Impromptu speaking: when you have to wing it
If you find yourself needing to speak NOW, here are some techniques to help you. 1. Scan the audience. Who are they? Why are they here?...
top of page
Speaking & Writing about writing & speaking | Author |Speaker | Teacher
Ms Claire Duffy
Speak for yourself!
.jpeg)
Search
3 min read
Speechwriting Step 1: Define your purpose
The spoken word and the written word are different, and the key to success for speakers is being good to listen to. A speech is an oral...
2 min read
Speechwriting step 2: the rough draft
Let’s assume you followed the advice in the first post in this series. Your head is full of things you want to say and you have clarified...
3 min read
Speechwriting step 3: architecture
A ‘pattern of arrangement’ is a way of ordering the contents of your speech. It provides the listener with a sense of shape and...
4 min read
Speechwriting Step 4: write the words
1. Allow enough time The biggest mistake most people make is to underestimate how long this takes. Speeches may appear unstudied,...
3 min read
Speechwriting step 5: Rehearse and re-edit
In theatre there are staging calls, and technical rehearsals, and dress rehearsals, all of which give the performers an opportunity to...
3 min read
Step 6: You’re on!
If your script were a cake, the last step is to bake it. You’ve done a lot of work on the preparation, now you need to make sure it...
3 min read
Analogies, the wonder tool for making sense.
What happens if you want to interest your listeners in something unfamiliar – a new idea, technique, or approach to something, which...
2 min read
Nuke those nerves!
To paraphrase Jerry Seinfeld, ‘if it’s true that more people fear public speaking than dying, then most of the people at a funeral would...
3 min read
How to read aloud in public
First let’s dispel the idea that the existence of a script means most of the work is done. It isn’t. If you have to read aloud in...
2 min read
Developing the speech
Notice I avoid saying ‘write the script’. The spoken word and the written word are different, and this presents a trap for speakers. The...
3 min read
Resolving conflict
A reluctance to deal with conflict constructively hurts our world. Good ideas remain unspoken, people create silos, and leaders don’t...
3 min read
Presentations: lessons from a Dog and a Frisbee
I am limited in my experience of financial institutions, and Mr Banks in Mary Poppins is the only person I know of from the Bank of...
3 min read
Shape and Structure | Arrange your stuff
The way you assemble your material is crucial for making the right impact. There are some basic components which any essay or ...
2 min read
Three pillars of speaking success
About 2300 years ago, Aristotle wrote down the secrets to being a powerful speaker. These same secrets have formed the basis for nearly...
3 min read
Oral Presentations: Finish with oomph
How do you close in a way that makes them feel galvanised, reinforces your message and makes you memorable? Not by shuffling and...
2 min read
How to write an ANZAC day speech
If you are saying something official on Anzac Day, you should start by reading the information kit which the APL has compiled. It is...
2 min read
‘Know Thy (speaking) self’
OK now I've used Socrates to catch your eye, this is really about your end of the speaker-audience connection. People will pay attention...
1 min read
Too Much Information
No I’m not complaining about people who embarrass us with details of their dental dramas, or their sex life, I’m talking about how to...
bottom of page