FAQ / Scripted podcast without sounding stiff
How do I record a scripted podcast without it sounding stiff?
A stiff-sounding podcast is almost always a writing problem, not a delivery problem. Rewrite the script to sound like spoken English, then record one paragraph at a time so you can re-do any line that comes out reading-aloud instead of talking.
The five rewrites
- Contractions everywhere. "I am" becomes "I'm". "Do not" becomes "don't". People who speak naturally use contractions, period.
- Shorter sentences. If a sentence has more than one comma, break it. Two short sentences sound conversational; one long one sounds like an essay being read aloud.
- Cut the throat-clearing. "What I want to talk about today is" is just "Today: ". "It is important to note that" is just delete the whole phrase.
- Read it out loud at draft. Mark anything that trips your tongue. Rewrite those parts before you ever record.
- Add real human verbs. "Utilize" is never a real word out of a human mouth. Use "use". Same for "leverage", "facilitate", and "in order to".
Record paragraph by paragraph
Once the script is rewritten, drop it into VoiceOverAndOver. Each paragraph becomes a row. Record one paragraph, listen, decide if it sounds like you talking. If it does not, click Re-record on that one row and try again. Maybe smile this time. Maybe stand up. Maybe rewrite the line one more time.
Pretend you are explaining this to one specific friend. Pick someone real. Say their name in your head before you hit Record. Your delivery instantly drops 30 percent of its "broadcasting voice" stiffness.
Leave a beat between paragraphs
Real speech has tiny pauses. Crop each paragraph to start the moment you talk and end just after, then let the gaps between paragraphs in the merge timeline carry the natural pause. Do not try to perform a long pause inside a paragraph - it will sound forced. The space between paragraphs does it for you.
Cut the bits that bored you
When you listen back, the paragraphs that bored you are the ones the audience will tune out on. Delete them. The whole upside of recording one paragraph at a time is that you can cut a row without rerecording anything around it.