The Lost Art of the Great Speech: How to Write It * How to Deliver It

Chapter Five. Beginning Well

"Well begun is well done."

So goes the old saying. Although speech writing is not quite that simple, it is certainly true that getting a speech off to a good start puts the speaker a lot closer to the time when "well done" can truly apply. In the next two chapters, the discussion will be about opening a speech. I'll cover the importance of crafting a good opening and give you numerous examples of openings of different kinds.

To have a good speech, you must have a good opening. If that seems too obvious to mention, think about this: The first minute or so of a speech is about the only time a speaker can be certain of having the undivided attention of the audience. Virtually every person in an audience is attentive ...