Speechwriting mistakes: four ways I screwed up (so you don’t have to)
I’d love to tell you that every speech I’ve written has been a roaring success, that every word was purest gold and that I never once face-planted into the metaphorical pavement. Or that yeah, I did screw up, but it was only once. Or only twice. But the truth is, I’ve...
Writing to be heard: a key to speechwriting
Wil Wheaton recently posted something to Medium, and it’s well worth reading on its own merits. But one passage jumped out at me in particular, and it’s one crucial key to speechwriting: Please note that I wrote this to be spoken/performed, and it may not...
Speaking from half a world away: Edward Snowden on big data, security and privacy
Last night, I joined hundreds of other Vancouverites at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre for an evening with Edward Snowden. For more than an hour, the intelligence-contractor-turned-whistleblower spoke to us via videoconference. He was articulate, quietly passionate and...
Will Donald Trump kill speechwriting? (Spoiler: no.)
A few months before the GOP convention, the leading contender for the party’s presidential nomination is Donald Trump: a man who draws huge, rapturous crowds… yet delivers long, rambling speeches that are apparently entirely off the cuff. Now, let’s...
Translating client feedback: What they say vs. what they want
One of your most important skills as a speechwriter is listening to your client when they give you feedback. That often means hearing past their words, to what they’re actually saying… and it almost always means probing more deeply for the real issue behind a comment...
Why, yes — I’d LOVE to speak at your event
Public speaking and speechwriting: the essential guides
Looking for advice on public speaking, speechwriting and leadership communications? Here are some of my most comprehensive posts, on topics that people ask me about most often.
