http://www.write-out-loud.com/overcome-fear-or-anxiety-of-public-speaking-blog.html How to overcome fear of public speaking, tips and resources for writing and delivering successful speeches. en-us overcome fear or anxiety of public speaking Sat, 04 Feb 2012 10:15:47 GMT Sat, 04 Feb 2012 10:15:47 GMT write-out-loud.com http://www.write-out-loud.com/how-to-remember-a-speech.html How to remember a speech easily using the timeless 'Once upon a time' story format Sat, 04 Feb 2012 10:15:47 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/acuteanxietyhelp.html Acute anxiety help: 16 effective tips to successfully overcome fear of public speaking. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 03:42:26 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/action-verbs.html Action verbs give your speech color and passion telling your story precisely and powerfully. They set a scene or change a mood quickly and concisely. Get the sizzle of succinct action verbs now. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 02:41:24 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/characterization-techniques.html Characterization techniques breathe life into your storytelling. Learn simple, fun and effective ways to make the stories that are part of your speeches vibrantly alive. Sun, 22 Jan 2012 04:29:29 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/church-welcome-speech-sample.html A church welcome speech sample: sincere, brief and simple. Use it as a template to prepare your own. Sun, 15 Jan 2012 04:14:28 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/howtouseprops.html Make your presentation really 'zing' by learning how to use props or visual aids effectively: 10 tips for speakers. Fri, 13 Jan 2012 23:02:50 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/interesting-speech-topics.html Interesting speech topics - dozens of speech topic ideas with a twist to make your speech captivating and relevant to your audience. Fri, 13 Jan 2012 09:50:38 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/demonstrative-speech-topics.html Good demonstrative speech topics by the dozens to help you choose the best visual aids speech topic: business, frugal living, be prepared safety, caring, entertainment & public speaking themed. Fri, 13 Jan 2012 05:43:23 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/how-to-memorize-a-speech.html How to memorize a speech easily using an acronym as a mnemonic or memory aid with examples Wed, 11 Jan 2012 05:27:04 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/good-persuasive-speech-topics.html Good persuasive speech topics: 50 super-starter persuasive speech ideas plus 'how-to' craft a good persuasive speech. Download a blank Monroe's Motivated Sequence speech outline to complete Fri, 06 Jan 2012 03:44:43 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/tips-and-speeches.html Share your public speaking tips and speeches - How did you overcome fear of public speaking? Got a great speech? Submit it here and help others succeed. Mon, 02 Jan 2012 22:17:04 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/public-speaking-news.html Public Speaking News - real time and world wide public speaking stories, fresh as they happen, 24/7 Tue, 20 Dec 2011 09:42:26 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/sample-tribute-speech.html A sample tribute speech to help you prepare your own: read the tribute speech for my mother and use the outline provided to easily begin the process Mon, 19 Dec 2011 04:04:53 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/effective-listening-skills.html Developing effective listening skills: 10 tips for speakers who want to do more than talk. Why? Because good communication is a partnership between speaking and listening. Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:00:33 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/christmas-speech-sample.html Christmas speech sample: celebrate simply and sincerely. Use this easily adaptable sample speech as a starting point to write your own. Mon, 12 Dec 2011 06:13:08 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/sample-speech-outline.html Download this sample speech outline template to help prepare a successful speech with easily followed step by step guidelines and examples. Mon, 12 Dec 2011 02:21:35 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/presentation-skills.html Presentation skills plus: an interview with TEDx organizer and speech coach Yolanthe Smit on her work; helping non-native English speakers prepare speeches. Sun, 04 Dec 2011 21:25:10 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/thank-you-quotes.html Thank you quotes: 30+ examples to help you say 'thank-you' creatively in a thank you speech Sat, 03 Dec 2011 05:08:13 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/speech-topics-for-children.html Dozens of speech topics for children in middle school. Choose from Community & Social Issues, Arts & Culture, Fun & Whimsy, Sports & Games, Food, Seasons & Nature, Animals, Birds & Fish or Hobbies Fri, 02 Dec 2011 03:52:08 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/elocution-topics-for-kids.html Elocution Topics for Kids: 50+ ideas to help choose speech topics for children from the child's perspective. Sun, 27 Nov 2011 23:36:44 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/howtowritespeech.html How to write a speech - easy to follow step by step guidelines, plus a summary speech writing checklist. Sun, 27 Nov 2011 06:49:15 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/anxiety-and-public-speaking.html Anxiety and public speaking: 6 post-speech strategies to minimize recurring public speaking fear Tue, 22 Nov 2011 06:11:38 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/public-speaking-panic-attacks.html Public speaking panic attacks - how to successfully and easily conquer extreme public speaking anxiety Wed, 16 Nov 2011 00:03:07 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/fightorflightresponse.html You can thank the fight