Identifying the different principles of speech writing and the importance of these principles.
PRINCIPLES OF SPEECH WRITING – These are the different principles that you must consider if you are writing your speech.
What is speech writing? This is “a verbal presentation given to an audience as a means to express ideas, share information, or persuade others.” There isn’t much difference between speech writing and narrative writing, but the former is often heard during certain occasions, such as weddings, graduations, and many others. This speech talks about a certain subject or persuades a group of people.
There are definitely struggles and challenges in writing one, especially if your goal is to make an impact and give the “best speech” you could ever have. If you don’t know how to start, how to let it flow, and how to end your speech, here are the principles that could help you narrow down your ideas and strategies.
- Audience Profile
The first step is knowing your audience, or the people who will read and listen to your speech. Make an effort to know their general age, gender, educational level, religion, language, and culture. After having these details, you are a step closer to making a speech tailor-fit to your audience. - Logical Organization
After knowing your audience, logically organize your manuscript so that your audience can easily follow and grasp the ideas and thoughts you want to convey to them. There are different organizational methods you can consider, such as chronological, spatial, topical, cause-and-effect, or problem-solution order. A written speech has three parts: introduction, body, and conclusion. - Duration
This refers to the length of speech delivery, but no matter how long your speech is, it is important to divide it into several parts: introduction, body (paragraphs 2, 3, and 4), and conclusion. According to experts, the ideal speech lasts for 20 minutes, wherein the introduction is 2 minutes with 250 words, the body has three points, where each point is five minutes with 625 words, and a conclusion that lasts for three minutes with 375 words. This format gives you 20 minutes with 2500 words. - Word Choice
Your language is crucial in writing a speech. In most cases, conversational language creates a light vibe between the speaker and the audience, as this type of language puts people who are listening at ease, and more importantly, they can easily understand what you are saying. Avoid jargon or technical terms, redundancy, and inappropriate language for the occasion and type of audience. - Grammatical Correctness
Correct grammar doesn’t just make you sound professional. This is significant in order to prevent misunderstanding and misinterpretation. Make sure to proofread and edit your speech as many times as possible to avoid errors.