A noir audio drama / podcast typically runs 18-35 pages per episode and is defined by audio noir that draws directly from the genre's radio drama origins — hard-boiled narration, jazzy underscoring, and atmospheric sound design that drips with rain and regret.
Audio noir returns the genre to its origins — hard-boiled detective fiction was born on radio. Voice-over narration in a world-weary tone is the genre's signature. Jazz or bluesy underscoring creates instant noir atmosphere. Sound design should be atmospheric and moody: rain, distant sirens, clinking glasses, cigarette lighter clicks. The protagonist's interior monologue provides cynical commentary on the investigation. Femme fatale voices should be distinctive and compelling. Dialogue should be sharp, rhythmic, and quotable. Night sounds dominate. The investigation should unfold through conversations in atmospheric locations: bars, alleys, dimly lit offices, rain-soaked streets. Every character should have a distinctive voice that suggests their role in the noir world.
Open with the protagonist's narration setting the mood (2-3 pages). Introduce the case through a client meeting or crime scene (4-8 pages). Investigate through atmospheric encounters (6-12 pages). Deliver the episode's twist or betrayal (3-5 pages). End with the protagonist deeper in trouble (2-3 pages). Total: 18-35 pages per episode.
Write your protagonist's opening voice-over first. Their cynical worldview sets the entire tone.
Design the visual world in your scene descriptions: shadows, rain, neon, smoke. Noir is an atmosphere before it's a story.
Give your femme fatale or catalyst character genuine complexity — they should be compelling, not just a plot device.
Write the ending first. Noir stories are about inevitability — knowing the destination lets you build the dread on the way there.
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