The Speech Writing Process

In this article, I will not be discussing how to write a speech. That would take an entire book. No, in this article, I will give you an outline of my speech creation method, from concept to composition, omitting most of the details of the actual writing process, because that can be quite complicated [although not nearly as complicated as most books on the subject make out].

Every speech begins with a brief. Sometimes, the brief is supplied by the client; sometimes it is not.

If it is supplied by the client, then I make sure that I understand from it exactly what is required. If there is any ambiguity whatsoever in the brief, then I work that out with the client as soon as possible. Then, I will reword the brief, and present it to the client for sign off. If the client is pleased with the reworded brief and agrees that it reflects their requirements better, I will request that they sign it off and log a version of it in their own files, for the record. If the client is in any way dissatisfied with the brief, then I will redraft it and present it again. I will repeat this checking process until both of us are completely satisfied and have signed it off.

If the brief is not supplied by the client, then my first task is to ascertain precisely what is required by talking to all the relevant parties, including perhaps (preferably) the speaker. When I have gathered sufficient information to create a very clear statement of what is required, I will then convert that statement into a brief. I will take the brief to the client, check with them whether or not it is suitable and meets their requirements exactly, and, if it does, request formal approval in the form of a sign off. If the brief does not satisfy the client’s requirements, I will rewrite it, present it, ask for confirmation, and request sign off again. I will repeat this process until the brief reflects the client’s requirements with 100% accuracy.

When dealing with international clients or translated notes or lists of points to be covered, it is absolutely vital that full clarity regarding message, content, purpose, and any areas of possible confusion are examined and clarified as early as possible. For this, a perfectly unambiguous statement/brief is essential. If the client is international or the speaker is a non-native speaker of English, then I will ask the client to request from the speaker a short, clear paragraph expressing what he or she desires from the speech. I will ask the client to communicate this information in the first language of the speaker, so that faulty information and instructions are avoided at outset.

I will ask every  client to provide answers to the following questions:

1. What is the overarching theme of the speech? Is there a context, i.e. a surrounding discussion, debate, controversy, crisis, or event? Is there an issue or a topic that you want the speech to specifically address?
2. What are the relevant concepts and visions that you want the speech to communicate? In other words, how do you want the audience to be informed or inspired?
3. What is the most important overall message of the speech? That is, what part of the speech do you wish to most impress on the audience?

These three questions will profoundly supplement and clarify any client brief. They eliminate any imprecise, vague, or insufficiently reasoned requests.

In many cases, the speaker, or the company department that is commissioning the speech, will not have considered the speech as deeply as they should. Hence, with this list, I am forcing them to think carefully about what precisely it is that they want the speech to achieve. These three simple questions alone will do much of the heavy lifting that occurs in the early stages of speech composition, when the writer is typically preoccupied with trying to identify the areas to emphasize.

Once the brief is clear and agreed upon, the next step is, ideally, a meeting with the speaker. This allows me to get an understanding of the speaker’s voice, accent, mannerisms, fluency, and any other aspects of personality or presentation that could possibly influence the speech’s delivery.

In this meeting, I will ask the client to read a basic test text for the duration of two minutes. While the client is reading, I will have in my hand a copy of the speech, and I will note on it any pronunciation issues that I hear, any phrases that cause the speaker problems, and any other observations. When the two minutes are up, I will mark on my sheet where the speaker had read to. Then I will count the words. This will give me an indication of how many words  the speaker is able to read at natural speed within the allotted time. This approach is far better than asking the client for a word count, because although a word count will tell me exactly how much I can write, it is a poor measure of speaking time. If the client reads too quickly or too slowly, I will request them to reread the text. Three reads are probably sufficient. After hearing the speaker read the same or a similar text three times, I will have a good understanding of what speed is natural for him or her, what words or combinations of words cause him/her to stumble, and what other aspects of his/her speaking I can improve for the purpose of this speech.

During at least one of these readings, I will turn my back on the client – not to be rude but to concentrate on his/her voice (the client will probably guess what I am doing, but if necessary I will explain). I will then ask  the client if there is anything else they would like me to consider when I am drafting.

I find that speakers are usually very keen to tell me what they don’t want in their speech, and this information is helpful. Often, clients ask me to minimise the use of long words, lengthy sentences, particular phrases, combinations of words, or pieces of irritating jargon. Also, I ask the speaker if there is a particular style of speech they like or a particular speaker who they wish to emulate. If there is, I will ask them to describe the elements they appreciate.

(Later, I will research that style or speaker to the best of my abilities, and then set about drafting a speech that incorporates the qualities that my speaker identified.)

Before I leave, I will schedule a future appointment to review a draught. Needless to say, the process is iterative: there will be numerous conversations and just as many draughts. And this is to be welcomed. The more the draughts and discussions, the better the final product will be, and the happier the speaker will be with it.

When the final draft is agreed on, there will be one last meeting. At this meeting, I will ask the client to tell me his/her preferences regarding the reading copy. They may want a particular font and size of font. They may want it double spaced. They may want it all in capitals. They may want the punch words underlined or bold, or underlined and bold. They may want certain areas of the text in certain colours, or boxed, or highlighted. They may want to read from a screen rather than from paper. I will format the reading copy in the way they wish, and send it to them as soon as possible, so they can make any last minute changes (very common).

They may also want to rehearse – and I strongly recommend they do, ideally in the room where they will deliver it, or somewhere similar. They may want to read it to a small or large test group. Again, I recommend that they do. Any opportunities to receive feedback must be taken, and practice always improves performance. Whatever they want to do, I try my utmost to support them (provided the time allows – executives are busy people and often leave important tasks to the last minute).