or flight response, an ancient survival mechanism, for any physical manifestations of anxiety you experience. Regardless of their intensity, all of them are normal. Read more.. Tue, 15 Nov 2011 23:58:27 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/quick-and-easy-effective-tips-for-using-pauses.html Silence speaks LOUDER than words. Quick and easy effective tips for using pauses in speeches. Learn how, when and why to make silence part of your presentation. Tue, 15 Nov 2011 04:09:51 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/how-to-end-a-speech.html How to end a speech effectively - 3 examples of good speech endings to help you prepare a powerful closing statement for your speech. Tue, 15 Nov 2011 03:26:45 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/public-speaking-activities.html Public speaking activities: 5 fun public speaking exercises to develop fluency and confidence Tue, 15 Nov 2011 03:14:55 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/sponsorship-advertising.html Sponsorship advertising - Reach 1,000s of unique visitors a day looking for public speaking help Tue, 15 Nov 2011 02:34:32 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/public-speaking-games.html Public Speaking Games: 7 fun-filled games to encourage imagination, fluency and confidence. Easily adaptable to suit kids of all ages. Mon, 14 Nov 2011 01:09:49 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/teachers-voice.html A dynamic teachers voice has the power to inspire students. It is excited and passion filled, making students want to listen and learn. Is your voice tired? Find out how to easily add vocal variety. Mon, 07 Nov 2011 04:49:18 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/public-speaking-rubric.html <p>Do you wonder how you get the grades you do when you give a presentation?</p> <p>Or perhaps you're the one DOING the grading and can't clearly figure out how to distinguish between <i>Excellent</i> and <i>Good</i> or <i>Fair</i> and <i>Average</i>?</p> <p>Here's the link to a page featuring the <b>5 point scale <a href="http://www.write-out-loud.com/public-speaking-rubric.html">public speaking rubric</a></b> I used in my own teaching and to make it more useful I've included all the grading criteria for each of the 15 elements rated.</p><p>You'll see exactly why a person received the grading they did.</p><p>For example here's 'fluency'.</p> <p><b>Fluency, absence of fillers, ums, ahs:</b><br> <b>E</b>:total absence of fillers - fluent at all times<br> <b>G </b>:fluent but some hesitation picked up and one or two instances of fillers<br> <b>A</b>:some fillers but recovered from them and moved on<br> <b>F </b>:fillers present but persevered with speech<br> <b>P</b>:fillers painfully present to point of preventing understanding of speech</p><p>To see the grading discriptors for the remaining 14 elements or to download the rubric for your own use click the link below.</p> Mon, 07 Nov 2011 04:46:03 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/voice-image.html Voice image can make or break a career yet very few people consciously control what their voice says about who they are. It's not the actual words but how they're spoken that makes the difference. Sat, 05 Nov 2011 19:47:40 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/speech-evaluation.html Speech evaluation: Get or give valuable feedback with this 5 point scale printable speech evaluation template covering all aspects of a public speaking presentation. Thu, 03 Nov 2011 21:41:09 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/power-of-positive-thoughts.html Can the power of positive thoughts change your world? Download a free PDF of James Allen's classic 'As a Man Thinketh' & find out why changing your mind is good for you. Mon, 24 Oct 2011 09:13:55 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/how-to-speech-ideas.html How to speech ideas: 50 how to topics focusing on toughening up the vital soft skills needed for successful interpersonal relationships. Fri, 21 Oct 2011 01:58:57 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/public-speaking-nerves.html <p><i>It's a total disaster, a catastrophe, a major debacle of gigantic proportions...</i></p> <p>Try checking the reality of your public speaking nerves against a scale.</p> <p><b>If your present state of mind was on a scale of 1-10 where would it be?</b><br> <b>10</b> is a total cataclysmic disaster of world shattering significance<br> <b>1</b> is a minor temporary blip</p> <p>Are you likely to die through giving a speech? Is the world ending? Are your loved ones threatened? What is the very worst case scenario that public speaking nerves can cause?</p> <p>Your answer will put fear in perspective. Once it's there it is much more manageable. If the very worst that can happen is forgetting what you're going to say, you can do something about it. It's called practice!</p><p>If it's something beyond your control, a tidal wave washing away the entire building, check it for the likelihood of occurrence and let it go.</p> <p>You can truly only ever control what is within your reach. Attempting anything else is futile and a waste of your energy.</p> <p>Accept and focus on what you can do right now. Fears retreat when they're faced. What you thought was 7 or 8 on the scale when you stood up to speak becomes 5 when you've remembered to breathe properly. By the time you're into your speech and the benefits of practice kick in, it's 3 and those public speaking nerves are fading fast.</p> <p>For 4 more strategies toward speaking confidently click the link below.