Maybe it's because Rex strong-armed me into doing the voiceover for the Hammock Wall video or because I recently interviewed my dad for StoryCorps, but I was intrigued by the session on Audio Storytelling at the recent Innovation in College Media workshop at Vanderbilt University. News director Anita Bugg and news reporter Blake Farmer from WPLN, Nashville's local NPR affiliate, gave the following tips for “writing for the ear” and producing can’t-tear-yourself-away audio broadcasts.

1. Start with a very focused idea. What story do you want to tell? That’s not to say that you always write exactly what you set out to write, but you’ll lose your audience if you put up hurdles like talking for too long or verging off on tangents, Bugg and Farmer say. Since listeners can’t rewind, you have one shot to get their attention—so stay focused. And find a good, critical editor to help you cut the miles of tape.

2. Write conversationally. Think, "How would I say that to a real person?" If you struggle reading what you wrote, tear it up and re-write it.

3. Touch on all senses. An audio story should vault you to a place. It’s "theater of the mind," Bugg says. “Give listeners the paint to create their own palette in their heads.”

4. Avoid jargon. Ask, "How would I tell this story to a 4th grader?" This doesn’t mean the writing should be dumbed-down; just write in an accessible way, Bugg says. (Pertinent advice when interviewing scientists!)

5. Stay in present tense and use active voice. Say, Jack wants a hot dog; not, a hot dog was a food Jack was craving.

6. Find intriguing background sounds. Ambient sound can convey objective facts and information, but it can also convey subjective emotions and create mood, Bugg says. But, Farmer cautions, don’t add gratuitous sound like car traffic if it doesn’t fit in with your story. Make it serve a purpose, whether it’s a cobbler tapping on shoes or the clinking silverware of a busy lunchtime café.

7. Tap into your subjects’ energy and emotion. As the WPLN reporters explain, in audio stories, we are drawn to the intimacy of the human voice, whether passionate, angry or excited, so look for characters who have something they really want to say. (In radio lingo, this is called getting "hot tape.") It’s also important to ask your interviewee a question with the same amount of energy you want to get back.

Now, the next time I download a podcast of This American Life for a weekend drive, I'll listen much more critically!

Try to check out “Sons of Lwala” when it premieres at the 2008 Nashville Film Festival April 17-24. Last night I attended the benefit preview of the film about Milton and Fred Ochieng, two brothers who come to Nashville to study medicine while simultaneously opening the first health clinic in their home village in western Kenya. The brothers were driven to finish the clinic that had been their father’s dream before he and their mother died of AIDS. Milton, in particular, felt compelled to give back ever since villagers sold chickens and cows to raise the $900 needed for his first plane ticket to the United States. “Just don’t forget us,” they told him as they sent him off to pursue his education.

Despite the pressures of medical school, it proved impossible for either brother to forget a home where sick villagers have to walk miles for treatment, children suffer from preventable waterborne illnesses and 20-year-olds are dying of AIDS.

Produced and directed by Barry Simmons, a former TV reporter, the documentary follows two years in the life of the brothers as they struggle to raise money for the clinic on their own. Their goal seems close to impossible until they meet others who are inspired by their quest, including Sen. Bill Frist, the band Jars of Clay and hundreds of their fellow students. Thanks to an outpouring of support, the clinic opened in 2007, and to date, it has served 15,000 patients and spearheaded community health initiatives.

Check out the documentary Web site for a trailer and this link for more information about the brothers’ continuing efforts to support their village.