You have written the perfect script. But the moment you press record, your voice goes flat and you sound like you are reading a textbook. News anchors use teleprompters every day and sound natural, so why is it so hard for the rest of us?
In this episode, I break down four specific techniques to fix that robotic delivery. We look at the trade-offs between reading word-for-word and improvising, and how each method impacts your editing time and cognitive load. I also share the specific method I use for my own shows to balance accuracy with a human connection.
Here is what you will learn in this episode:
The goal is to sound like the expert you are.
Previous episode on script formatting:
Podcast: https://stereoforest.com/episodes/solo-podcasting-workflow-voice-to-final-script/
Video: https://youtu.be/LixDbzNYRXE
Anchor words: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1244288/full
Newsletter: https://StereoForest.com/newsletter
CHAPTERS
00:00 The problem with reading scripts
02:22 Balancing delivery vs. editing time
03:57 Method 1: Look down, look up (Short-term memory)
05:26 Method 2: Scan reading (News anchor style)
06:50 Method 3: Reference cues (Anchoring)
10:24 Method 4: Reference and improvise
12:31 Choosing the right technique for you
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Written, edited, and hosted by Jen deHaan.
Find this show on YouTube at https://youtube.com/@jdehaan
Website at https://stereoforest.com/lab
Get StereoForest’s newsletter for podcasting resources at https://stereoforest.com/newsletter
Produced by StereoForest https://stereoforest.com
Contact Jen at https://jendehaan.com
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