How to Write Dynamic Speeches

Writing for someone else is a common task in business and government, and one of the toughest. How do you know what your boss wants to say? How do you select words and stories that will be natural for her? How do you work with your supervisor to create remarks that will be high impact? Our former White House speechwriters will share with you the secrets, shortcuts and techniques of effective speechwriting.

Learning Objectives

• Capture your principal's voice.
• Tease out personal connections and strong emotions.
• Create ideas and round them up into a structure audiences will respond to.
• Master the tricks of the trade.
• Apply advanced speechwriting tactics to create emotional involvement and memorable messages.
• Manage the "afterlife" of a speech.
• Avoid management pitfalls in the speechwriting process.

Course Agenda

1. Apply key concepts of writing for someone else.
2. Capture the voice, personal connections, strongest emotions on a given subject.
3. View and discuss examples of great speeches on video.
4. Apply structure and process to a speech.
5. Develop creative ideas for argumentative structure.
6. Learn precise speechwriting elements that support strategic goals.
7. Apply advanced speechwriting tactics.
8. Conduct a skill practice for writing mini-speeches.
9. Examine ways to market a speech as a reprint, article or opinion-editorial.
10. Learn how to write good “op-ed” and how to sell it to an editor.
11. Smooth out the speechwriting process.
12. Avoid pitfalls in a speechwriter’s relationship with the principal and senior communications people.