Speechwriting

You and I can probably agree that “fuckin’” is overused. In Boston, it’s practically a part of speech: a disyllabic article, a replacement for “uhs” and “ums.” The word appeared in the first Good Will Hunting script nearly 150 times. When the T’s delayed, you hear it at every stop…

Ladies and gentlemen, fellow citizens, Today, I stand before you to address a pressing issue that shakes the very foundation of our great nation. As Americans, we must confront an uncomfortable truth: Our pursuit of individual success has come at the expense of our communities, our environment, and our very…

The minute I started reading I saw it coming, and indeed, GRACE has officially jumped to become one of my *all-time* favorite books. The kind of book I hugged, often, between laughter and tears. Written by Obama’s chief speechwriter, GRACE is an intimate glimpse into the process of creative…

Use these steps for writing any form of content. — Public speaking is an art. It takes years to master. To strike a chord with your audience, you need to make them feel it’s their story you’re unfolding before them. I was a Toastmaster for more than 3 years. Toastmasters International is an organisation that helps develop public speaking and…

Raphael Warnock and the power of prayer in politics — “It’s been called!” The Analytics team erupted. From the fortieth floor of an Atlanta Marriott, we had been analyzing precinct returns with a birds-eye view of Georgia’s capital. …

An ancient memory trick could be the key to making your time doing the house chores even more industrious… — If you’re anything like me, you won’t relish doing the housework. You wake up in the morning and groan because you know it’s housework day. You know you’ll manage to drag yourself out of bed eventually. …

How leaders can land a joke that packs a punch — and proves a point — As leaders of West Wing Writers’ humor practice, satirists who have been published in the pages of The New Yorker and McSweeney’s, and veterans of the political comedy world, we’ve dedicated our careers, in part, to crafting jokes that serve a higher purpose — whether it’s helping progressives advocate more…

My expert advice when you must write a speech or presentation — I spent 15 years writing hundreds of speeches and articles for CEOs and senior administrators. That qualifies me to identify as the “ghost” in the label “ghostwriter.” You didn’t really think that all those executives, politicians, professors and authors really write their own remarks, did you? This isn’t a career…

As a professional, there may come a time when you are required to give a keynote speech. But the thought of standing in front of a large audience can be daunting, and it’s easy to let anxiety get the best of you. The good news is that with the right…