January Topic: Speech Writing

Hello Hello!

I'm so excited this upcoming year! I've worked really hard on developing topics that are different from our previous year, and also reshaping how we function as a writing group.

There are two new approaches will be taking:

1. All workshoping of writing is on a rolling deadline. This means, that you may submit your work at any time via email to me. I will then send out your work to members interested in participating in workshopping, and then email you and the critiquers with what month your piece will be discussed! (Typically,our pieces will be workshopped at the next meeting unless there is not enough allotted time left for critiquers to give your piece the attention it deserves; in such an instance, the piece would be pushed to the following monthly meeting).
2. Workshop will be limited to 10 minute discussions. (I've bought an 10 minute hour glass!) In order to make sure we go over all the workshop pieces we have scheduled, and fully discuss are writing topics we need to be a little bit more organized. My goal is to have 10 minutes of open discussion and then 10 minutes of author response. This way everyone gets to speak and ask questions.
   

Of course these changes might need to get tweaked and I am certainly opening to addressing those issues as they occur. I do think that these changes will be for the better, and I hope they make the meetings that much more enjoyable for all of us!

This Month's Topic:

Starting with out first topic, speech writing, we will take a look at sample writing and discuss the different elements, techniques and styles that go into writing a speech.

But, Nicole (you ask sternly), how does this translate over to MY writing.

Many a good story has not only an excellent hero figure but also a GREAT VILLAIN! Speech writing is all about persuasion, and so is being an author of fiction. We're presuading the reader to become invested in the plot, setting, characters, but I think it's also interesting to not only sway the reader but logically sway the characters to believe certain things, feel certain ways, or act in response.

With that in mind, take a look at the three samples below and think about the ways they function, what goals they have, and how/ if they function.

Please share your own quotes (if you so desire) from speeches as comments to this blog post!

Queen Elizabeth, to her troops at Tilbury:

My loving people,

We have been persuaded by some that are careful of our safety, to take heed how we commit our selves to armed multitudes, for fear of treachery; but I assure you I do not desire to live to distrust my faithful and loving people. Let tyrants fear, I have always so behaved myself that, under God, I have placed my chiefest strength and safeguard in the loyal hearts and good-will of my subjects; and therefore I am come amongst you, as you see, at this time, not for my recreation and disport, but being resolved, in the midst and heat of the battle, to live and die amongst you all; to lay down for my God, and for my kingdom, and my people, my honour and my blood, even in the dust. I know I have the body but of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too, and think foul scorn that Parma or Spain, or any prince of Europe, should dare to invade the borders of my realm; to which rather than any dishonour shall grow by me, I myself will take up arms, I myself will be your general, judge, and rewarder of every one of your virtues in the field. I know already, for your forwardness you have deserved rewards and crowns; and We do assure you in the word of a prince, they shall be duly paid you. In the mean time, my lieutenant general² shall be in my stead, than whom never prince commanded a more noble or worthy subject; not doubting but by your obedience to my general, by your concord in the camp, and your valour in the field, we shall shortly have a famous victory over those enemies of my God, of my kingdom, and of my people.

Adolf Hitler:

We want this people to be faithful, and you must learn fidelity. We want this people to be obedient, and you must practice obedience. We want this people to be peace-loving but also courageous, and you must therefore be peace-loving and at the same time courageous. We do not want this people to grow soft, but we want it to be hard so that it will be able to withstand the hardships of life. And for this you have to harden yourselves in your youth. You must learn to be hard, to stand privations without breaking down. We want this people to love honor and you already in the days of your youth must live up to this concept of honor. (Hitler, 1935)

I can give vent to my inmost feelings only in the form of humble thanks to Providence which called upon me and vouchsafed it to me, once an unknown soldier of the Great War, to rise to be the Leader of my people, so dear to me. Providence showed me the way to free our people from the depths of its misery without bloodshed and to lead it upward once again. Providence granted that I might fulfill my life's task-to raise my German people out of the depths of defeat and to liberate it from the bonds of the most outrageous dictate of all times... I have regarded myself as called upon by Providence to serve my own people alone and to deliver them from their frightful misery (Hitler, 1939).


Martin Luther King, J.R.

There is something strangely inconsistent about a nation and a press that would praise you when you say, "Be nonviolent toward Jim Clark," but will curse and damn you when you say, "Be nonviolent toward little brown Vietnamese children." There is something wrong with that press.

And as I ponder the madness of Vietnam and search within myself for ways to understand and respond in compassion, my mind goes constantly to the people of that peninsula. I speak not now of the soldiers of each side, not of military government in Saigon, but simply of the people who have been under the curse of war for almost three continuous decades now. I think of them too because it is clear to me that there will be no meaningful solution until some attempt is made to know these people and hear their broken cries. ...And who are we supporting in Vietnam today? It's a man by the name of General Ky, who fought with the French against his own people, and who said on one occasion that the greatest hero of his life is Hitler. This is who we're supporting in Vietnam today. Oh, our government, and the press generally, won't tell us these things, but God told me to tell you this morning. The truth must be told.