Class Notes :: Steve MacDonald :: Speechwriting
18
Speechwriting March 17, 2011 PBRL 3012 - Persuasive PR Writing Mount Saint Vincent University
description
Class notes for a third-year course in Public Relations for university students. Prepared for a graduate-level course in Public Relations Education. Not an official document of Mount Saint Vincent University.
Transcript of Class Notes :: Steve MacDonald :: Speechwriting
Speechwriting
March 17, 2011PBRL 3012 - Persuasive PR Writing
Mount Saint Vincent University
“Don’t tell me wordsdon’t matter.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6NS9unm-OQ
Before we get started - watch the firsttwo minutes or so.
Writing the spoken word.
- The oldest form of rhetoric
- Done well: Ignite passion, move nations
- Done poorly: Bore to tears, damage brands
Know your audience
- What will matter to them?
- What is likely to connect with them?
- What state of mind are they in?
Know your speaker
- What do they want to say?
- How do they speak?
- What are their strengths and weaknesses?
Logos and pathos, I say.
Logos - appeal to fact
- Rational, factual, direct appeals
- Useful in crises or acute need for action
- Youtube: Obama’s response to BP spill
Pathos - appeal to emotion
- Emotive, passionate, inspired
- Useful in motivation, leadership, inspiration
- Youtube: Obama’s acceptance speech
Before you write
- Talk to your speaker
- Review previous speeches
- Understand their personal diction
- Understand the physical setup of the venue
George Bush at Ground Zero
As you watch, think about venueand audience
George Bush addresses recoveryworkers, Sept. 14, 2001.
As you write
- Use conversational language
- Include expressions and turns of phrase youmight not use in printed material
- Embrace the first person (especially inemotional appeals)
As you write
- Think about the beginning, middle, end
- People especially remember yourintroduction and conclusion.
- Write for the sound byte: Be quotable
After you write
- Edit, edit, edit
-Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse
- Share, share, share.
Delivery matters
- Great speeches are sometimes spontaneous
- Remember that you are writing for humanexchange
- Counsel your speaker to be human, to be“real” - not simply to read remarks.
Delivery matters
How would you counsel StephenHarper following this speech?
Student faints during Harperspeech
Delivery matters
- Look up often, make eye contact
- Smile (when appropriate) and otherwiseconvey the emotion yourself
- Use gestures and body language
- Never, ever “just read”
Concluding thoughts
- Choose a rhetorical approach (or combo)
- Know your audience and your speaker
- Know the venue
- Edit, rehearse, and share
