Here are some tips for narrowing down a broad topic:- Identify the key elements or aspects of the topic. Brainstorm all the different angles you could approach it from.- Consider the audience and their interests/needs. What specific information would be most relevant and useful for them? - Look at timely elements - what's currently in the news or being discussed that relates to the topic?- Interview subject matter experts and ask for their perspectives on what are the most important subtopics or issues.- Conduct research to see what existing literature and data say about priority areas within the topic.- Use a tool like a mind map or outline to visually organize your brainstorming and help focus
This presentation comes from our March 2012 chapter meeting. Mike Long is the former director of the White House Writers Group, and an accomplished speechwriter, author, essayist, and award-winning screenwriter and playwright. He has written remarks for members of Congress, U.S. Cabinet secretaries, governors, diplomats, CEOs, and four presidential candidates.
Similar a Here are some tips for narrowing down a broad topic:- Identify the key elements or aspects of the topic. Brainstorm all the different angles you could approach it from.- Consider the audience and their interests/needs. What specific information would be most relevant and useful for them? - Look at timely elements - what's currently in the news or being discussed that relates to the topic?- Interview subject matter experts and ask for their perspectives on what are the most important subtopics or issues.- Conduct research to see what existing literature and data say about priority areas within the topic.- Use a tool like a mind map or outline to visually organize your brainstorming and help focus
Similar a Here are some tips for narrowing down a broad topic:- Identify the key elements or aspects of the topic. Brainstorm all the different angles you could approach it from.- Consider the audience and their interests/needs. What specific information would be most relevant and useful for them? - Look at timely elements - what's currently in the news or being discussed that relates to the topic?- Interview subject matter experts and ask for their perspectives on what are the most important subtopics or issues.- Conduct research to see what existing literature and data say about priority areas within the topic.- Use a tool like a mind map or outline to visually organize your brainstorming and help focus (20)
Here are some tips for narrowing down a broad topic:- Identify the key elements or aspects of the topic. Brainstorm all the different angles you could approach it from.- Consider the audience and their interests/needs. What specific information would be most relevant and useful for them? - Look at timely elements - what's currently in the news or being discussed that relates to the topic?- Interview subject matter experts and ask for their perspectives on what are the most important subtopics or issues.- Conduct research to see what existing literature and data say about priority areas within the topic.- Use a tool like a mind map or outline to visually organize your brainstorming and help focus
2. Speechwriting: Philosophy
Nobody wants…
Speeches v. Presentation v. Oratory
Oratory: Mainly emotional
Speeches: Mix of information and emotion
Presentation: Information (Power Point)
3. Speechwriting
Six Steps
1. Assess the Event and the Speaker
2. Create a Spec Sheet
3. Identify the Big Ideas and Put Them in Order
(“Identify and Prioritize”)
4. Add Evidence
5. Write the Open and the End
6. Make it Better: Social Media, Sourcing &
Loose Ends
4. Speechwriting
Step 1
1. Assess the Event and the Speaker
2. Create a Spec Sheet
3. Identify the Big Ideas and Put Them in Order
(“Identify and Prioritize”)
4. Add Evidence
5. Write the Open and the End
6. Make it Better: Social Media, Sourcing &
Loose Ends
5. Speechwriting:
Practicalities & Mechanics
Collaborative
w/principal (rarely)
w/staff (usually)
Timetables
Iterations
Getting it down on paper
The rule: 1 minute = 100 words
8. Speechwriting
Before you write a word, spend
time thinking.
How much time do I have to write it?
How long is the speech?
How to write
What form for delivery, cards or text
or other?
Who is the audience?
What is the speech supposed to be
What to write
about?
What do you want the speech to
achieve?
9. Speechwriting
Step 2
1. Assess the Event and the Speaker
2. Create a Spec Sheet
3. Identify the Big Ideas and Put Them in Order
(“Identify and Prioritize”)
4. Add Evidence
5. Write the Open and the End
6. Make it Better: Social Media, Sourcing &
Loose Ends
10. Speechwriting
Prepare Spec Sheet
Mechanics
Speaker Audience
Date Personal connection
Location Last time there
City, building, room Personal ties
Duration People to acknowledge
Order
Text / Notes /
Outline
11. Speechwriting
Prepare Spec Sheet
Content
Topic
from before
What do you want the speech to achieve?
