Speech Writing

Preparation is the best medicine!

Determine your REASON for speaking:

General purposes: inform, persuade, entertain

Specific purpose: Complete sentence that begins with “After listening to my speech, my audience will….”

If you don’t know your purpose, DON’T start writing your speech yet!

Develop your Purpose

Start…and Finish

The introduction and conclusion: Are vitally

important Occupy less than

20% of speaking time

Help listeners form impressions early

Leave lasting impressions

Introduction

Four basic functions:1. Get audience

attention

Refer to the audience, occasion , something familiar

Cite a startling fact or opinion

Tell a brief story Use a quote Tell a relevant joke

Attention Getters

Examples: “Did you know that adults who began volunteering

as youth are twice as likely to volunteer as those who did not volunteer when they were younger?”-Ask a question/pose a statistic

“Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison, Steve Jobs. These are all great inventors and innovators that have had an enormous effect on everyone living in the world today.” – Refer to something familiar

“Trick or Treat! Smell my feet! Give me something good to eat!” – Use a quote

Introduction

Four basic functions:1. Get audience

attention2. State your thesis or

proposition

Your thesis is one sentence that tells your audience what the entire speech is about.

It is NOT an English paper thesis. Be direct.

A proposition is used in a persuasive speech. It states your POSITION on the topic, as well as what you hope to accomplish with the speech.

Examples: “Steve Jobs had an interesting life and

contributed greatly to the world, which is why I plan to share more about his life with you today.” - Thesis

“Today, I want to inform you all of the history and traditions behind this spooky holiday.” - Thesis

Thesis or Proposition Statement

Introduction

Four basic functions:1. Get audience

attention2. State your thesis or

proposition3. Establish your

credibility

Why are you an authority on the topic?

Why did you choose this topic?

State if you have experience with the topic or if you have done research.

Examples:

“Steve Jobs had a personal impact on my own life by inspiring me to major in technology innovation. I’ve also read his biography recently.” – Reason for choosing/Authority on Topic

“Like me, I am sure all of you have celebrated Halloween in some way or another—but as a great enthusiast of Halloween, I researched more about this holiday to understand where it started.” – Reason for choosing/Authority on Topic

Credibility Statements

Introduction

Four basic functions:1. Get audience

attention2. State your thesis or

proposition3. Establish your

credibility4. Preview your main

points

Directly state or list the 3-5 main points BRIEFLY that you plan to make.

This should be a clear list.

It should correspond exactly with your main points.

Examples:

“I’ll begin with why volunteering first and foremost improves the lives of those being helped, then why it personally changes and benefits the person volunteering, and lastly I will convince you that the long term impacts of volunteering are high.”

“To begin, I will tell you about the early life of Steve Jobs with his childhood and education. Then, I’ll tell you about his professional achievements, and lastly about his death.”

“First, I will tell you what Halloween is and where it came from; Second, I will tell you about the traditions and customs that go along with this holiday; and lastly, I will tell you about the activities that people like to participate in during this day.”

Preview Statements

Attention getter: How many people in here have a

hard time balancing school work, working, family, and personal time?

Thesis: For many of you in here, time management can be a major struggle, but it doesn’t have to be.

Credibility: I’ve been effectively using time management strategies for years now, and it has made my life much easier to balance.

Preview: First, I’ll discuss how to manage your school time, then work time, and lastly family and personal time.

Another Example:

Shift the speech from one point to another Provide a brief recap or forecast Occur between EVERY PARAGRAPH and

sometimes between main points and sub points You will VERBALLY state every transition

clearly. These are not subtle, English paper

transitions. They are direct and clear statements that can be audibly detected by your audience.

Transitions

“Let me begin with the first people who benefit

from volunteer work.” – Shifts the point

“This brings me to next point: Steve Jobs’ professional achievements.” – Forecasts the next point

“Now that I’ve told you the origins and traditions of Halloween night, I’ll discuss how fun it is to go take part in the freaky and creepy parts of Halloween.” – Provides a recap and forecast

Transition Examples

Transition over completely to conclusion

“So as you can see…” or “To conclude…” Then SUMMARIZE THE POINTS AGAIN.

“First I told you about (point 1), then I discussed (point 2) and lastly, I explained (point 3).”

In persuasive speaking only, Call to Action is here

End with a memorable thought

Conclusion

Tips for an Effective

Conclusion Do not end

abruptly Don’t ramble Don’t introduce

new points Don’t apologize

Transition statement: “With that in mind, let me conclude.”Conclusion “First, I told you about the positive impact it has on

the person being helped, then I told you about how it affects the volunteer and lastly I told you about the long term benefits of volunteering. - Recap

I hope this inspires all of you to begin volunteering today! – Call to Action

This is our time—let’s make a difference.” – Memorable thought

Conclusion Example #1

Transition statement: “Let me conclude by

recapping my points.”Conclusion “I began by telling you of his humble beginnings,

how he progressed to change the modern world with his cutting-edge products and left a mark on the computer industry, and his tragic death. - Recap

Some of you may not realize it, but every one of you has personally been affected by this pioneer of the computer industry.” – Memorable thought

Conclusion Example #2

Transition statement: “With such a fun-filled holiday, there’s much more to say, but for now I must conclude.”Conclusion

“First, I told you where the day Halloween came from and what the meaning behind it is, second, I told you what traditions are practiced on this night, and lastly, I explained what amusing activities come along with Halloween. - Recap

Now that you all are more informed about this fun filled holiday, I would like to share a little piece of Halloween with you.” (Pass out Candy and play “Thriller” by Michael Jackson) – Memorable thought and action

Conclusion Example#3