From the monthly archives:

February 2010

Make your next speech “wild at heart”

by Cynthia J. StarksFebruary 26, 2010

This week I’ve been glued to my CD player listening to the audio version of John Eldredge’s not-new, but wonderful, book, Wild at Heart. This morning, it occurred to me that the themes he presents might be woven into the speeches you and I write.
The human heart is at the center of Eldredge’s book. His [...]

Read the full article →

How can I “after-market” my speech?

by Cynthia J. StarksFebruary 21, 2010

Last week I gave a “speech on speechwriting” to the Columbia Club of Indianapolis. It was well-received (attendees filled out speech evaluation sheets).
Now I’m working on leveraging the speech to additional audiences, hoping it will generate new speechwriting assignments.
Here’s what I’ve done/am doing:
1. I posted a blog about the event with a link to the [...]

Read the full article →

I finally gave my speech…

by Cynthia J. StarksFebruary 19, 2010

On Tuesday, Feb. 16, I finally gave my speech on speechwriting to members of the Columbia Club in Indianapolis. Thank you, dear reader, for putting up with the previous blogs I wrote about it throughout my preparation.  
In addition, I want to thank the fellow speechwriters who responded to my blog request for input on what [...]

Read the full article →

What people want to know about speechwriting

by Cynthia J. StarksFebruary 10, 2010

As readers of my blog know – and are probably sick of hearing – on Feb. 16 I’m giving a talk on speechwriting to 25-30 members of the Columbia Business Network, a club I belong to in Indianapolis.
 
In preparing my presentation, I did what good speechwriters do – some audience analysis. I asked about half-a-dozen [...]

Read the full article →

Seeking advice: What should a speechwriter say about speechwriting?

by Cynthia J. StarksFebruary 6, 2010

On Feb. 16, I’m giving a 20-minute talk on what a speechwriter does and how smart business, education and government leaders use speeches to accomplish their business and communications goals.
I plan to start my talk with very brief examples of three types of openings tied to my subject matter – one based on the date [...]

Read the full article →