MetaChat - Speech without a net!

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03 October 2006

Speech without a net! This evening, I will be giving my speech without notes, preparation, paper to bury nose in, or anything like that. This is deliberate. Thoughts on extemporaneous speaking are gratefully received within.→[More:]
Five to eight minutes.

Talking about the Things That Unite Us, the Things That Divide Us, and This Thing, a New Way of Uniting Us.

I can't thump tub worth a damn, so the very quiet and still voice will be used - hopefully well-deployed so as not to bore people.

Most people won't even remember what I say, thank God, as the Infamous Celebrity attending will overwhelm it.

My Better Half is attending! Afterwards we shall retire for a truly epic piss-up.

post by: By the Grace of God at: 10:14 | 11 comments

I once had to speak in front of a large crowd and started off by saying "I hope everyone can hear me" and someone called back "I can, but I'd be happy to change places with somebody who can't!"

Ouch!

posted by essexjan 03 October | 10:22

Write a 5-8 minute speech and read it over a few times. Then leave it behind. If you're using a "quiet & still voice" remember you still need to project. This is true even if (perhaps especially if) you are talking into a microphone.

Break a leg.

posted by GeckoDundee 03 October | 10:23

yeah, I would say REHEARSE, then be prepared to improvise, especially if you are taking comments from the audience to work with.

wouldn't you like just a few points on a notecard to remind you of the general flow in case you get nervous and go blank?

and as far as the quiet voice, mine goes hoarse if i try to speak loud, so i would say TEST THE MIC BEFOREHAND, heh, and turn it up.

good luck! you'll do fine!

i have the quiet "soothing" voice, so i need to work on making sure it's "exciting" for people too, heh. i dunno. i'm working on it. hand gestures, humor, antics...

posted by shane 03 October | 10:41

Okay okay I am doing the notecards now. :)

posted by By the Grace of God 03 October | 10:50

hmmm, i wonder if this would work...

have someone tape you doing the talk (beforehand) then watch it a few times?

i had to do a 45-minute presentation recently and i'd seen someone else do a generic version of it 3 & 1/2 times. when it came time to talk, i knew the core speech by heart, was comfortable with it, and it had rattled around in my head for so long that i'd improvised a bunch of jokes, too. i'd even thought out answers to potential questions...

posted by shane 03 October | 11:12

No note cards. Either you completely memorize, or you just know your subject, and prepare a list of points you want to be sure to make.

Unless you're able to read and speak them the same time, like an anchorman, don't use notes. (Disclaimer: from an early age, I could do this.)

posted by orthogonality 03 October | 11:12

BGOG, I'd say talk out loud about your subjects to yourself and see how long you can go. Imagine someone asking you a question and responding.

Secondly, give yourself some time to get into it. If your voice cracks or something in the first minute, don't panic, it doesn't mean you've lost the whole speech. Your audience will forgive you, so forgive yourself.

posted by rainbaby 03 October | 11:14

List of points is what I've got now. Oh whoo nelley here goes.

posted by By the Grace of God 03 October | 11:39

FWIW, I concur with those who stress knowing your subject, and then having points on a card. Even the toughest audience can wait the moment it takes for you to glance down and make sure you are hitting all the points you need to make.

If that can't happen, do a nice powerpoint slide show with lots of bouncy transistions and boing sounds! Yeah!

posted by richat 03 October | 12:02

well I was awesome. More tomorrow. thanks for the tips everyone!

posted by By the Grace of God 03 October | 17:59

Well done, BTGOG! Just got on or I'd've wished you well, too. Glad it went so swimmingly. Enjoy the well-earned piss-up.

posted by elizard 04 October | 00:39

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