Speech Writing

Basic tools for any professional

More often than not, professionals are required to give speeches and presentations. They can vary from training seminars to new business proposals, but what they all have in common is that they start from the same place. Every speech or presentation is premeditated, and so is what the presenter is going to say. Professional speeches leave little room for improvisation. Every spoken word can influence an opinion and it can mean time off of someone schedule, further reasons to make every word to count.

When writing a speech, there are several things to keep in mind. Most important of all is to remember that this type of writing differs from other writing formats. It’s not reciting an essay. A speech has a purpose to engage it’s public, take them by the hand through your presentation and convey your ideas. Some points should be noted in the process of writing a speech are:

·       Indentify your audience: Knowing the demographics are a good way to start. You must also take into consideration if your audience is informed or uninformed, their level of education, and the fact that the audience may be a mixture of both supporters and antagonists. All of these factors play a part in they way you shape your message. The message must be fitted to the audience and adapted if it’s to be given several times.

·       Tell them the plan and follow it: Structure matters! The key is to start with an “attention grabber” (e.g. anecdotes, quotes, rhetorical questions, etc.). Also, when starting out the speech, you must lay out the topics to be discussed in the order in which they will be presented. This gives the audience a structure to follow. However, once you have your audience attention inform them on what it is they are there for and why. When you are about to conclude, announce it, “to conclude…” and summarize the key messages you want your audience to take from the speech.

·       Emphasize, transition and simplify: During the speech be sure to build to a climax, this way the important information is anticipated, and remembered. Keep sentence structure simple and short, for people to follow easily. It is also very important to use effective transitions to keep the flow going, and repeat important points you want your audience to remember.

 One aspect you may want to take into account is the speaker itself. Try to maintain the writing to the capabilities of the speaker. Also, remember to keep reading out loud what you write to get an idea on how the speech is shaping. If there was a time to watch punctuation is this type of writing. A point, comma, or semi-colon can produce different sentence emphasis. Thus, changing the message itself. Finally, after the speech is written, be critical. Have someone else read it, and judge it as an audience. If it sends the right message, keeps you interested and you remember the messages, your work is done.

Sources:

The Writing Center from The University of North Carolina

Treadwell, D., & Treadwell, J. (2005). Public Relations Writing: Principles in Practice. California: SAGE Publications.

The Field Dictates The Game

Writing for the Web is a whole other ballpark than writing for print. Here are the main points highlighted for effective Web writing.

Just like you wouldn’t play basketball in a baseball field, writing needs to be adjusted according to the platform. We have all been thought how to write and essay, how to write a letter or even an e-mail, but the times are changing and we must learn to edit our writing for the Web.

One of the most notable points for writing for the Web is being concise and straight to the point (precise). So let’s get to it, here are the five main points to remember:

·      Bulleting: My first point is about making points. You can have strong content in a very concise manner, but you have to guide the reader through your text. Making bullets and adjusting the text to an “F” Pattern can help keep a reader engaged. If you can place a paragraph in a list, do it.

·      Keep it short: Ever heard the saying, “it’s about quality, not quantity”? That rule applies to every part of the writing format. Whether it’s the sentence, the paragraph or the whole thing, keep it short. Also, try to keep paragraphs below five lines.

·      Link your work the world: One of the advantages we have on the Web is being able to create links to outside sources. Let’s say we’re talking about Writing Style, you can just click on the word and find out what the author meant by that.

·      Make it grab attention: If you’re only scanning this article, I believe you would have only read a few things. Among the things you have read are most probably the bullets in bold. Need I say more? Put in bold the main ideas you want the reader to take away from your work. That way, if the only scan the reading they get a sense of what it’s about.

·      Proofread: I know it’s tedious but it’s such an important part of the writing process. Be critical of every word. Does the work really need it? Does the work keep it’s meaning without it? How can you say that in a simpler way? Those are a few questions to ask while proofreading your work.

Like I said before, it’s about being concise and precise. Writing for the Web is another ballpark. With print publications you have the advantage of having the reader come to you willingly. On the other hand, Web readers may just stumble upon your work. It’s your job to engage them and create a connection. So, adjust the game to the field and you’ll be sure to win it.