Speech Writing Guide: Things To Stay Away From


The trick to writing a great speech is to be able to tap into an emotional response from the listener. Although, speech writing is usually tackled using similar methods as essay writing, there is one distinct difference. When you write a speech you are writing the composition to be spoken out loud. This means that you must take into consideration the changes in tone and pace.

To help students become better speech writers we have include a list of things NOT TO DO when you compose a speech.

  1. Don’t be boring
  2. If you want people to actually listen to your speech try to stay away from being boring. Instead adjust the tone of your narration to keep the attention of your audience. Include only the most important and interesting points. Try not to ramble on and on about the same thing either.

  3. Don’t be overly complex
  4. Try to think of your speech as an introduction to one main idea. Try to avoid being overly complicated. Keep it simple so that any audience member can understand what you are trying to say.

  5. Don’t go off-topic
  6. A great speech should be extremely specific and express one single point or idea. For this reason it is extremely important to stay on topic and make sure that all of your main points reflect back to your main purpose for writing.

  7. Don’t run too long.
  8. Unlike essays, where the word count really matters speeches tend to work better when they are short and to the point. Before you present your speech, read it out loud and time yourself. The average speech should be around 3-4 minutes. Anything else and you risk losing your audience.

  9. Do not exaggerate
  10. Lastly, when giving a speech on a topic that you are passionate about, it may be tempting to exaggerate for impact. Try to avoid this- instead be clear and honest about the subject matter. This doesn’t mean that you can’t be enthusiastic. Just try to stay away from making statements that are hyperbolic. This will give your speech more merit.

Learning how to write a great speech takes quite a bit of practice. For many, it takes years to learn how to master the art of impactful speech composition. However, if you follow these tips about what not to do you’ll be well on your way in no time!

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11 2016

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