WRITING THE SPEECH

Like most people, we worry about the title before we start writing the speech. Do not be so. Start with what exactly you want to talk about and let the title develop. Write down any ideas that come into mind that is pertaining to the subject at hand.

After you have listed all your points, expand them. You might want to support your claims with reasons and evidence.

Finally, you must remember that a good speech must be well prepared and organised. Hence, rewriting your speech might be essential. In writing the actual speech, organise your thoughts accordingly so that your audience will be able to gauge your intended message. Do remember that your speech requires the basic elements of communication be it written or spoken: introduction, body and conclusion.

The basic organisation that can be adopted in writing a speech is as follows:

• The Opening (or The Introduction)

  The opening or the introduction is the most important part of your speech. It is when you let the audience know who you are, what you are going to speak about, why and what you hope to achieve by the end of the speech.

  You can start your introduction with:

  • jokes
  • rhetorical questions
  • a quotation
  • statistics
  • a story

• The Content

  It is in this part of your speech that you tell your audience the essence of your speech. It is suggested that you break down your ideas into a few separate points. You should also start with the most basic or fundamental when delivering the speech. This will help the audience to identify with the content of your speech first and later gradually follow the flow of the speech.

  You might want to support your claim with reasons and evidence, and illustrate how these pieces of evidence support the claim. However, you must remember not to spend too long just to illustrate a point. Your audience will definitely ask during the Q&A session if they want to know more.

  Do use transitional words and phrases when moving from one part of the speech to the next. Words and phrases such as "first of all", "my next point is", "although" and "finally" serve as cue words to the audience of what to expect next.

• The conclusion

  The conclusion is the last thing the audience hears. It is as important as your introduction as it ties together everything that you have mentioned in your speech.

  Some effective ways to end a speech:

  • Use compelling imagery
  • Share personal Philosophy
  • Tell a story to illustrate your point
  • End with a strong rhetorical question
  • End with words that sound strong