How to write — and deliver — killer speeches

For two years or whatever, I blogged three times a week about publicity, speechwriting, public relations and scandals for The New York Times’about.com.  If you are an author, actor, director, politician, professional athlete, rock star, user of social media or otherwise in the public eye, THESE POSTS ARE USEFUL TO YOU. If you live in an ice cave, you can safely ignore all this stuff and go back to tanning that elk hide.

These posts, now, are all about speechwriting and speechgiving (yes, that’s not a word, except it should be). Being a writer of speeches and an ex-debater / debate coach, these posts are near and dear to my cold little heart. Do I like this stuff? No. That is not accurate. I like it, I love it, I want some more of it. Bring out the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders for a new routine: “Speeches are good, speeches are great, speeches make us celebrate, GOOOO speeches!” Also: do speeches really matter? Nah. Go work on your bench press, unless want to be a big-shot author, actor, director or president of the United States.

Giving killer speeches, just because you CAN

Using the Tools of Rhetoric in Public Relations

Rhetoric 101: Three Parts Of Rhetoric And Three Types Of Debates

Rhetoric 102: The Right Kind Of Persuasion

Rhetoric 103: Avoiding Fallacies

Rhetoric 104: Know Your Audience

Rhetoric 201: Ethos

Rhetoric 202: Ethos Boosters

Rhetoric 301: Pathos

Rhetoric 401: Logos

Rhetoric 501: How to Write a Short Speech

Rhetoric 502: Putting A Short Speech On An Index Card

Rhetoric 503: How To Practice Short Speeches

Rhetoric 601: How To Write A Keynote Speech

Rhetoric 602: Writing A Keynote Speech For A Client

Rhetoric 603: How To Write A Keynote Speech For Yourself

Rhetoric 604: Seven Ways to Prepare For A Keynote Speech

What You Can Learn From Great Speeches

Rhetoric 610: Learning From Lincoln: Less Is More

Rhetoric 611: Learning From Churchill: Passion and Resolve

Rhetoric 612: Learning from Reagan: Specifics and Real People

How To Prepare For Different Speeches

The Promise and Perils of Presentations

Why You Must Cross-Train Public Speaking Muscles

Speeches Are Seen, Not Heard

The State of the Union Speech

How President Obama Announced Osama Bin Laden’s Death to the World