FIRST, THINK: Who is this person and why are they significant? Make a list of people you might like to talk about and list some adjectives to describe them. Consider how comfortable and capable you are discussing someone if they are no longer alive.
- My mom – funny, honest, passionate
- My dad – creative, diligent, caring
- My aunt – generous, kind, empathetic
NEXT: BRAINSTORM: What other stories or anecdotes can you think of? Continue to add depth to your outline and speech. (Writing a draft of a toast for your “person,” even if you are not composing a toast, might help shape your speech.) Imagine that this is a SKETCH.
- Softball and commitment, “you can have whatever you want once you get your own apartment” “just get it done professionally” : although didn’t agree with me, was always supportive
- Playing video games together, 3D printing: quality time is important and you’ll never forget it
- Always willing to help others: it doesn’t matter who you are, coaching softball: stepping out of her comfort zone
NEXT: NARROW: Pick one person and focus on what you think your audience should know about this person.
- My mom, she’s always supported and looked out for me.
NEXT: STRUCTURE: Lay out 3 clear parts on paper: Intro, Body, Conclusion and start to budget the time your will spend delivering each part.
- Intro: introduce my mom & a little bit about her (job, etc)
- Body: how she’s been there for me
- Conclusion: what I’ve learned from her
NEXT: IN MOTION: Draft, add, subtract, practice, revise, repeat. This speech, like all the others, is meant to evolve as you keep working with it throughout the week.
Dry-dry run feedback: My roommates told me that they liked the speech and that I need to work on eye contact and rehearsal so I don’t stumble over my words as much.
First draft:
