The first thing to do is understand that writing for a voiceover is very different from writing for the printed page. When you’re reading a book, magazine or web page you can go at your own pace, and even skip back and re-read bits that aren’t clear. Audio is different. When you write a voiceover script, you need to remember that your listeners have to understand your words the first (and maybe the only) time they hear them.

So your number one priority is to write English that is clear and simple.
That sounds easy, but it isn’t. If you aim for simplicity, the big danger is that your voiceover ends up sounding like a reception teacher talking to a classroom of four-year-olds. That’s patronising, and the last thing you want to do is patronise your listeners, especially if you’re trying to sell them something.

The trick is to aim for a conversational effect. That doesn’t mean you have to be chatty or informal. It means using the style and tone of voice you would use if you were having a direct, honest, face-to-face conversation.

The best way to do that is to be as concrete and direct as possible, starting with the words you use. The difference between a good voiceover script and a bad one often comes down to word choice. Keep your words simple, preferring short ones to long ones. Avoid business and marketing jargon. Above all, use concrete words rather than abstract ones.

That means steering clear of words like cost-effective, efficient, impact, focussed, competent and cutting-edge. They are difficult for readers to grasp right away, and you’ll be making life hard for the voice over artist who has to get his or her mouth round them. Choose words that are easy to listen to, and easy to say: fast, low-cost, free, now, great.

You also need to limit the length of your sentences. In general, short is good, but if every sentence in your voice over script is short, you’ll find the whole thing sounds stilted and a bit weird. Aim for variation: one good technique is to use a relatively long sentence followed by a very short one:

Come to Dave’s Garage for Manchester’s best prices on tyres. Best prices guaranteed!

When you’re writing your voice over script, the best tool available to you is reading aloud. Write a draft, then read it out. Don’t whisper or mumble – blast it out in a good, strong, clear voice. When you’re doing dry runs like these, take care to enunciate clearly, just like a voice over artist would. That means making all the syllables of a word stand out crisply and clearly, while still maintaining a relatively natural tone of voice. If you’re doing it properly, you should find that you’re using your teeth and the muscles in the lower part of your face and jaw more than you would in normal conversation.

You could even record yourself on a Dictaphone or by using one of the simple freeware audio applications on the market.

Ask yourself: how does this sound? Are there any parts of the script that seem jumbled or untidy, even if they make perfect grammatical sense on the page? More important, did you find yourself tripping up or struggling to say particular words of phrases clearly? Those are the danger points in your script that you need to revisit and perhaps rewrite. If you have to work hard to say something clearly, the audience for your eventual voiceover – whether it’s part of a radio ad, an e-learning tutorial or a podcast – might have a hard time understanding it.

In summary:

1. Always remember that your audience only gets one shot at understanding your voiceover – listening to recorded speech isn’t like reading from the printed page.
2. Make sure everything is clear and simple without being patronising. Use clear, direct language and varied sentence lengths. (Avoid sentences that are too long – anything more than 20-25 words may need to be cut in two, and you should aim for an average length somewhere in the region of 8-15 words.)
3. Remember that reading aloud is your most valuable tool. Write an initial draft, read it aloud, spot the problems and rewrite accordingly. Keep going through this process. If possible, get other people to read it aloud and listen to it, too – they might spot problems you miss.

If you’re struggling with your voiceover scripts, feel free to get in touch with the experts at Clocktower Creative studios. They have more than a decade of experience in the writing, recording and production of voice over narrative for business – from radio commercials to on-hold marketing. They’ll be happy to offer advice or take over the writing work for you.

For more information and contact details go to clocktowercreative.co.uk