Speech preparation:
I find that speeches come into my mind both unexpectedly and with some reflection. Sometimes I find good speech material when I’m doing research for my books or websites. Other times the speaker club assignment requires a certain thing, so I set about creating the most appropriate material for it.
The fundamental thing needed for a speech is structure. It needs an opening, about three main points for a short speech or five main points for a longer speech and a good conclusion.
- The opening needs to grab the audience’s attention and cause them to want to hear the speech.
- The points made should be clear and logical; all contributing to the argument being made.
- Summing up at the end is important for the audience to remember what they’ve heard. The final line should be memorable.
A speech may start off as notes or a script, or be a topic you are very familiar with. When you come to decide what you are actually going to include in a speech, however, it is better to note it down only as bullet points.
Preparing by using bullet points allows you to see the structure of a speech. It allows you to remove or rearrange parts of a speech. Each bullet point must move the speech on towards its one clear message. When you look at bullet points you look at the speech as a whole, and avoid getting lost in the details and the turns of phrase.
I now try to avoid rehearsal of actual words that are scripted, but I go into myself to see the concepts behind the message and understand what I really want to say while noting down my bullet points.
Science Makes Sense Creationism 