</p< Thu, 20 Oct 2011 05:46:46 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/professional-motivational-speaker.html Professional motivational speaker, Kevin Biggar - transatlantic rowing race winner and South Pole adventurer shares how he went from couch potato to speaking to motivate others Mon, 17 Oct 2011 03:36:39 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/commemorative-speech-topic.html Commemorative speech topic: How to find the right one for your commemorative speech. Topic suggestions and research links to make the process painless. Mon, 17 Oct 2011 02:55:23 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/voice-health.html Good voice health for professional speakers, teachers, call-center workers, coaches...Get the facts here Sun, 16 Oct 2011 22:36:12 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/how-to-increase-your-word-power.html How to increase your word power: multiple tips to help you grow your vocabulary, gain confidence and discover the delight of language diversity. Fri, 14 Oct 2011 06:22:55 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/impromptu-public-speaking-topics.html 50 impromptu public speaking topics to sharpen impromptu public speaking skills Fri, 14 Oct 2011 01:22:21 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/eulogy-for-dad.html My dad was a man of many names. Literally.Some, possibly most, of you know him as “Vic” or “Victor.” His more recent friends - and those old friends Fri, 14 Oct 2011 00:02:53 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/welcome-speech.html <p><i>'Help! I need a welcome address for a meeting, a school function, my cousin's wedding ... {insert the occasion}. Please write me one. I need it for tomorrow.'</i></p> <p>This is a paraphrase of emails I receive fairly frequently via my contact form.</p><p> It seems that putting together a welcome speech terrifies some people. Perhaps it's in part because this is the speech that will set the tone for the occasion to come and understandably, they want to get it right.</p><p>I tell them to use the <b>S-S-S formula: Short, Simple and Sincere</b> and send them to my <a href="http://www.write-out-loud.com/welcome-speech.html"><b>welcome speech</b></a> page to follow the template laid out there and to read a sample welcome address. I don't write the speech for them.</p><p>How does that make me feel?</p><p> Mean, sometimes. I would like to be able to take away all the fear and anxiety underlying those requests but I can't for lots of reasons. For starters, I don't have the information I need to <i>even</i> begin: an overview of the event, its purpose and cultural context, names of honored guests and so on. And even if I did have all that data the exercise would be still be fraught with difficulties.</p> However having a good template to follow is great start and crafting <i>your own speech</i> does more to eradicate fear than giving one that somebody else put together for you. Yes, it's scary. But it <i>is </i>doable.</p><p> If you need a welcome address put aside your anxiety, resist procrastination and check out the link.</p> Fri, 07 Oct 2011 22:22:54 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/humorous-retirement-speech.html Here's a humorous retirement speech I helped a friend write. It's posted here with his permission.The setting was his company staffroom. The staff were Mon, 03 Oct 2011 03:59:21 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/cue-cards.html <p>To cue or not to cue? That is the question.</p> <p>Do you write out your full speech and read it or do you use speech outline prompts on cue cards and deliver it largely from memory?</p> <p>I've done both and the experience it delivers is different.</p> <p>The occasions I've used a full script have been when I've rushed through preparing my speech and haven't allowed enough time to thoroughly practice to the point of being comfortable without the word for word text.<BR><BR> Although it's never been disasterous, (as in losing my place in my notes OR shutting out the audience entirely because I'm head down reading intently), I always knew I could have done a whole lot better.</p> <p>The result is I'm for cue cards. And I'm for cue cards ahead of completely memorizing my speech too. The reason for that is if I've learnt something by rote (word for word) and have a memory blip, it's difficult without a prompt to begin again.<BR> When I've prepared a speech well a set of good cue cards allows me to: <ul type="square"> <li>interact more freely with the audience because I'm not too busy concentrating on keeping my place in a script. I can make eye contact, smile...</li> <li>be more spontaneous sounding even though I've rehearsed. The cue card outline keeps me on track but it doesn't tell me the exact phrasing to use. It can vary each time I say my speech.</li> </ul type="square"></p> <p>If you haven't tried <a href="http://www.write-out-loud.com/cue-cards.html" target="new">using cue cards</a>, do! You'll find full instructions on how to make them by clicking the link. I promise that once you've experienced the freedom of not being slavishly tied to a script, you'll realize you've lifted your public speaking up a notch.</p> Fri, 30 Sep 2011 21:34:35 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/student-council-speeches.html Student Council Speeches - a student council speech template to help create your winning 'vote for me' speech with planning and delivery guidelines. Fri, 30 Sep 2011 00:03:42 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/sample-eulogy.html Sample eulogy to read to stimulate ideas for the funeral speech you need to write. There are two here; different in style, unique, as were the people they celebrate. Sun, 25 Sep 2011 06:52:30 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/free-word-games.html Free word games - improv speech and drama games for fun; spontaneity and confidence building. Suitable for 13+ yrs Sun, 25 Sep 2011 01:53:16 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/improv-games.html Improv games - 5 superb drama games to sharpen focus and concentration, encourage mental flexibility while developing awareness of body language and communication. Sun, 25 Sep 2011 01:00:53 GMT http://www.write-out-loud.com/preservice-teaching.html So I am a total introvert! I hated public speaking when I was at school and used to, shamefully, break down in front of audiences at competitions where Fri, 02 Sep 2011 00:35:09 GMT