How Do I Write A Good Speech?

Writing a speech is like many other forms of creative writing. There are certain techniques that will help your speech deliver a greater impact on its audience, and if it follows an extremely simple structure, it will be coherent and memorable.


Structure The first and most important step to writing a speech is the structure. Just like a good story, you're going to need a beginning, a middle and an end!

• The beginning

Introduces yourself and the event at which you are speaking. It should also outline the topics for the upcoming speech and the activities that will take place at the event.

• The middle

This is the meat of the speech, and should talk about why the event exists, what has changed since it last happened, what the aims are for the activities that will take place etc.

• The end

This should wrap the speech up - describe future plans and thank anyone who should be thanked for their involvement.

• Literary techniques

There are certain literary techniques which will increase the impact of your speech. Here are two key examples:

1. Alliteration. This is where a series of words begin with the same letter or sound. The impact is increased because the sound of each word cues the memory of the next, making the phrase or sentence more memorable.
   
   
2. Patterns of three. This technique is when you state two things, and then a third which does not follow the pattern of the first two. It is traditionally a comic device as the third item is unexpected breaks the expectations of the audience.