Page 30 - October 2020 Voices

JUST WRITE

I Outline My Speeches, Not My Writing

Ken Coomes, DTM

To outline, or not to outline - that is the question. body and conclusion). My method becomes

If you’ve talked with at least a baker’s dozen hybrid because of my characters. I like to tell
Toastmasters about speech preparation, I suspect other writers that my characters come up with
you’ve discovered between five and thirteen things I would never think of, and those take the
different ways they prepare their speeches. Some story in a different direction (sometimes more

outline, some write out their entire speech, some than one). Similar to noticing audience reaction
just “wing it”—and in my experience that seems
to be true among new members,
those who have completed one or

more levels in Pathways, and even
Distinguished Toastmasters.
Talk to a similar number of
writers—some work from an

outline and some just “listen to
their muse” and let the words flow
without an outline. Then there are
even some, myself included, who

take a hybrid approach.
Some have suggested that I
should share more of my own
personal style and experience here.

Like last month’s article, that might make it more when speaking,
relatable. Let me share my “hybrid” approach and adding or
and how I talk about it when addressing writer’s changing part of
groups. the speech on the

I start with an outline. It includes the main fly. Maybe the yellow
story arc (main objective of your speech), any light just came on, and
other arcs (supporting material) and some idea of you need to skip over some material to wrap up
how the story will start, flow and end (opening, on time. Your assignment is to deliver 120,000

30 ONE COMMUNITY