Writing a Speech

Writing a speech is difficult (even scary!) for most people. You're addressing different kinds of people at the same time, and you're the center of everyone's attention. To be effective, you must therefore be thoroughly informative, powerfully engaging, and graciously respectable. Ample preparation is a must.

The following are some tips in writing a speech:

• Brainstorm.

  Brainstorming means coming up with as many ideas as you can, so that you have options to choose from. Strategic brainstorming is helpful for speakers; you must come up with ideas based on the nature of the audience, the topic, the time, the occasion and the intention of the speech. Doing so will ensure that you have a targeted rather than a generic speech.

  Researching and pinning down ideas will also make writing a speech easier. Once you have selected which ideas you want to use, structuring your presentation based on logical flow and impact is a breeze. You won't have to torture yourself thinking of what to include in your speech; all relevant content are already in front of you.

• Look for a quotation that tailor fits your idea.

  Most effective speeches start off by quoting a line from a famous book or an inspirational person - who doesn't love the classic lines of Greek poetry or the ideas of famous thinkers? True enough, it's not necessary to include quotations (anecdotes, jokes, and rhetorical questions will work just as well) but for beginners, quotations are not a bad place to start. Writing a speech then becomes easier, because the quotation serves as an overarching idea that provides bones as you develop the content.

• Proofread.

  Writing a speech requires rigorous and competent editing - the wrong word or a mispronunciation might communicate the wrong point across! A sentence that's out of place can also disrupt your rhythm, and confuse -- or worse bore -- your audience. Inaccurate information is a definite no-no. And expect bad grammar to reflect badly on you.

  Patience in reading and proofreading the text is therefore integral in securing the success of the speaker. Even experienced public speakers have had mistakes once in a while! For best results, never underestimate the value of proofreading a text before presenting it.

• Practice and time the speech.

  Get a timer and say the speech out loud in order to make sure you stay within the parameters of your talk. Remember that an audience can get bored if you go past thirty minutes, unless the speech is comedic in nature. Attention span is very important, so do your best to organize your speech in the best way possible. This will enable you as well to add or delete certain material that may not be apt for the audience. Writing the speech, after all, is a responsibility.

• Question yourself.

  Is the speech good enough? Only you can answer the question: "have you really done your best?" Put yourself in the shoes of your listeners; are there ideas that are unclear or dubious? If there's anything that you're uncomfortable with, do your part and find a better way of explaining your point or a more powerful method of delivery.

See, writing a speech is not as hard as it seems! The best way to do it is always to start off calmly, as if you have all the time in the world, so that you can accommodate the best ideas. Practice, as the saying goes, makes perfect - so the more opportunities you have to prepare, the better. May the best of luck be with you!

Resources

• Tips for writing a speech.
• Great little tool from Scholastic to help you write a speech.