Speech Writing Tips from Professional Writers

A speech is an effective medium to communicate your message. It is the way of communicating ideas and thoughts through talking.

Speech writing is the skill of communicating a message to an audience via words. Speech writing is similar to essay writing. You must grasp the aim of your speech, the needed length or time constraint, and audience analysis.

Coming up with a good speech might be nerve-racking since you must captivate the audience’s attention. However, if you follow the fundamental standards and appropriate speech style, you can easily make a superb speech that will leave the audience with something to think about.

How to write a speech

In general, the stages for writing a speech are similar to those for writing an essay or a presentation. You must, however, keep in mind the audience for whom you are writing.

The finest speeches are those that are written to engage and retain the audience’s attention from beginning to conclusion.

As a result, your speech must include something that will pique the audience’s interest.

Introduction

The beginning of a speech varies depending on the type of speech and the reason for which it is given. For example, informative speeches include an introduction portion that not only explains the topic but also piques the audience’s attention.

It is a good idea to begin your speech by introducing yourself and the aim of your speech. You can supply extra information after you have conveyed the main point of your speech to the audience. Begin your speech with a great hook that not only compels but also inspires the audience to listen to every word you say. Establish the framework for your speech and present your major thesis, which depicts the larger concept of your speech.

2. The Body

When it comes to crafting the body of a speech, there are no hard and fast guidelines to follow. However, there are a few things to bear in mind while you write the body section. The body paragraphs should convey one piece of information at a time and follow a chronological sequence for the timeline events. This section should present the supporting aspects in a straightforward manner.

These paragraphs should follow a cause-and-effect structure. To persuade your audience to believe you, use rhetorical methods such as ethos, pathos, and logos.

3. Conclusion

It is critical to conclude a speech on a positive note and leave the audience with some takeaways. Reiterate the essential ideas of the speech while leaving something for the audience to consider. To assist the audience remember the major themes, include a call to action and a compelling closing remark. It is critical that you rehearse your speech once you have written it. Read your speech aloud to see if it sounds like a book or a real person talking. To ensure that your speech sounds like a genuine person talking, practice it in front of a mirror or read it aloud to a friend.

Types of Speech Writing

Informative speech- It provides useful and interesting information about a particular topic to the audience. It helps the audience to understand an unknown term, idea, or subject.

Persuasive Speech- It is used to persuade the audience with a particular idea or thought. It works to convince the audience to agree with the speaker’s perspective.

Special Occasion Speech- Special occasion speeches are delivered on some specific occasion. They are focused on a specific event or special occasion.

Speech Writing Format

It is critical to compose an excellent speech that your audience will remember. You must carefully organize your knowledge, and a speech outline is the best approach to do it.

A speech plan will not only save you time, but it will also ensure that you adhere to the appropriate structure and format.

The example below shows how to create an excellent outline for your speech.

1) Prepare

• Choose the topic
• Know your audience and pay attention to their needs
• Define the purpose of the speech
• Organize the information

2) Introduction

• Think about a statement that can grab the attention of audience members
• Refine the thesis statement
• State something that can establish credibility

3) Body

• Introduction to body transition
• Provide your main idea along with the supporting statements
• Examples and additional information

4) Conclusion

• Summarize the speech and its main points
• Closing statement or call to action

Speech Writing Tips

• Avoid putting multiple ideas into your speech. Keep in mind that people only remember very little, so just give one to two main ideas that they will remember.
• Remember, you are writing a speech that people will hear, not writing an essay that people will read. Hence, the more conversational it will sound, the better it will be.
• You want your audience to believe that you know what you are talking about. So, it is important to do some quality research on your topic. It will reflect that you have a sound knowledge of the topic that you are giving a speech on.