also from before
Three main ideas
“The Meeting”
12. Speechwriting
Step 3
1. Assess the Event and the Speaker
2. Create a Spec Sheet
3. Identify the Big Ideas and Put Them in
Order (“Identify and Prioritize”)
4. Add Evidence
5. Write the Open and the End
6. Make it Better: Social Media, Sourcing &
Loose Ends
13. Speechwriting
Identify and Prioritize
Write the middle first: Outline the Structure
Nothin’ fancy
Make a list of the big points you need to make
3 or 4 max
No more than that, ever
These will be the tent poles, the tree branches, etc
14. Speechwriting
I. Opening – DON’T WRITE THIS YET
II. Middle
A. Big Point #1
B. Big Point #2 Main points
C. Big Point #3
III. Closing – DON’T WRITE THIS YET
15. Speechwriting
I. Opening
A. Big Point #1
B. Big Point #2 Here’s what’s coming: bite-size
C. Big Point #3
II. Middle
A. Big Point #1
B. Big Point #2 Here’s what’s coming: bite-size
C. Big Point #3
III. Closing
A. Big Point #1
B. Big Point #2 Here’s what I told you: bite-size
C. Big Point #3
16. Speechwriting
Step 4
1. Assess the Event and the Speaker
2. Create a Spec Sheet
3. Identify the Big Ideas and Put Them in Order
(“Identify and Prioritize”)
4. Add Evidence
5. Write the Open and the End
6. Make it Better: Social Media, Sourcing &
Loose Ends
17. The Writing: Structure
II. Body
– Point 1: Subjective assertion
• Support: Objective evidence = EVIDENCE
– Point 2
• support
– Point 3
• support
18. Kinds of Evidence
Anecdotes Jokes
Personal experiences use of humor
Statistics Step-by-step logic
Facts Props
History Case studies
19. Speechwriting
Step 5
1. Assess the Event and the Speaker
2. Create a Spec Sheet
3. Identify the Big Ideas and Put Them in Order
(“Identify and Prioritize”)
4. Add Evidence
5. Write the Open and the End
6. Make it Better: Social Media, Sourcing &
Loose Ends
20. Speechwriting
Write Opening and Ending
I. Opening
A. Acknowledgements (speech only) A
B. Rapport/Attention-getting R
C. Topic T
D. Subtopics (depending on length)
1. Big Point #1
S
2. Big Point #2
3. Big Point #3
II. Middle
III. Closing
21. Speechwriting
Write Opening and Ending
I. Opening
II. Middle
III. Closing
A. Big Point #1
B. Big Point #2 Here’s what I told you: bite-size
C. Big Point #3
D. Personal remarks (if desired)
E. Call to Action (if necessary)
22. Speechwriting
Also at the end...
If you want to plant a single take-away message in the
mind of the audience, state it here—clearly!
Make it a simple, memorable sentence or phrase.
Repeat it throughout the talk.
23. Speechwriting
Step 6
1. Assess the Event and the Speaker
2. Create a Spec Sheet
3. Identify the Big Ideas and Put Them in Order
(“Identify and Prioritize”)
4. Add Evidence
5. Write the Open and the End
6. Make it Better: Social Media, Sourcing &
Loose Ends
24. Speechwriting
Add Polish
Think like a fourth-grader/sound like a PhD:
“talk it out”
25. Speechwriting
Add Polish
Convert to text or turn in an outline
Avoid “leading” interstitial language
Replace weak/placeholder anecdotes with stronger
ones
Add more color, detail and evidence
Revise recognitions/acknowledgements
Look for better rapport/personal connections
Wordsmith/clean up language
Keeping inspired...
26. Speechwriting
Test it by reading out loud
Write for the ear, meaning...
Use
short, declarative sentences
Avoid
STAGE DIRECTION / PAUSES / “WAIT FOR
LAUGH”
“lost in the weeds” detail – consider what a listener can
easily hold in his head, not on paper
27. Speechwriting: Social Media
• BEFORE
Use Twitter hashtags to ask audience what
they want to hear (as appropriate)
Tweet/FB pithy quotes from the speech
In catchy language, identify
questions/issues you will address
Occasionally countdown to the date
28. Speechwriting: Social Media
• DURING
Encourage liveblogging, tweeting and FB-
ing as you speak
Offer hashtags to identify the speech and/or
topics
Have someone tweet/FB on your behalf
matching quotes/stories with links to further
information or documentation
29. Speechwriting: Social Media
• AFTER
Post a short video of the opening on FB; link
to text or video
Post grafs/quotes; link to text or video
Convert to multiple blog entries
Post distilled elements as “Note” on FB
30. Speechwriting: Sourcing
Yes, it’s necessary
The great forgotten task of speechwriting
What if the speaker gets asked later?
Speaker just wants to know
Endnotes, not footnotes
Not mixed in with text
Separate page
Embedding sources in the spoken text
When and when not to / length of citation
“According to…”
31. Speechwriting: Sourcing
• The Rule:
– The more controversial the fact, the greater
the need to document its source
50 million children
300 million
in the US go to
people live in
bed hungry every
the US
night
LESS The need for sourcing MORE
“That sounds
“Are you sure?”
right.”
32. Make Writing Easy on Yourself
The Printing-Proofing Trick (Font &
Size)
Give it a title
Use subheads and/or section marks
One sentence = one graf
White space
33. Your Questions
How can I write talking points that are
effective, and how can I do it more efficiently?
Talking Points are
phrases,
sentences and
very short paragraphs
that a speaker can use as a basis for an extemporaneous
talk.
34. Your Questions
Talking Points
Keep them short.
Get to the point.
Write for the ear – when possible, use catchy phrases
Alliteration, consonance, assonance, imagery
Use this thinking for writing sound bites, too.
Use white space and labels so the speaker can sort
through the material at a glance.
Also okay: Jumping off points to jog the memory to
further comment
35. Your Questions
When given a broad topic, how do I narrow it down
to something manageable? (e.g., professionalism)
How do I write quotable, memorable lines – sound
bites?
How do I drive home a line – how do I get reporters
to pick up the line and how do I get audiences to
remember it?
36. Your Questions
How do I “break into” speechwriting inside the
office?
How do I capture the tone and voice of the speaker?
37. Your Questions
What are some source materials for commencements,
general remarks and other events that are oriented
more toward mood than toward fact?
“Condemned to Repeat It” by Wick Allison
“This Day in Business History” by Raymond Francis
“Tunesmith” by Jimmy Webb
“Theatre” by David Mamet
“Get some art in you…”
38. Speechwriting
Review: Six Steps
1. Assess the Event and the Speaker
2. Create a Spec Sheet
3. Identify the Big Ideas and Put Them in Order
(“Identify and Prioritize”)
4. Add Evidence
5. Write the Open and the End
6. Make it Better: Social Media, Sourcing &
Loose Ends