Speech Writing: Format, Tips, Examples & More (How to Guide)

​Introduction to Speech Writing

The ability to speak a powerful and inspiring speech is a valuable skill. These kinds of speeches leave an impression on the listener, and people remember them for days. This skill is necessary not only at the school level but also at the workplace. However, not many people can verbalize a speech on the spot. Speech writing is also an art, as is giving speeches. The words must be carefully chosen to invoke the right emotion in people. One wrong word or phrase and the momentum of the speech is broken. To help students and people write the best speeches of their lives, a list of tips, outlines, and samples will help.

​How to Start a Speech?

Starting a speech the right way can be the success of the entire speech. Not only with the audience will be engaged and interactive, but they will also remember it. Speech writing to include a solid start to the speech is an art that is worth exploring. Per the format of a speech, the starting or the conclusion of the speech is short and at the beginning.

​Quote

One way for a strong start to a speech is to state a quote. A quote that is relevant to the topic from a well-known person should be chosen. It will grab the listeners’ attention and set the tone for the rest of the speech. For example, one good quote that can be included regarding speech writing in English is “It usually takes me more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech”- Mark Twain.

​Question

Many speakers also include a question, in particular, a rhetorical question, at the start of their speeches. They then attempt to answer the said question. One advantage of including questions at the start of the speech is that it prompts an answer. Even though the speaker is not calling for answers from the audience, one tends to think of the answer immediately. For instance, “Who wouldn’t like to live on a beach?”

​A Scenario

Another way to put the audience straight into the topic of the speech is to create a scenario. Create a situation, add details, a situation and then ask questions. Being able to visualize situations will engage the audience and also get them excited for the speech. This is because the entire speech now seems like one continuous conversation. A light and entertaining mood is set in the room. For instance, “Imagine you are on a beach. The sun is shining, the wind is blowing. It is not too hot, and the weather is pleasant. How do you feel?”

​Statistics or Current Event

Quoting a statistic is an excellent way to start the speech. One must make sure to make the statistic relevant not only to the topic but to the audience as well. Similarly, one can also state some news or a piece of a current event. It will trigger people to feel the way the speaker wants them to. For instance,” Over 90% of the people where will…”

​Powerful Statement

Speakers, especially politicians, often start their speeches with a powerful statement. The statement can be a shocking or a powerful one. The goal here is to let the audience guess what will be spoken next. Following the statement, take a moment of silence to let the statement sink in and make a more impactful effect. For instance,” We cannot win, (pause)…is what everyone will tell you.”

Also Read: Innovative Tips to Start a Speech

​Speech Writing Format

Any good speech is made as per a speech format. There is a start of the speech, the main body of the speech with all the facts. In the end, the conclusion of the speech summarises the entire speech. Any speech, when made properly, can capture the listener’s attention. To master the art of speech writing, students and working professionals must know the format of a good speech.

​Greeting

The greeting or the introduction is the first part of the speech. It is a quick greeting to the audience while introducing the speaker and the topic of the speech. This initial part of the speech is especially important. A proper attention-grabbing introduction will set the tone for the rest of the speech. When writing the introduction, remember that the goal is to persuade the listener to pay attention. A good greeting has a brief overview of the topic. For instance, “Today, I will be talking about… “. A quick quote relevant to the topic, an incident or a joke to relax the audience can also be put here. For example, ” Today’s topic reminds me of this one incident…”. Be sure to keep the introduction brief but interesting. Also, in the speech, the date is written at the start.

​Main Body

With the initial introductions out of the way, the next is to tackle the meat of the speech. The main body of speech writing is the section where the actual topic will be talked about. Here, the main body has all the main features or points of the speech topic, along with pros and cons. This is where the speaker talks about most of the reasoning and objections of the topic. Speech writing in the main body must be done slowly and carefully. Cover around five to seven points about the topic and include plenty of examples. Prepare a flowchart of the main body and ensure a general understanding of the topic. For example, when talking about stress management, start by explaining what stress management is and why it is important. Finish it up with some techniques for managing stress.

​Factual data

To further persuade the audience during speeches, including statistics and facts is the best to go about it. Statistics included during speech writing prove arguments and support the speaker’s ideas. It will also give more credibility, showing that the writer has done their research. Numbers will also impact the listener, and they will remember the presentation. It is also important to include the right type of statistics in speeches. The source of the fact must be credible. Government websites, academic journals and scholarly websites are good places to look for statistics. When speaking, also remember to cite the sources to give due credit. Some speech writing examples for facts is to look for actual pollution levels when talking about pollution.

​Ending

The speech’s ending or conclusion is just as important as the introduction. It is something that the audience will take away with them and remember. Generally, in speech writing, the ending must include a summary of the entire speech. This is so to remind the audience of all the points made. A call to action, in line with the rest of the speech or a simple story, is also a good way to wrap up the speech. Like in the introduction, the speaker can also end with a quote at the conclusion.

Furthermore, all speech endings should have an acknowledgement of the audience and the guests. Thank them for their time and express gratitude. For instance, “Finally, I would like to thank the audience and the guest of honour for lending me your time.”

​Outline for Speech Writing

To continue the discussion of speech writing, the next step is to understand the format for writing speeches. The format and outline are general and different depending on the speech’s content. However, generally, the outline has a greeting, the main body, factual data and an ending or conclusion.

