HOW TO WRITE RADIO PLAYS

New Zealand Listener, Volume 6, Issue 141, 6 March 1942, Page 8

HOW TO WRITE RADIO PLAYS

PLAY WRITING FOR RADIO, By Allan G. Sleeman, Christchurch. The Caxton Press. HIS is a useful and timely book in a land where opportunities for the brain children of aspiring radio writers are greater than ever, but where the mortality rate among such offspring is still high. The author approaches , his task with obvious honesty, for in the very first chapter he says of his book: "It embraces no secret formula to kindle a spark of literary fire where none exists. It purports to do-no more than direct a revealing beam of light upon the peculiar mechanics and _ considerable compass of the radio drama," On this modest basis he has produced a compact little book which should be welcomed by aspiring radio writers in New Zealand, to whom there has hitherto been little printed information readily available on this subject of radio writing. The book covers the do’s and don’ts that have become established as standard in the comparatively short life of this newest branch of dramatic writing: do’s and don’ts which everyone who tries to write a radio play should assimilate before starting on his task if he wants to save himself and the broadcasting authorities a good deal of time. A knowledge of the factors governing the writing of acceptable radio plays should con(Continued on next page) ©

BOOK REVIEWS (Continued from previous page) vince the most confident tyro that terrible though (in his mind) all radio plays heard on the air are, they cannot be dashed off in an odd moment of yearning to write a radio play. This is the correct attitude of mind in which to commence writing your radio play. Given that "literary spark," which the author mentions in his first chapter, you are fairly well armed to venture forth in search of acceptances from hard-boiled readers in the production departments. Naturally enough in a book which makes no claim to be exhaustive there are some pertinent points which have not been mentioned. For instance, it would have been helpful to say something of the available markets for radio plays and the probable monetary rewards for acceptable stuff. The author, too, could with advantage have commenced his chapter on the adaptation for radio purposes of original novels, stories, or stage plays, with the firm injunction, "First catch, legally, the original work you wish to adapt." It is surprising how many budding authors proceed with the adaptation of works of other authors oblivious of the legal rights possessed by the copyright owners. Nothing could be more galling to a young writer who had spent tedious hours making a_ radio adaptation of a novel or play by another author than to find that the broadcasting authorities would like to accept his adaptation for production, but cannot do so because the copyright owner of the original work had already disposed of the rights of adaptation, or did not wish to part with them. It is well to stress too in any book on tadio writing that as radio plays are

written to be spoken, they should before submission, be read aloud with a critical ear by the author. In this way lack of plausibility in the dialogue or phrases likely to be difficult to speak can be detected. If the present author read aloud the specimen scripts he includes in his book, he must have dozed momentarily when on page 16 he asks his compére to speak of smoke pouring in a "dense seemingly solid pall." A small thing perhaps to a silent reader, but this sibilant-sodden stuff can be treacher-. ous indeed for a compére whose dentures no longer fit like the proverbial glove.