Ep 5: Write the way you talk | Micless [Micless](https://micless.com/) __ [About](https://micless.com/about) [Episodes](https://micless.com/episodes) [__Subscribe](https://micless.com/subscribe) - [Episodes](https://micless.com/episodes) - / - [Episode 5](https://micless.com/episodes/e5-write-way-you-talk) # Write the way you talk One of the most common pieces of podcasting advice is to never read from a script, or you'll sound like a robot. But scripts themselves aren't the problem. The way we were taught to write in school and business is. In today's episode, I look at advertising legend David Ogilvy's classic 1982 memo on curing stiff corporate writing, and share how I use instant playback in Elora as an ear test to catch formal phrasing and rewrite it the way I actually talk. Episode 5__3 min ![David Stack](https://micless.com/img/180x180-david-stack.webp)by [David Stack](https://micless.com/contributors/david-stack) · Updated Nov 5, 2026 ![Ep 5: Write the way you talk](https://micless.com/img/micless-cover.jpg) Micless · Episode 5 Write the way you talk 0:00 / 0:00 __ __ __ 0.00 1x [__All Micless Episodes](https://micless.com/episodes) [__RSS Feed](https://micless.com/rss) ## Show Notes One of the most common pieces of podcasting advice is to never read from a script, or you'll sound like a robot. But scripts themselves aren't the problem. The way we were taught to write in school and business is. In today's episode, I look at advertising legend David Ogilvy's classic 1982 memo on curing stiff corporate writing, and share how I use instant playback in Elora as an ear test to catch formal phrasing and rewrite it the way I actually talk. ### Links from the Show - [How to Write by David Ogilvy](https://fs.blog/david-ogilvy-how-to-write/) — David Ogilvy's classic 1982 internal memo on stripping out stiff business jargon and writing the way you talk _This episode was fully produced and hosted with [Elora.fm](https://elora.fm)._ --- ## Transcript One of the first rules you hear when you look up podcasting advice is to never read from a script. People warn that when you write in advance, you'll sound too stiff. And if you've ever tried reading something you wrote out loud, you know where that warning comes from. Suddenly your voice goes flat, and you sound like you're giving a book report. In today's episode, I'll explore why scripts get blamed for bad audio, when the real culprit is how we were taught to write in the first place. For most of our lives, first in school and then at work, we're trained to write formally. We're rewarded for long sentences, big words, and clever transitions. Or worse, by the word count our writing clocks-in at. As if some magic number of words proves the value of what you have to say. Even now, the moment I open a new document, my brain still tries to slip back into high school essay mode. I start typing phrases I wouldn't ever say in real life. When you read that kind of writing out loud, of course it sounds stiff. It was written to look smart on a page, not for speaking. Back in 1982, advertising legend David Ogilvy sent a short memo to his team titled How to Write. He was fed up with reading stiff, bloated business memos, so he laid out ten short rules to fix them. The core of his second rule was just five words long. Write the way you talk. He told his team to use short words, short sentences, and short paragraphs, and to strip out pretentious jargon. He even added a practical test: read your draft aloud before sending, and edit anything that sounds off. When you're writing a solo podcast script, that ear test is everything. Because I write these episodes inside Elora, I don't even have to wait until the draft is finished to hear how it sounds. As I'm writing, I can have my Studio Voice instantly read a line right back to me. My ears pick up on anything that sounds unusual, so I can fix it right away. It takes a little practice to unlearn all those years of writing for school and work. So next time a draft feels stiff, read it out loud, listening for the words your high school English teacher would have loved. Then go crazy with red ink until it actually sounds like you. I'm David, and this has been day five... of Micless. See you tomorrow. [creators](https://micless.com/topics/creators) [script writing](https://micless.com/topics/script-writing) [Micless](https://micless.com/) Short daily thoughts on making a solo podcast without losing your mind (or touching a microphone). Show [About](https://micless.com/about) [Episodes](https://micless.com/episodes) [Topics](https://micless.com/topics) Connect [Subscribe](https://micless.com/subscribe) [Contact](https://micless.com/contact) [Elora](https://elora.fm?ref=micless)__ © 2026 Micless made with ❤️ by [David Stack](https://davidstack.io/?utm_source=micless.com&utm_medium=referral).From one creator to all others.