One of the most common problems in writing a speech is not having a good structure. A speech with bad structure is weak and ineffective. Consider structure as the backbone of your speech, that’s how important it is.

<ol><li>Don't write without a plan. Think, research and brainstorm of what central idea will be in your speech and the topics and hooks you will integrate.</li><li>Begin with the end in mind. Ask yourself what would be the message you want to retain to your audience to make the writing easier.</li><li>Divide and conquer by breaking down the general message into smaller. It will be easier for you to write and the audience will not have a hard time understanding the theme.</li><li>Read and rewrite the speech, then repeat. The most important in every speech is having a smooth flow so that people could follow to where you're going</li></ol>

Write a Well-structured Speech

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<figure><img src="https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/2600/1*pS9u0TOX4x7uRopRv80MXg.jpeg"> </figure> A speech is an effective medium to communicate a message you feel strongly about. Speech writing is a skill that has many advantages whether you are a student or a young professional. Like other skills, speech writing can be learned too.
My stint as a public speaking trainer for two years helped me discover the pitfalls in speech writing. One of the most common problems is not having a good structure. A speech with bad structure is weak and ineffective. Consider structure as the backbone of your speech, that's how important it is.
You have a message you want people to hear so you better make sure your speech is well-structured or else people will not get what you are trying to say. You don't want that, do you?
Here, I will explain how to write a well-structured speech. The steps I included here will help you avoid bad practices and develop good speech writing habits. Let's begin!
<h3>Step 1: Don't write</h3>
When you have to write a speech, don't write. I know it sounds counterintuitive, but really, it's not.
Most people, when they are tasked to come up with a speech they write right away. They write whatever comes to mind&#8202;-&#8202;the stream of thoughts transcribed into a piece of paper. At first, it feels awesome but after a few minutes, you find yourself stuck.
"Where the hell is this going?" You ask yourself.
Since you've written a lot already, it becomes harder for you to start all over again. So what you would do, if you're like most people, is force the speech to work, wrap it up with a crappy ending, and convince yourself it's not so bad at all.
When you deliver your speech in front of the audience, they look puzzled.
"What is this person talking about? She sounds like somebody carelessly ranting about everything."
When you have to write a speech, don't write. Think. What is the topic of your speech? What other topics are related to it? What personal stories do you have that is connected to the topic? In other words, and brainstorm. You have to make sure you have a clear grasp of the topic you want to tackle before you even write about it.
<blockquote>When you have to write a speech, don't write. Think. Research. Brainstorm.</blockquote>
<figure><img src="https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/1600/1*5rVPIKPHSoL-vDN-BydOPA.jpeg"> </figure> <h3>Step 2: Begin with the end in mind</h3>
Another seemingly counterintuitive advice: begin with the end in mind.
Remember this: after you deliver your speech, the audience will remember only one thing. Ask yourself, "What is the one message I want my audience to remember?"
It doesn't matter if you take a lot of time thinking about this. <a href="https://medium.com/@vincereyes/true-victims-96afb672df1e#.d6hvw8mho">When I participated in the English Speaking Union Public Speaking Competition, it took me two weeks just thinking about what I want to say</a>. The beautiful thing about it is that once you find what you are fighting for, the writing part becomes easier.
Whatever your message is, make sure it is important to you and you really believe in it.
<blockquote>The audience will remember only one thing. Ask yourself, "What is the one message I want my audience to remember?"</blockquote>
<h3>Step 3: Divide and conquer</h3>
Now that you know where your speech ends, the next logical question is "How do you build the road that leads there?"
Begin by breaking down the general message you identified in Step 2 into smaller sections. It's not only easier for you to write in parts, it's also going to be easier for the audience to absorb smaller ideas that make up a big one. It's a win-win scenario for you and your audience.
Let me provide you with an example. Say your general message is "We have to protect the environment," then you can break it down this way:
(1) Personal story why you care about the environment (2) Alarming issues that are related to the environment (3) Recommendations on how to help protect the environment.
Or
(1) The importance of the environment (2) Role of the government in protecting the environment (3) Supporting sustainable technologies.
No matter how you choose to divide your speech, you have to make sure that the smaller sections lead to your general message. That way, it is more manageable and at the same time gives the effect that each part completes the whole.
After listing down your general message and subsections, start writing.
<blockquote>It's not only easier for you to write in parts, it's also going to be easier for the audience to absorb smaller ideas that make up a big one.</blockquote>
<h3>Step 4: Read, rewrite, repeat.</h3>
Congratulations! You just finished writing your first draft. Thought this is over? Wrong. You are still missing one important piece that will complete the structure of your speech. I call it "The Flow."
Ever listened to someone deliver a speech that's hard to follow? Aside from the speaker's monotonous voice, it's probably because of the absence of "The Flow."
The Flow is simply the smooth transition from one idea to another. Remember that you broke down your speech into manageable sections, which was discussed in the previous step. Now, if you jump from one section to another without a proper transition, your audience will have a hard time understanding your speech.
How do you avoid this? Read, rewrite, and repeat.
Read your work as if you were a different person. Be on the lookout for sudden jumps of ideas. Be harsh so you could identify the parts that must be rewritten. Repeat the process until your speech has the ideal flow.
If you don't know what a transition statement is, I have listed here a few examples just to give you an idea.
"This event led to my curiosity in understanding [insert topic here]." "The problems I presented must be solved so here are my recommendations." "After my recovery, I discovered something that changed my life: [insert topic here]." "Moving forward to my next point." (If you can't think of something creative, use this.)
The examples above show how you can transition from a story to a particular topic or issue.
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A speech is an effective medium to communicate a message you feel strongly about. Speech writing is a skill that has many advantages whether you are a student or a young professional. Like other skills, speech writing can be learned too. My stint as a public speaking trainer for two years helped me discover the pitfalls in speech writing.

How To Write A Well-structured Speech

Write a Well-structured Speech

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