​Tips to Keep in Mind for Speech Writing

Speech writing takes time to perfect. Good speeches are researched and leave the audience with things to take away from the speech. One could, however, also benefit from some tips to ace writing speeches.

​Understand the audience.

Take time to understand the type of people listening to the speech. Evaluate if the chosen speech topics would be interesting or appealing to them. How big of a group is it, and what are their experiences and expectations from the speech? Is a more in-depth and fact-based speech appropriate or a more light-hearted inspirational one?

​Choose the message of the speech.

Decide on a core message of the speech that will resonate with the topic. All points made within the speech must be around this core message. Shape the message to be relatable to the audience. Put enough content and research into it to show that the speaker cares about the topic. Also, the message should not be too hard or advanced to avoid confusion.

​Research

This is the part that will take the most time. Take the time to do in-depth research. Exhaust all known resources on the topic. Write up all the ideas together and try to connect them. Look up numbers and statistics from Government websites. Put the content together in a rough format and rearrange them. Look for holes in the speech and fill them up.

​Format of the speech

Depending on the goal of the speech, create a structure or an outline. Generally, most speeches have an introduction, the main body and a conclusion. Pace the speech to let the audience think, get their interest and drive into the main message. Do not make it too long, as people tend to have shorter attention spans.

​Practice

All the most popular speakers in the world have taken the time to perfect their craft. They have had failures where their speeches did not work out as they intended. However, they got up and started again through practice. Get a friend or a mentor who can give honest opinions. Practice by standing in front of the mirror. Adjust the tone and the volume as necessary.

​Examples for Speech Writing

Let’s see what good speeches can look like with the help of a few speech examples.

​If I Had a Superpower

Good Morning Everyone. Thank you for allowing me to talk on such an exciting topic. You hear the word superpowers, and one immediately thinks of being selfish. I wish I could be strong, I wish I were the smartest person etc. But what if we were to choose a superpower that can help the people around us?

I have the option to choose my superpower, I would choose the ability to find cures for diseases like Cancer. Of course, there is the topic of natural selection, but I have a reason why I want this superpower. So many people have been taken away from life-threatening diseases due to pure neglect. They could have gone on to make important discoveries and save more people. So many people would have been able to contribute positively to society had they not attracted a disease and passed.

With power comes great responsibility. I feel a superpower like this can be easily misused. I would therefore prefer not to have any superpower and find my way through my struggles.

​Yoga and Its Benefits

Good Morning Principal M’am, teachers, and my classmates. On the occasion of Yoga Day, I prepared a short speech on the benefits of yoga. Hopefully, by the end of my speech, we will be doing yoga every day, not one day in a year.

On June 21, the world celebrates the ancient art of Yoga. Yoga is much more than a means of exercising. Our lives are super busy these days, and the stress builds up in us. Combined with our poor diets, we manifest diseases that stay with us for years. All of these can be tackled with Yoga. We have better immune systems and normal blood pressure levels and are healthier.

Who wouldn’t want to run around and play with our grandkids someday? I would surely like that. I plan to do yoga every day. What about you?

​Speech Writing is an art.

How often have people observed politicians on television giving awe-inspiring speeches? One common thread in most of these speeches is that they are brief, simple and leave an impact. These are speeches often prepared by an expert and leave one wondering how to give a speech with a similar impact. However, it is also possible to replicate it at home for a speech at work or college. Writing speeches is easy. It includes proper structure, basic grammar and framing of the speech to grab the audience’s attention.

Writing speeches requires knowledge of basic English grammar. Individuals with good writing skills and knowledge of writing speeches can use them to make earnings. Chegg provides opportunities to experts with good subject knowledge who can work part-time to answer student questions. Choose a subject to teach, take the qualifying test, choose work hours and start earning today.

​Frequently Asked Questions

Q.1 How do you write a speech?

Ans. To write a speech, one must first do some groundwork and research the audience. Depending on the type of audience, the writer designs the tone and content of the speech. Gather all necessary material to start writing a speech, including facts and numbers from official websites. While researching, start writing notes in a rough format. Prepare a basic outline and include the introduction, main body and ending. Fill out the outline with the notes. Make the speech interesting, and insert quotes or a story at the end to wrap up.

Q.2 How do you start speech writing?

Ans. The first step to creating a speech is to get information about the audience. The speech will be written and structured as per the audience. Thereafter, start researching the topic. Prepare notes while researching in the sequence they will be told. Any numbers or facts have to be from reliable, authorized websites only. Prepare a proper outline and fill it with the research material. Review, make changes and practice the speech.

Q.3 What are the 5 steps to writing a speech?

Ans. Writing a speech is not as hard, and to prepare the best speech, here are five steps. Start with preparing an outline and include an introduction, main body and ending. Research and prepare the first draft of the speech. Keep the audience in mind when making the draft. Edit and proofread the speech for grammatical errors and other mistakes. With the speech ready, read it out loud. Take note not to sound robotic, transitions and tone. Practice in front of the mirror. Look at and correct the body language not to look tense or nervous.

Q.4 What kind of speech topics are best in India?

Ans. Choosing a speech topic will depend on the occasion or event for which the speech is. Speech topics vary from history, religion, national holidays, and spirituality to technical topics. However, for practice, as students, some topics are Corruption, Clean India, Child Labour, the Importance of Books and Reading, and If I had a superpower.