Radio commercials: Writing to voices

Sometimes it’s easier to write a commercial if you have specific voices in mind. It helps you to write from their point of view.

Where can you find voices to give you inspiration? Listen to voice samples on the web. Think about your relatives, friends, voices in movies, voices overheard in restaurants, public transportation, or in retail stores.

Interesting voices are everywhere: the gum-chewing store clerk, the fast-talking investment broker, the laid-back surfer dude at the coffee shop, the nervous neighbor kid, the opinionated guy who drives the snowplow. Each will have a personality and perspective. As you listen to their voices or read their descriptions, “become” them and write from their hearts.

With your client in mind, listen to your voice collection until one or two of them “speaks” to you. Then write your commercial in their voices.

As you create from a character’s point of view, you’ll find that the characters’ personalities may change, as may the story. See where it takes you.

Record the commercial with either the voices that inspired you or similar voices. The actors may bring something to the commercial that you hadn’t envisioned originally. Be flexible enough to adapt your script to the changing point of view.

Let the voices in your head create a commercial to touch the hearts of your audience.