HOW TO PREPARE YOUR TALK

                                                      STAGE SPEECH

WHAT TOPICS OUGHTYOU TO SPEAK ON DURING THE SESSIONS OF THIS COURSE?

     ANYTHING THAT INTERESTS YOU. IF POSSIBLE, CHOOSE YOUR OWN TOPICS; YOU WILL BE MORE FORTUNATE STILL IF YOUR TOPIC CHOOSE YOU. HOWEVER, YOU WILL OFTEN HAVE TOPICS SUGGESTED FOR YOU BY YOUR INSTRUCTOR.

      DON'T MAKE THE ALMOST UNIVERSAL MISTAKE TO TRYING TO COVER TOO MUCH GROUND IN A BRIEF TALK. JUST TAKE ONE OR TWO ANGLES OF A SUBJECT AND ATTEMPT TO COVER THEM ADEQUATELY. YOU WILL BE FORTUNATE IF YOU CAN DO THAT IN THE SHORT SPEECHES THAT ARE NECCESITATED BY THE TIME SCHEDULE OF THIS COURSE.

       DETERMINE YOUR SUBJECT A WEEK IN ADVANCE SO THAT YOU WILL HAVE TIME TO THINK IT OVER IN ODD MOMENTS. THINK IT OVER FOR SEVEN DAYS; DREAM OVER IT FOR SEVEN NIGHTS. THINK OF IT THE LAST THIN WHEN YOU RETIRE. THINK OF IT THE NEXT MORNING WHILE YOU ARE SHAVING, WHILE YOU ARE BATHING, WHILE YOU ARE RIDING DOWNTOWN, WHILE YOU ARE WAITING FOR LIFTS, OR LUNCH, FOR APPOINTMENT. DISCUSS IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS. MAKE IT A TIPIC OF CONVERSATION.

       ASK YOURSELF ALL POSSIBLE QUESTIONS CONCERNING IT. IF FOR EXAMPLE, YOU ARE TO SPEAK ON DIVORCE, ASK YOURSELF WHAT CAUSES DIVORCE, WHAT ARE THE EFFORTS ECONOMICALLY, SOCIALLY. HOW CAN THE EVIL BE REMEDIED? SHOULD DIVORCE BE MADE IMPOSSIBLE? MORE DIFFICULT?EASIER?

       IF YOU STAND UP AND THINK CLEARLY AND KEEP GOING FOR TWO OR THREE MINUTES, THAT IS ALL THAT WILL BE EXPECTED OF YOU DURING YOUR FIRST FEW TALKS. A TOPIC, SUCH AS WHY YOU ENROLLED FOR THIS COURSE, IS VERY EASY; THAT IS OBVIOUS. IF YOU WILL SPEND A LITTLE TIME SELECTING AND ARRANGING YOUR MATERIAL ON THAT TOPIC,YOU WILL BE ALMOST SURE TO REMEMBER IT, FOR YOU WILL BE SPEAKING OR YOUR OWN OBSERVATIONS, YOUR OWN DESIRES, YOUR OWN EXPERIENCES.

         ABOUT ALL ELSE, DON'T MAKE YOUR TALK AN ABSTRACT PREACHMENT. THAT WILL BORE US. MAKE YOUR TALK A REGULAR LAYER CAKE OF ILLUSTRATION AND GENERAL STATEMENTS. THINK OF CONCRETE CASES YOU HAVE OBSERVED, AND OF THE FUNDAMENTAL TRUTHS WHICH YOU BELIEVE THOSE SPECIFIC INSTANCES ILLUSTRATE. YOU WILL ALSO DISCOVER THAT THESE CONCRETE CASES ARE FAR EASIER TO REMEMBER THAN ABSTRACTIONS; THEY ARE FAR EASIER TO TALK ABOUT. THEY WILL ALSO AID AND BRIGHTEN YOUR DELIVERY.

         SOME MEN,IN SPEAKING OF THEIR BUSINESS, COMMIT THE UNFORGIVABLE ERROR OF TALKING ONLY OF THE FEATURES THAT INTEREST THEM. SHOULD'T THE SPEAKER TRY TO ACCERTAIN WHAT WILL ENTERTAIN NOT HIMSELF BUT HIS HEARNERS? SHOULDN'T HE TRY TO APPEAL TO THEIR SELFISH INTERESTS? IF FOR EXAMPLE, HE SELLS FIRE INSURANCE, SHOULDN'T HE TELL THEM HOW TO PREVENT FIRES ON THEIR OWN PROPERTY? IF HE IS A BANKER, SHOULDN'T HE GIVE THEM ADVICE ON FINANCE OR INVESTMENTS?

       WHILE PREPARING, STUDY YOUR AUDIENCE. THINK OF THEIR WANTS, THEIR WISHES. THAT IS SOMETIMES HALF THE BATTLE.

        IN PREPARING SOME TOPICS, IT IS VERY ADVISIBLE-IF TIME PREMETS-TO DO SOME READING, TO DISCOVER WHAT OTHERS HAVE THOUGHT, WHAT OTHERS HAVE SAID ON THE SAME SUBJECT. BUT DON'T READ UNTIL YOU HAVE FIRST THOUGHT YOURSELF DRY. THAT IS IMPORTANT-VERY. THEN GO TO THE PUBLIC LIBERARY AND LAY YOUR NEEDS BEFORE THE LIBERARIAN. TELL HER YOU ARE PREPARING A SPEECH ON SUCH AND SUCH A TOPIC. ASK HER FRANKLY FOR HELP. IF YOU ARE NOT IN THE HABIT OF DOING RESEARCH WORK, YOU WILL PROBABLY BE SURPRISED AT THE AIDS SHE CAN PUT AT YOUR DISPOSAL; PERHAPS A SPECIAL VOLUME ON YOUR VERY TOPIC, OUTLINES AND BRIEFS FOR DEBATE, GIVING THE PRINCIPLE ARGUMENTS ON BOTHS SIDES OF THE PUBLIC QUESTIONS OF THE DAY, THE READER'S GUIDE TO PERIODICAL LITERATURE LISTING THE MAGAZINE ARTICLES THAT HAVE APPEARED ON VARIOUS TOPICS SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE CENTURY, THE DAILY MAIL ALMANAC, THE ENCYCLOPAEDIAS, AND DOZENS OF REFERENCE BOOKS. THEY ARE TOOLS IN YOUR WORKSHOP. USE THEM.