How to prepare a speech. This essay is a process essay. It goes into detail about the steps required to write a well developed speech.

How to Prepare a Speech

Oh, my gosh! Did someone just say "speech"? Not a speech! The word "speech" strikes terror through everyone that hears it, especially if you've never written one before. Well, have no fear. I'm going to guide you through your first speech.

The first step in writing a speech is to pick a topic. The topic should relate to your audience and be interesting to you. If you're not interested in your topic, then you won't want to research it and chances are your audience won't find it interesting either. Your speech topic could be something that you know a lot about or something you want to know a lot about.

Once you have your topic, the general purpose and specific purpose statements should be written. The general purpose statement is the broad goal of your speech. An example would be: To inform. A specific purpose statement is a single phrase that states exactly what the speaker hopes to accomplish through their speech. An example would be: To inform my audience of the history, severity, and consequences of bank robberies. Other than the general and specific purpose statements, the central idea statement should be made. The central idea statement is commonly known as the thesis. The central idea statement is a one-sentence statement that sums up the major points of the speech. An example would be: The bank robbery in Norfolk, Nebraska is just another example of how severe bank robberies have become over the decades.

Once these statements are made, you are ready to start writing your speech. The first step in writing your speech is to outline it. By outlining your speech, you make sure related ideas are together, that ideas flow from one to another, and that the structure of your speech will...