delves into the sacred ritual of writing preparation—those crucial moments before creativity flows. We explore how simple affirmations like "I am ready" can mentally prepare you for the creative journey ahead. Your physical environment matters tremendously; we discuss getting comfortabl...
Apr 06, 2025•6 min
Click here to tell us what you think! Ever wonder what happens to all those brilliant audio drama ideas that never make it past the "what if" stage? After reviewing our listener survey (thank you to everyone who participated!), we've gained valuable insights into what you need most from ADWIT. The results were clear: 80% prefer straightforward, consistent episodes focused on practical writing advice rather than elaborate productions with fictional narratives. We hear you, and we're shaping our c...
Apr 04, 2025•39 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Click here to tell us what you think! ADWIT, The Audio Drama Writers' Independent Toolkit, returns for a third season! Sarah and Lindsay want to give you strategies and resources to write an audio drama or fiction podcast script from scratch, or improve your existing script. In Season 3 we have even more resources, recommendations, and references for you, plus panel discussions and leads to production information. Stay tuned, share and enjoy! Want to get in touch? You can send us a text message ...
Apr 04, 2025•2 min•Season 3Ep. 301
Click here to tell us what you think! Getting ready to light a fire under your audio drama writing habits in 2024? Here's a method for planning your next season or story arc that breaks your season down into episodes, and episodes into moments, so you can make a story that matters, one storytelling beat at a time. We'll explore Dan Harmon's storytelling method in detail, and how Lindsay adapted it for her needs, making up a season and an episode. Plus, you'll learn about the ADWIT Audience Surve...
Dec 26, 2023•21 min•Season 2Ep. 5
Click here to tell us what you think! Where have Sarah and Lindsay been? Get ready for a quick update from ADWIT. Sarah brings you a helpful and less unwieldy than usual podcast conference for Audio Drama creatives, on the 4th of November. Meanwhile, the 11th Hour Audio Challenge casts a long dark shadow over Lindsay. Get ready for stories to chill your bones on 30th October. What can we do for you, as podcasters? What do you need from a podcast about how to make audio drama and fiction podcasts...
Oct 27, 2023•12 min
Click here to tell us what you think! Lindsay's stuck in a rut. Sarah rows out to rescue her. Come along for a relaxing day at the beach, where we'll guide you through some resources to reignite your passion for writing! In this episode, we explore how reconnecting with nature, observing people and the environments around us, and trying different creative outlets can spark your imagination. We also share some amazing podcasts, writing prompts, and resources to help you improve your writing. Avan...
Jun 18, 2023•34 min•Season 2Ep. 3
Click here to tell us what you think! Visit the back room at a game cafe, where Sarah and Lindsay dig out a secret stash of games designed to help writers revisit best practices and gain perspective on their work. In the secret jungle piano bar, we'll show you The Writer Emergency Pack by John August, experiment with The Story Engine, and dissect Menelaus. Get a grip on your audio drama podcast writing with a different play. Presented and Written by Sarah Golding and Lindsay Harris Friel Dialogu...
Apr 28, 2023•32 min•Season 2Ep. 2
Click here to tell us what you think! Sarah gets Lindsay unstuck from the mud to celebrate many of the great audio drama podcast success stories of 2022 and make plans and schemes for 2023. It's been a minute, hasn't it? We missed you. Find out what some of the best new podcasts in 2022 are, and what strategies they put in place (or try to, anyway) for 2023. What is ADWIT? ADWIT is The Audio Drama Writers’ Independent Toolkit. How do you learn to write great audio drama? Listen to all the best a...
Jan 04, 2023•45 min•Season 2Ep. 1
Click here to tell us what you think! Did you know that Buzzsprout has a dynamic content feature? It's true. Lindsay is testing it out right now. Here's the clip she tagged on in the post-roll to one of the episodes. See if you can find it! Thank you for listening, thank you to Ella Watts, and thank you to my next-door neighbor. To hear the horror piece that Lindsay, Sarah, and Ella worked on together, listen to https://tinyurl.com/Breathless-on-Podchaser. Season 2 of ADWIT is coming soon. Music...
Sep 17, 2021•1 min•Season 1Ep. 13
Click here to tell us what you think! What do writers and pilots have in common? Every time they go to work, they have to ask, "How do I land this thing now?" Join Sarah and Lindsay as they fly off in search of the tools to make the perfect ending or cliffhanger, and how to avoid crashing miserably. WARNING: Spoilers and/or promo for Terms , Steal The Stars, Hadron Gospel Hour, Wooden Overcoats and The Amelia Project , season 1, as well as the movie Brazil. Subscribe or Follow us, so you can be ...
May 16, 2021•43 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Click here to tell us what you think! Recording at a distance from your fellow audio drama artists is challenging. Lindsay and Sarah discuss some ways that writers can make scripts easier for voice actors and sound designers. Plus: what makes an ideal recording environment? How do telephones work on you? Why do you need a good sound bed? What is the secret of Pittsburgh's jukeboxes? What did Oscar Wilde think of baseball? Warning and/or Bonus: Spoilers or promo for Homecoming and The Tower Resou...
May 09, 2021•49 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Click here to tell us what you think! What does audio drama do that other forms of art and media can't? How does it do it? What's the recipe for doing it? Join Sarah and Lindsay on a field trip as they try to find that mysterious element that makes audio drama meaningful and special. Warning and/or Bonus: Spoilers for Can You Help Me Find My Mom , The Truth podcast Resources: Phila Museum of Art’s Duchamp Galleries Marcel Duchamp Nude Descending A Staircase Fountain This is Your Brain On Podcast...
