10 Steps to Writing a Vital Speech: The Definitive Guide to Professional Speechwriting

As a speechwriter with more than 30 years of experience, I found 10 Steps to Writing a Vital Speech to be interesting and informative. It reaffirmed much of what I know about speechwriting, but also gave me many new insights and ideas to work with. I would highly recommend this book to beginning speechwriters as a comprehensive and easy-to-follow guide to the fundamentals of the craft. I also recommend it to experienced speechwriters as a useful checklist to keep your efforts on track as well as a thoughtful exploration of what it means to be a speechwriter. Grizzled veterans will find the last chapter, "How to be a speechwriter -- and survive" to be especially enlightening.

Excellent guide to speechwriting! Clearly written, full of great advice.

Well written with helpful frameworks and inspiring examples. Buy this and Robert Lehrman's "Political Speechwriter's Companion" and you'll be set for life.

Whether you have been writing speeches for years or just learning this book is a must read as it will remind you of the basics and provide great tips!

A good start to learn to write speeches.

Award-winning speechwriter Fletcher Dean has written an excellent and comprehensive book on the art and craft of speechwriting. The book takes the reader step-by-step through the entire speechwriting process -- from analyzing the audience and researching your topic to making sure your speeches radiate substance, style and structure. Dean covers when to use PowerPoint and when to bypass it. He even preps the speechwriter on his or her role as speech counselor, fashion advisor and event manager. All in all, a thorough and engaging book to help writers make their speeches thoughtful, dynammic and poweful. I've written speeches for more than 20 years -- on staff at corporations and as a freelancer -- and I learned plenty from this book. It has my wholehearted endorsement.

"10 Steps to Writing a Vital Speech" gets to the heart of communicating to your intended audience. One of my favorite pieces of advice from Fletcher Dean is that writing the speech starts before you put words to the page. This book takes you through all the important considerations that go into figuring out what to say before thinking about how to say it. I am not only a fan of the book myself as a senior corporate communicator, but as an adjunct professor of business writing I assign the book as required reading. Whether you have plans to write a speech to deliver yourself, write a speech for someone else, or would just like to know how to be more clear, concise and influential when you speak, this is a much-have on the book shelf of every professional.

Fletcher Dean has written a valuable guide for professional speechwriters and the leaders they serve. Dean's book, published by Vital Speeches of the Day, demystifies the hidden art and science of speechwriting in a single handy volume. This book belongs on every communications professional's bookshelf.Dean has a wealth of experience on speechwriting, and he shares his knowledge generously. He walks the reader step by step through the logical process that goes into a successful speech---from the audience analysis to the final walk through of the room before delivery. Anyone in the business of preparing and delivering speeches owes Fletcher a debt of gratitude for providing handy frameworks and checklists that are sure to impress executives and other leaders who employ speechwriters.Along with the tips and tricks, the book offers a lively mix of old fashioned rhetorical wisdom and contemporary methods to inspire audiences and cut through media clutter. Fletcher leaves his reader with a complete understanding of the unique format of rhetoric. His description of Monroe's Motivated Sequence is especially useful for anyone trying to persuade an audience. He also makes a compelling case for the power of stories and the need for an emotional impact---not just an intellectual argument---to motivate the audience to act.Dean's book comes out at a time of rapid changes in leadership communications. With YouTube, people now download speeches in their entirety. What does this mean? A vast library of video and audio speeches is just a mouse click away, available for free. And many go viral. Gaffes now gain widespread and instant attention. Brilliant speeches like Steve Jobs commencement are viewed by millions. Mass media are no longer gatekeepers, filtering rhetoric down to sound bites for the evening news. If you want context, you can now get it. We have the power.The traditional 20 minute speech at a podium that Dean describes is the standard for political communication. As the reach and influence of the federal government grows so too does the demand for political speechwriters. Dean's book will no doubt be useful to the growing ranks of writers hired to articulate the goals and actions of our nation's vast bureaucracy.Things are different in the private sector. The solo keynote speech is a vanishing breed--not yet extinct but endangered. Big time forums want a conversational tone, which means fireside chats or moderated conversations. Audiences like a lively exchange of views and a chance to directly engage the speakers. Executives also like this format too. They don't have to prepare a formal script, and they can get straight to the point of their message.Should business leaders be more like public officials and hold forth on matters of public policy? Probably. But in our Occupy Wall Street age when big business is often vilified, taking a strong stand on a controversial issue is a risky proposition. So many executives just stay quiet. Or else they tone down their message, and their speech loses impact.Is rhetoric a lost art in the business world? Not yet. Most business leaders are in their comfort zone imparting information. This role is a job requirement for leaders as they inform investors and other stakeholders on a regular basis. They know how to stand up in front of a group and make a good impression. But there's more to great rhetoric, and Dean shows how the process is supposed to work.A vital speech requires getting across a big idea and leaving your audience moved to act. Speakers who want to stand apart from the crowd and demonstrate leadership will benefit from How to Write a Vital Speech.

Just read the first couple of chapters. A true pleasure to read. The author is clearly a brilliant and engaging author, knowing how to introduce vital points of a good speech while you are charmed reading. Thank you!