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Whether you're speaking in front of millions or a local gathering, you'll be more confident if you're well prepared. Read on to learn how to write a speech.
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Whether you're speaking in front of millions or a local gathering, you'll be more confident if you're well prepared. Read on to learn how to write a speech.
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Introduction
- Whether you are exhilarated or terrified by the opportunity to present your thoughts to a room full of people, the experience will be better if you can write a good speech. Begin the process by reading or watching great speeches and researching your audience. When you begin to actually write the speech, you'll want to have a strong introduction, a body with a clear beginning, middle, and end, and a powerful conclusion that summarizes what you've said.
Step 1: Read Great Speeches
- Oratory is a skill that can be learned. Take some time to read great speeches, thinking about what makes them powerful and interesting.
Step 2: Know Your Audience
- This is a critical step in speech writing. Even though you may have been asked to speak on a specific topic, you need to be able to connect to your audience effectively in order to give a good speech.
- If you're speaking in an unfamiliar geographic region, read a few local newspapers to acquaint yourself with the local issues and concerns.
- Tailor your language to the audience. You'd use a different vocabulary when speaking to a group of farm workers than you would if speaking to MIT engineers.
- Use jokes, quotes, references, and analogies that are familiar to your audience.
- Keep religious and political opinions out of speeches to a general audience.
Step 3: Craft Your Introduction
- The first words out of your mouth can determine whether or not you carry the audience. Conventional wisdom suggests that you use a joke or a quote, but your own words can work well, too. Make sure that you introduce your topic crisply and concisely, using powerful language to draw your listeners in.
Step 4: Write the Speech
- There are some principles you should keep in mind as you write the body of the speech.
- Just as with any other writing, your speech should tell a story.
- It should have a beginning, middle, and end.
- Read the words aloud as you write, as you are crafting language that will be heard, not read.
- Keep the sentence structure simple.
- Repeat key themes throughout the speech.
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