The need to write a speech and hold it in a school class, during a conference, college lecture, or work presentation can worry anyone. But if you do some job on the text of your speech to make it good, it will be the way to strengthen your confidence. A thoughtful approach and attention to detail will let you write the speech which is exactly what you need: informative, persuasive, motivational, or entertaining text. Devote the required time to processing your speech, and train to deliver it correctly – that’s what professional speech writers recommend to everyone. Now, let’s take a closer look at their speech writing tips.
Write a Good Speech Draft
As it always happens with academic tasks, writing the good speech depends on the carefully written outline.
1. Know the Speech Topic Well
You should be an expert on a particular topic to write the persuasive or informative speech. This approach will let you make the text be relevant, trusted and convincing. Look for pieces of evidence and proofs in reliable written sources: books, newspaper articles, government resources, scientific magazines, etc.
In case you need to write the good speech for a lesson, it would be better to ask your teacher about allowed sources and their quantity beforehand.
2. Create a Structured Speech Plan with Statements and Arguments
Structure your ideas and things you find through writing a plan: this is how you check if your information is complete and consequent at once. As a rule, the good speech includes an introduction, five main theses with supporting pieces of evidence (quotes, statistics, examples, real-life stories, personal experience, etc.) and a conclusion. Use the numbered or marked list for your comfort while you write.
When writing the good conviction or informative speech, use the "problem-solution" concept. First, you describe the point of the problem and then explain how to solve it.
Tip: don't forget that you always can change a plan later while you write the draft of the good speech. Use all the data looking to be necessary. Keep in mind that you'll need to shorten the speech text later.
3. Prepare a Speech Hook for Your Listeners
The opening phrase of your speech may be the most important one: it is the moment when your audience decides if listening to you is worth it. Depending on the topic and goals of the good speech, a message might be curious, funny, sad, frightening or shocking to intrigue listeners.
4. Connect the Topic with a Broader Problem
Do it to have the possibility to message additional things. Maybe, the audience won’t be able to understand the importance of the chosen good speech topic without your explanations. If they decide the issue is negligible, they won't follow your words. Try thinking globally to connect your topic with the overall picture. Why exactly should people be interested in what you write and say?
A tip: the intro shouldn't have more than 1 paragraph or 1 text page with a double interline. Don't waste your time to write something unnecessary; go straight to the point.
5. Show Theses in a Logical Order
After introducing the topic and the good speech context, proceed to theses at once. Message every statement clearly and then write supportive facts, proofs, and statistics to explain every thesis. The word count formula to write here: one paragraph per one thesis aspect.
6. Start New Topics and Resume Previous Materials
Another way to help people deal with theses is quite simple and effective: offer them a rapid 1-2 sentence review before starting a new topic, and summarize the material shortly after the explanation. Use simple words for short intros and reviews to make your ideas sound simple and accessible.
7. Use Linking Sentences to Simplify Speech Understanding
Linking sentences improve the smoothness of your good speech and help the audience notice, obviously, links between theses. They're not always clearly visible when you read and write speeches, but you quickly notice something's wrong when they're absent.
8. Finish the Good Speech with the Action Call
As you approach the end of the good speech, your audience should be involved in a topic and ready to go in for actions. Write a reason for them to know more and to take part in a solution of a described problem with words how they could do it. It is a good possibility to share sources and show directions.
How to Turn a Good Draft into an Interesting and Involving Speech?
Drafts, plans, and correct arguments are okay to show that you know the topic you write about. But how can you interest listeners? How should you make them want to hear from you? Seven good speech tips below will help your text sound not only expertly, but effectively.
1. In the Good Speech, Short Words and Simple Sentences Rule
Heavy and long words used instead of simple synonyms may frighten listeners. Sophisticated sentences may confuse them. In most cases, a simple language is what you should use to write your speech. The only exception: it is impossible to express your thought or idea in another way.
Still, interchanging the structure of sentences is also required when writing the speech. Use one or two complicated and broad sentences per page of your good text to make it sound more diverse.
2. To Create the Good and Clear Speech, Don’t Replace Nouns with Pronouns
Of course, sometimes it’s fine to write a pronoun, especially if you want to avoid repeating similar nouns too frequently. Nevertheless, listeners may find it difficult to follow your arguments and logic if you overuse pronouns.
3. Repeat Words and Phrases Several Times
Actually, repetition is an effective move to write any good speech. If multiple uses of different words may distract the audience, then the repetition of a certain word or phrase will help you make your argument sound clearly and involve listeners.
4. Limit the Use of Quotes and Statistics
It may seem that much statistical data and many expert citations are good to support your thesis solidly. In reality, the effect is frequently the opposite. It is better to write about not more than 1-2 statistical examples or quotes and message only things which really are essential.
Choose quotes telling the point clearly, and explain how this or that quote supports your words obligatory. In a quote, a simple language is the best solution. Additionally, don’t make your quote longer than two lines per page.
5. Maintain the Suitable Speech Tone
The tone is the overall mood of your speech, which may vary from serious to funny or from slow to rapid. Word selection and pronunciation influence the speech tone.
6. Use Visual Threads if Possible
A PowerPoint presentation is not a necessary element of the good speech, but it can help listeners follow your words, especially when you explain complex ideas. It is also good to use slides to demonstrate critical concepts with images, diagrams, and quotes.
But do not rely on slides too much. The need to write and tell the involving speech is still there for you. The presentation is only an additional supportive instrument.
7. Train to Deliver Your Good Speech and Make Corrections
After finishing your job with the text, read it through a couple of times, and find weaknesses you could improve. If the time of the speech is limited, use the timer while reading.
Don't forget to read the speech aloud while checking it! It will help you know how smooth your phrases are and find confusing sentences possible to cut, simplify, or change them.
And finally, ask a friend or relative to listen to how you pronounce the text to find out how good it is for a third-party listener.
That’s it! If you kept up with all the tips, your good speech is ready to impress the world.