9/7/2021

SPCO 101
Speech prep

Steps in speechwriting
▪ 1. Find your topic
▪ 2. Conduct your research.
▪ The four Rs: Relevant, representative, recent, reliable.
▪ Identify legitimate sources.
▪ Collect supporting facts and statistics, if possible.
▪ Find testimony from experts.
▪ Look for anecdotes (individual examples that illustrate a bigger
point.)

Do NOT use
Wikipedia as a
source. But it can
be a good place to
start. (See
references at the
bottom of entries.)

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Research
Your sources should be:
a. Legitimate
b. Original (when possible/practical)

To find academic research, use Google Scholar.

Speechwriting, cont’d…
▪ 3. Organize your speech
▪ Write a thesis statement.

Example: Hundreds of former NFL players are suffering the

catastrophic effects of concussions years after the end of their
playing careers.

Speechwriting, cont’d…
▪ Make a list of the main points you want to make.
▪ Organize these points in a logical order. Some common
structures:
a. Causation (Cause and effect)
b. Chronological (Events in the order in which they occurred)
c. Sequential (The steps of a process)
d. Refutative (State a claim, then attack it)
e. Narrative (Takes the form of a story)

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Speechwriting, cont’d…
▪ 4. Create an outline. (See handout. You must turn in your
outline.)
▪ 5. Using outline as guide, write the body of your speech.
▪ 6. Write intro, transitions, conclusion.
▪ 7. Practice delivering your speech.

Tips for delivery

▪ Try for conversational delivery style
▪ Should seem extemporaneous
▪ You can refer to notecards, but should know material well
enough that you use cards only as memory cue
▪ If you know the material, the audience will sense this

The concept of ethos

▪ Competent
▪ Has integrity
▪ Is dynamic
▪ Has goodwill

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Reagan on Challenger
▪ Identify components.
▪ Analyze his style.
▪ Does he use any of Aristotle’s three methods of appeals?
Logic (logos), emotion (pathos), character (ethos)?
▪ Does he use an anecdote?
▪ Does he cite evidence or facts?

Homework
▪ Study for exam (Ch. 1-5)
▪ Choose your informative speech topic and begin research