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Before You Speak3. Say it Right9. Opportunity Knocks2. Even though this book is nearly 10 years old, the fundamentals of a great speech haven't changed much over the years. Statistics13. Language8.
References7.
Preparing to Write (one of the most valuable chapters)4.
Wisdom of the Ages11.
Each chapter gives an example or two of great historical speeches and points out why the speech worked so well, and how to bring those attributes into your own speeches.Chapters include:1.
Secrets of the Pros10.
Outlining and Organizing5.
Beginning Well6.
Get Personal12.
Closing
Lewis Copeland wrote that in the ancient world the "more gifted speakers became the lawmakers and leaders. Dowis instructs, entertains, and inspires tips on every phase of speech writing, concrete examples of ways to solve commonn problems, and quotations from great speeches. An essential companion for anyone who must prepare speeches.
I am a graduate of Dale Carnegie Course but not until I read Dowis' book did I come to fully understand the vital relationship between writer, delivery and mechanics. It reads like a one-to-one tutorial on public speaking.has something to benefit anyone who must speak in public. By the time civilisation flowered in Athens, oratory became the fine art of government and culture".
This easy-to-read, sometime rollicking how-to book not only explains basics-and very colorfully so-but also includes a number of the best speeches in history. This book contains practical advise and useful insights from a seasoned writer, presented in an easy-going, personal, conversational style. It is a very readable, interesting, and insightful book.
If there is a more thorough, graceful, and genuinely useful guide to writing and giving speeches, In have not yet to read it. Digest this book and you will improve your public speaking skills dramatically.
Perhaps I should have done more research, but I was hoping to read a book by someone that has written significant speeches and not just speeches that were read at business conventions or the local rotary club. based on the reviews, I was hoping for more. This book offers only obvious pieces of advice, and furthermore, the author doesn't seem to have the background to be considered an expert in the field. I knew little about speech writing before reading this book, and after reading it, I still know little.
Richard Dowis, a former journalist and retired senior vice president of Manning, Selvage, and Lee Public Relations provides information to help you effectively collect, organize and shape content into powerful speeches. Watch Your Language: Avoid Jargon and overly complex language. Use Proven Techniques: The Rule of Three: Organize related thoughts into groups of three to make them more memorable and dramatic. Be yourself.3. He identifies several organizational strategies you can use. Then, to fit your purpose into the format and time allotted.
You must begin by researching your topic, clarifying your purpose, creating an outline and identifying a strong thesis, or unifying idea. When organizing your speech the most important consideration is that it must be logically organized. Ultimately, what stays with an audience, is the content of your speech. Closing the Speech: use your closing to reinforce your point, or to reinforce the goal of the speech. 5 categories of opening are: novelty, dramatic, question, humorous and reference/quote.2. Try instead for a simple elegance. Most closings fall into seven categories: Summary, Wrap-up, Direct appeal, Thesis, Reference, Inspirational, and Humorous/Anecdotal.6.
He also provides the following guidance on writing your speech:1. He urges you to consider first the purpose of your speech, what you really want the audience to walk away with. Anaphora: repeat words or phrases at the beginning of several sentences.4. For example, Chronological order, the "Big Bang" where a shocking thesis is presented up front, and Cause-and-effect which outlines the causes of a problem, describes its effect and suggests a solution. Begin Well: Your opening should establish rapport with the audience, set the tone, reinforce your credibility and arouse interest in your subject. When using statistics: make them interesting and meaningful, express statistics in terms your audience can understand, and avoid using too many raw figures in a row.5. Editing: When editing consider content, organization, style, language and grammar.
I originally checked this out at the library and realized I needed it in my reference collection. It's well writen, informative and fun to read. The author walks you step by step through the process of writing a speech to giving it, along with useful tricks of the speech writers trade. I highly recommend it.
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