If you want to prepare for an upcoming speech, it is better to go back to the very basics of speech writing first. There are tons of guidelines on how to make your speech effective and interesting, but before we go to that, you must understand that you will need to consider a lot of things, such as your topic, audience, and the type of event. While you can prepare your speech via researching and on-the-spot speaking, the success rate of this method is low unless you are really good at making public speeches. Hence, it is always better to write your speech ahead of time.
The Guidelines in Speech Writing
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Start with the Basic
Always go back to the basics. First, you should consider your audience and why you are giving a speech to them, your topic, and the time duration of your speech. Your topic should match the type of audience you will have and the occasion. Find the purpose of your speech. Are you writing it to instruct, to inspire or motivate, to teach, or to lead something into action? Next, organize your speech. The basic outline of speech writing is the introduction, the body, and the conclusion. Remember that to persuade your listeners, your points must be logical, sound, and organize. Lastly, consider the speech duration, as this will guide you about the number of words you will need for your speech writing.
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Make Your Speech Effective
In making your speech effective, it is crucial to know the demographics of your audience. For instance, if your listeners are grade-schoolers, try not to use complicated or esoteric words or phrases. Also, you should get your facts together in order to prove to your audience that you know what you are talking about. Given this, you need to do a thorough research. Use reliable sources such as journals, books, and newspapers. Be careful where you get your sources on the internet. Also, never get off track from your main subject! Focus on it and don’t delve into other completely unrelated details; you don’t want to lose their attention because of this mistake.
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Form Your Speech
Start your speech with an interesting introduction that will make your audience want to listen to you. Go back to your purpose of why you are giving your speech. After, choose the best technique or hook that would appeal to your audiences such as humor, shocking or thrilling statements, quotes, or a combination of these.
The body must contain the key points, ideas, and concepts of your speech and the arguments/supports of your main message. You should start the body with the strongest point of your argument or idea. Get your audience on your side. Your weakest argument/idea should be placed in the middle. End your body using the second strongest point of your argument/idea. Reel your audiences back again on your side.
Summarize everything on your conclusion, but make it powerful. In this section, restate the main message of your speech, prompt your audience to be motivated or learn from your speech, and give them a sense of completion. At the near end of your speech, leave your audience with a thought that will stir their curiosity and mind.
Be aware of your linking/transitions from one idea to another. Make this clear so as to not leave your audience confused. -
Do a Final Checking
Proofread your speech write up and perform a sense check. Make sure that all information and statements are correct and understandable. After this, you can let someone check your draft or practice delivering it to them. Take note of their feedback and suggestions. Make sure that they understand your message clearly. You can write it in its final form after.
Conclusion
Speech writing is easy if you have the right knowledge of making an excellent one. Read thoroughly and understand the guidelines. Just follow all the steps. You can also try reading other sources for more information. Remember to make your speech memorable and powerful.