I wrote hundreds of 30-second commercials for Radio and TV for over 36 years. The formula that helped me the most was AIDA. It helps my flash fiction as well, where time is short and words limited.
Radio is harder because everything is spoken words, but inflection can help and be part of the un-read script, similar to our word-showing abilities. TV, like a movie, can picture a lot of action and setting without many words, but words and visuals have to agree.
Now the formula, AIDA. It stands for Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action. With commercial advertising copy, the purpose is to get the listener/viewer to fork over some money for the client’s product or service.
Before is anyone ready for that, with the clutter of commercials these days, you have to get their Attention first. You should know how to write a good opening sentence or two by now. Make it stand out in some manner. Okay, you got my attention, so what?
We move to Interest by demonstrating or showing why they should be interested in the product, for example.
But simply because you got them to listen and are now interested, that’s not nearly enough. Next, you much create a Desire for the product. “How can you live a good life without it?” or “Don’t you want to have a brand new product to show off to your friends?” Copywriters appeal to more base instincts, they hit below the belt where you don’t see it coming.
Now assume they have created, in 20 to 22 seconds, a strong desire. Still, nothing will happen if you don’t finally motivate to take Action. “Buy it now, at a discount ending Sunday, at your local dealer.”
It’s quite easy to use the same formula for flash fiction, or even a longer story. Your opening must hook the reader in some way. Get them interested in the story or leading character as soon as you can. Now you got them for a while, and you must build your story to have a Desire to see how it ends. “Yeah, this is getting good, I wanna see how it ends.”
The ending is up to you, but it must be satisfying whether it be a twist they didn’t see coming or a conclusion that ties the ribbons on the story that is fulfilling. While not usually a cliff-hanger, an ending with a couple of possible things that are likely to happen might let the reader draw their own conclusion.
To be a story repeated to others, the ending has to tie the ribbons on it all, similar to the Action step with AIDA.
Next time you write a short story, say ‘ah-eeda’ to yourself to remember AIDA. It sells.
