How to Write a Speech in 13 Steps Written by Brian B. Carter, MS, LAc
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4. It's not about you: only time it's about you is if one of your goals is to impress them, build your credibility, etc. Other than that, forget your fear, your self consciousness, etc. Let those things go in service of your audience and your purpose. 5. Writing is editing. Editing is writing. The first time you write speech, don't criticize it, don't edit it, just let everything flow out. You'll organize it and choose better words and rephrase it later. Just be creative. 6. Organize your ideas into an outline. Make sure each idea follows other logically. Ask yourself if your audience needs to know anything to understand any part of it. Ask yourself if any part needs more fleshing out 7. Rewrite it according to outline. 8. Beef it up. Use examples for difficult to understand points or concepts. Find some jokes. If no one laughs at first one, be careful, though. You might lose credibility if they think you're an idiot. You can also find great quotes online, even search on whatever topic you're writing your speech about. 9. Do an edit. Use MS Word for grammar checking. A big part of how to write a speech it editing. The next few steps involve editing and speaking. This step is about editing on paper. Replace long words and rephrase jargon. Imagine if it would make sense to your best friend, your mom, your grandma, etc. (caveat: if jargon is required to impress in business, use it) 10. Say it all out loud. Is anything missing? How does it sound? Change words and phrases that sound unnatural when spoken. 11. Record it on a tape recorder or your computer. Is it missing anything? Add it. Are any parts of it boring, unneccesary, stupid, offensive? Cut off fat. 12. Do it in front of a test audience. Get their feedback. Make sure they know your audience and purpose before you do speech for test audience. 13. Go give your speech to real audience with confidence! If you're interested in tips on presentation or voice sides of things, you'll need another resource, but... Now you know how to write a speech!
Brian has been a public speaker for five years, a guest on national radio shows, is president of his local speaking club, teaches medicine, and is the author of Powerful Body, Peaceful Mind: How to Heal Yourself with Foods, Herbs, and Acupressure (http://www.pulsemed.org/).
| | A Free Persuasive Speech Sample For YouWritten by Brian Benjamin Carter, MS, LAc
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d.What is wellness? Most of my patients come to see me because they’re desperate to get relief from some pain or disease – these are great motivators! But sometimes I get others who go through my health questionnaires for some other reason, and they invariably realize they had more health problems than they had thought. They either weren’t paying attention to them, or they had unknowingly lowered their standards to match their slowly eroding quality of life. So, even people who don’t think they have any diseases still may not experience optimal wellness. e.What’s difference between disease treatment and wellness? One means ignoring reality until a negative thing happens, then running from it. The other means envisioning a positive, and striving to attain it. Our own experience teaches us how miserable a life is that consists of sticking our heads in sand and then putting out fires. Hopefully, you also have some experience with making positive goals and achieving them, and school of hard knocks has taught you it’s better way. f.If you haven’t committed to wellness, created health goals, and aren’t striving to achieve them, then you’re just waiting for your health to disappear. g.Thomas Edison said, "The doctor of future will no longer treat human frame with drugs, but rather will cure and prevent disease with nutrition,” and a co founder of Johns Hopkins University and one of most influential and exemplary MD’s ever, William Osler said, “One of first duties of physician is to educate masses not to take medicine.” In Chinese medicine, we look at acupuncture, herbs, drugs, and surgery as medical interventions for disease, to be used as a last resort- when they are needed, it means we already failed to live well. The norm these days is that almost everyone is so out of balance that they need some degree of medical intervention. No one ever taught us how to live well, to safeguard our energy, to balance ourselves with seasons, etc. h.Albert Schweitzer was a doctor who spent 50 years in Africa fighting leprosy and sleeping sickness, and for that won 1952 Nobel Peace Prize. He once said, "It's supposed to be a secret but I'll tell you anyway. We doctors do nothing. We only help and encourage doctor within." He also said, "Man must cease attributing his problems to