How to Write a Speech

Speech writing may be an art, and art has no structure. But for you to be a decent speech writer, you need to have some structure. You need to know how long your speech is going to be, where it is heading, and for how long you want to speak.

Because if you do not have a structure in mind, then your speech is going to be like a long twisted story without a moral at the end.

You may say that you were forced to give a speech. But write and give the speech because you are passionate about a particular topic, or you want to appeal to your peers or just be the best. Once you know the why... the how will be easy to follow.

• Have an objective in mind.
• Have one speech idea, which is the central theme of the speech.
• Understand the audience―its demographic, culture, and appeal.
• Include the reason for the speech in your introduction.
• Always have supporting information for the facts you are stating.

• Plan an introduction with the audience, before giving the speech.
• Always write in a conversational manner. Use key cards for help, and NEVER memorize your speech verbatim.

• Conclude with a statement that will give the audience something to think about.
• Always be prepared for a question and answer session with your audience (which means do some extra research to earn brownie points)

Always practice every aspect of the speech before you actually stand up there to deliver it. Practice with friends, with colleagues, and even your family. It is best to practice with different groups of people, so that you have different reactions from each, and can improvise.

Practice the introduction, the body, the conclusion, and even the question answer session. The more you practice, the better it is for you.

Even after all your practice sessions and great deal of effort in your speech writing, irrespective of how great or bad the experience was, you will only get better with time.