May 02, 2021•24 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Click here to tell us what you think! Feeling stuck? Sarah and Lindsay are your tow truck. In this episode we go for a walk in the rain and chit chat about the things creative people do to sabotage themselves. We'll also share some strategies you can use to get out of the mud, get inspired and get writing again. Warning and/or Bonus : Spoilers for Prodigal Son ‘s Season 1, which is not an audio drama. Resources: Lynda Barry : Syllabus , Making Comics (affiliate links) Neil Gaiman on libraries &a...
Apr 26, 2021•43 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Click here to tell us what you think! How can a story told one way be told differently, without losing its impact? How can a non-audio-drama story make the most of audio drama's craft? Join Sarah and Lindsay as they sort out some tools to better understand some best practices in adaptation for audio drama. Warning and/or Spoilers: War of the Worlds , Jarnsaxa Rising , Resources: Albert's Beginner's Guide to Symphonic Metal The War of The Worlds by H. G. Wells at Gutenberg.org War of the Worlds b...
Apr 18, 2021•31 min
Click here to tell us what you think! Where do you want to go today? Sarah wants to play with world building tools, but Lindsay thinks they are nothing without a strong premise. Warning and/or Bonus: contains spoilers and/or promotion for Blood Culture , The Ventriloquist's Dummy , and the entire Lord of the Rings series. Resources: The Meta Corporation LTD The Art of Dramatic Writing, by Lajos Egri (affiliate link) Subscribe or Follow us, so you can be sure to hear all future episodes. Tell us ...
Apr 11, 2021•32 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Click here to tell us what you think! What are you saying, and what are you really saying? How your audio drama says what it says says a lot. This episode, Sarah and Lindsay talk about text and subtext, and some ways to play with it. Also, they'll survive a big cat attack, explore bad urban planning, and teach you the platform exercise. CONTENT WARNING: Lindsay says one expletive, in reference to casinos. WARNING and/or BONUS: Contains spoilers for Tin Can Audio's Dungeon Economic Model. Subscri...
Apr 04, 2021•20 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Click here to tell us what you think! What makes dialogue unique and compelling? In this episode, Lindsay and Sarah discuss all the ums, uhs, and tics of dialogue. Learn about arriving late and leaving early, the power of eavesdropping, and the magic of minimalism. Make your audio drama dialogue memorable. Warning and/or Bonus: Spoilers for Episode 1 of Tin Can Audio’s The Tower . Listen to it now wherever you get your podcasts. Resources: The Real Inspector Hound by Tom Stoppard (Bookshop, affi...
Mar 28, 2021•21 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Click here to tell us what you think! Is your audio drama chock full of characters who sound alike? Does your audience have trouble following the plot because they can't tell who's who? Sarah and Lindsay have some recipes to help you cook up characters so your audio drama podcast can have a multifarious ensemble. Resources: How To Create A Character Profile from WritersWrite Each Zodiac Sign's Unique Zodiac Traits, Explained By An Astrologer, by Aliza Kelly Faragher for Allure Magazine GodChecke...
Mar 26, 2021•29 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Click here to tell us what you think! In this episode of The Audio Drama Writers' Independent Toolkit, Sarah Golding and Lindsay Harris Friel continue their discussion of plot, scheme, structure, etc., with writing exercises you can use to enhance your writing. They also get really excited about WandaVision, Joe Orton, Dan Harmon, and heist stories. Warning or Bonus! This episode includes spoilers for: Wooden Overcoats Season 3 Episode 7 Loot by Joe Orton Can You Help Me Find My Mom? from The Tr...
Mar 14, 2021•26 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Click here to tell us what you think! What's the scheme? What's the plan? In Part 1 of Plot, Sarah and Lindsay discuss how to get your characters from point A to Zed, no matter what gets in their way. Warning or Bonus! Spoilers for The Truth 's episode, Can You Help Me Find My Mom . Listen to that episode before you dive in here. Resources: OK Go - This Too Shall Pass - Rube Goldberg Machine - Official Video Pee Wee's Big Adventure, The Breakfast Machine Wallace & Gromit, Cracking Contraptio...
Mar 07, 2021•31 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Click here to tell us what you think! Who are Sarah Golding and Lindsay Harris Friel, and why are they trying to help you make more, better audio drama podcasts, with less stress? Click the play button and find out. Subscribe, so you can be sure to hear all future episodes. Visit our website, at ADWIT.org . Tell us what you think, on Twitter, at @ADWITpodcast . Or, write to us, at [email protected]. Avanti! Want more audio fiction in your life? Subscribe to The Fiction Podcast Weekly . Want...
Mar 07, 2021•20 min•Season 1Ep. 1
Click here to tell us what you think! Want there to be more good audio drama? Sarah Golding and Lindsay Harris Friel are here to help. Each episode, we'll be talking about different aspects of audio drama writing, explore examples of audio drama podcasts, and give you writing exercises so you can play along at home. Join Sarah and Lindsay on a voyage of audio drama discovery. Subscribe, so you can be sure to hear all future episodes. Visit our website, at ADWIT.org . Tell us what you think, on T...
Mar 07, 2021•2 min0
