When speaking with Barry M Putt, Jr. you are immediately taken by his dignified and intelligent demeanor. He “seems” like an academic – or more to the point – an author. From grammar school he was intrigued by the stories he read in class and the worlds they took him to.

He wanted to make his own stories … his own inspirations. He even went to a publisher … where he got his first rejection. This fueled him to write more and even make movies – well, super 8 sound film with neighborhood buddies as talent.

High school was where he first put his work on stage: “My scripts dramatized issues that I was experiencing, which eventually led me to focus on the theme of valuing outsiders. I believe that seeing stories that feature people we don’t understand helps us gain insight into them and ultimately grow to value them. That is an element I incorporate into my dramatic writing to this day.”

His first professional credit as a non-fiction author came with his book Alice: Life Behind the Counter in Mel’s Greasy Spoon (A Guide to the Feature Film, the TV Series, and More). Itwas published by BearManor Media in 2019. That was followed by a “how to” book about the craft of audio-drama writing entitled Stories Told through Sound which was published by Applause Books in 2023.

We spoke with Barry at this pivotal point in his career to learn more about the boy who told stories.

What’s your creative process? Do you know what’s going to happen all the way through before you sit down to write, or does it happen organically?

As a dramatic writer my creative process differs depending on if I’m writing an original piece or an adaptation. For originals, I start with an idea, develop it into an outline complete with histories for the main characters and then write the script. This enables me to craft well-defined first drafts that have a fully realized plot and characters. I then get feedback on the script and continue to develop it until it is ready for production. For adaptations, I tend to use a technique I call the “Protagonist and Action” approach. As I read the source material, I identify who the protagonist is and what they are striving for in the story. I then only adapt elements in the source material that support the character’s main story objective. Once I have a first draft of the script, I create an outline of that draft to ensure it is well structured. Adjustments are made as needed until a final script is ready.

In my work as an author, I start by identifying the topic I will cover in the book. I spend a great deal of time researching the subject, including interviewing people and reading published and unpublished material. Once all research has been reviewed and consolidated, I write the manuscript starting with the most basic chapter and moving forward from there until the book is finished.

What is your philosophy on the spoken word vs the written word?

As an audio dramatist, I feel the written word and the spoken word work hand-in-hand. Writers write scripts that actors and a production team turn into a fully realized production. Both the written and spoken words are an essential part of this process. The written word communicates character and action while the spoken word delivers that meaning in an engaging, authentic, and dramatic way.

On that note, how much do you take into account the possibility of a stage play or film of your work when you write?

Choosing the most effective medium to tell a story is the first decision I make when I am writing a story. Doing so helps me determine the number of locations, characters, effects, and dialogue that will be used. Stage plays and films tend to use different amounts of these elements. Knowing upfront what medium, a story will be seen in enables me to know how best to use each element when structuring the story.

What’s the next project? 

I work on multiple projects at the same time. My next audio-drama production will be an adaptation of Beauty and the Beast produced bythe award-winning company, Voices in the Wind Audio Theatre. It will be released through Blackstone Audio in the fall of 2024 on CD, streaming, and digital download. The Atlanta Radio Theatre Company is producing season one of my audio-drama series about the American Revolutionary War, entitled The Liberty Boys of ’76. It will be released in the fall of 2025 on Audible. I am also writing a non-fiction book entitled The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew on Film, TV, and Stage. It will be published by BearManor Media and has an anticipated publication date of 2026.