Public Speaking

Writing the Speech

 

This section of public speaking can be an easy process or a hair-pulling process. Some people know exactly what they want to talk about while others struggle to get a decent introduction written down. However, writing a speech doesn't have to be a difficult process, you just need a clear vision of what you want your end product to be and then the flow of writing a successful speech for both you and your audience comes easy. Think of speech writing in three parts: the introduction, the body, and the conclusion. Below we will discuss some ways to begin your speech writing process and over time it will become second-nature to you. At the bottom of the page I have added a simple example of my entertainment speech outline. 

 

Step 1: The brainstorming process; determine the genre of your speech (Informative, Persuasive, Entertainment). Decide the target audience you're speaking to and what feelings or emotions you want to provoke. Take into account the speech length.

Step 2: Imagine you are at the podium and begin speaking orally. Write down what you are saying and decide which points should be first, second, and last. 

Step 3: Check your credibility and make sure every point you've written down is explained thoroughly. Your audience cannot read minds, so just because you know what you're talking about doesn't necessarily mean your audience follows. Check the tone, sentence lengths, and word choice. Use language that even children could understand. 

Step 4: Look for your transitions. Between each main point make sure you have a transitioning sentence that will help lead your audience into the next main point. If you do not have any transitions, it's likely both you and your audience will get lost within all the points.

Step 5: Consider a memorable conclusion. Never end your speech with "In conclusion." A good conclusion will speak for itself and your audience should know the speech is coming to a close. It's important to remember the conclusion should wrap-up the whole speech and repeat and emphasize all of your main points. 

Step 6: (Optional for some speech writers) Personally I write my introductions first because it guides my speech better if I have my points already lined out according to importance. However, many speech writers believe an introduction should be written last. I believe it's a personal preference and you should write the introduction whenever you feel it will be written in its strongest format. 

Step 7: Rehearse your speech. Give your speech in front of a mirror, in front of parents and peers, even record yourself and play it back. This may be the most crucial part to writing the speech because you're finally hearing the words you wrote aloud in a practice setting. This gives you the chance to go back and rewrite any parts of your speech you feel doesn't flow with the rest.