his environment, and learn again to exercise his will—his personal responsibility.” Most of us have given up some of our power over our own well being. We want physicians and scientists to solve problem of health for us. Instead of changing our exercise and eating habits, we try next miracle pill. To be sure, drugs are necessary in many situations, but only because our lifestyles took us to a place of disease. As Schweitzer says, we need to take responsibility for our own health. You have more power than you think over your well being – take responsibility for it, and make it happen! i.Car maintenance i.If you never changed oil in your car, engine wears on itself, and eventually can seize up beyond repair. The common sense of preventive measures is why we have schedule maintenance check-ups, 6 month dental cleanings, and yearly physicals. ii.However, most medical checkups are too short, and are focused on disease, not wellness. They aren’t thorough enough to help you live in optimal health. 4.How can you fact facts about well being and state of your health? a.I’m putting a lot of information in Prevention and Optimal Living book I’m writing. To help you measure your state of health, and see how constructive your lifestyle is or isn’t, I’ve created a series of quizzes – they’ll also be in my book, but I’d be happy to get you rough copies if you just can’t wait. b.But you need to know what you can expect from wellness: Comfortable breathing, no pain anywhere in your body, ability to go into any reasonable environment without getting a cold or flu, a reasonable appetite, perfect digestion, perfect bowel movement – comes out easy, doesn’t smell, and doesn’t require a whole roll of toilet paper to clean up, no PMS, perfect vision and hearing, easy, restful, restorative sleep, staying asleep all night, and waking up refreshed and invigorated, staying alert and energetic throughout day, emotional balance, serenity, peace, patience, and an open heart and mind 5.What are some Examples of Goals I want you to set for yourselves? a.The most important things you can change to improve your wellness are your eating habits, exercise, rest, and emotions. b.I’m going to exercise 3 times per week, or even more primary: I’m going to try every form of exercise I can until I find ones I love to do. c.I’m going to eat foods that Chinese medicine says will balance out my patterns of imbalance. d.I’m going to do a relaxing or spiritual activity for a half an hour, 4x per week e.I’m going to have a peaceful dinner with friends or family at least 3 times per week. f.All of these will help you achieve greater well being and prevent more disease. 6.How Can You Achieve Them? a.With persistence and discipline. We’ll never be perfect, so most important thing is that you make progress. John Wooden, most winning college basketball coach in history said, “Success is being as prepared as you can possibly be- being best you that you can be.” He also said, “People usually know what they should do to get what they want. They just won’t do it. They won’t pay price. Understand that there is a price to be paid for achieving anything of significance. You must be willing to pay price.” But don’t get overwhelmed- If you don’t start, you’re continuing to fail. Just pick one thing to work on, and get started. Just do it! b.Another key is teamwork. If you find someone, a group of people, or even just one person who also wants to commit to well being, you can meet weekly to talk about your progress and help each other. If you have trouble during week, you can call them. Just knowing there are others with same purpose will refresh your enthusiasm. c.Cicero said, “Men decide far more problems by hate, love, sorrow, joy, hope, or fear, than by reality, authority, or any legal standard.” So, get to know what well being is, and learn to love it. Identify your unhealthy habits, and develop a seething hate, a real disgust for them. Healthy people like healthy people, so you’re more likely to find love and romance when you nourish your own well being - unless you’re looking for a really sick partner, or a partner who digs really sick people,. Think about what a pity it is that some people are killing themselves day after day, whether intentionally or out of ignorance, with their poor lifestyles. Develop a positive and hopeful picture of your future and how important well being is to it – most likely, every dream and goal you have already assumes that you will feel well enough to enjoy it once you achieve it.
Brian has been a public speaker for five years, a guest on national radio shows, is president of his local speaking club, teaches medicine, and is the author of Powerful Body, Peaceful Mind: How to Heal Yourself with Foods, Herbs, and Acupressure (http://www.pulsemed.org/).
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