How Do You Write A Presidential Speech?
If you were a fan of the award-winning TV show The West Wing, you know that aides charged with responsibility for drafting President Jeb Bartlett’s speeches were constantly on the spot to pull together the right mix of words and phrases, and do it on the fly. While you might not be writing for POTUS, your ability to craft a coherent message on behalf of a corporate or service club president is just as important as drafting language for the nation’s Chief Executive. Sure, it’s daunting, but if you listen carefully to what the president wants to say and feel confident about how she expects it to sound, you’re on your way to mastering the art of speech writing–one president at a time. Sit down and discuss with the president what he hopes to gain by making the speech. Is the objective political? Informational? Are you being asked to articulate the president’s need to mend fences, explain an unpopular position or put a verbal bandage on unflattering rumors? Your understanding of why the sp
