14 Nov 03 @ 8:57 am
Peggy Noonan
Reagan speechwriter and Wall Street Journal editorialist Peggy Noonan has offered a slender summary of her advice on speech giving and speech writing in On Speaking Well. The subtitle is “How to give a speech with style, substance, and clarity,” and for the most part, the book provides sound if somewhat obvious advice. Some examples:
* Keep any speech to 20 minutes or less.
* Begin writing any speech with a single headline that summarizes the entire point, followed by a general outline.
* The more difficult or complex the subject, the more simply you should craft the language.
* Be on the lookout for words that, when spoken, may be difficult to discern (example: “saver” and “saber”).
Noonan also offers guidance to those who write speeches for others, which includes similar useful-if-common-sense guidance.
On the whole: No surprises here, but On Speaking Well confirms much of the advice we offer others. It’s worth reading if you’re looking to improve speech giving and writing, but likely not if you’re a seasoned practitioner. Be aware, however: Noonan takes every opportunity to argue her political perspective throughout via examples and anecdotes … if you’re a dyed in the wool Democrat you may find yourself cringing.
posted in category(s): Who We're Reading
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