I competed in the 2022 Toast Masters International speech contest and learned many valuable lessons. Using the lessons I learned here in 2022, I applied them and got to 3rd place in the districts in 2024. Here is one of them.
Great speeches are not written. They are rewritten.
I realize that to win this competition, you must write a great story and effectively convey it by engaging the audience. You will need to learn many components to achieve great writing. Focus on these components:
- Clarity: Great writing is clear and easy to understand. It avoids ambiguity and uses straightforward language to convey its message. Complex ideas are explained in a way that a broad audience can comprehend.
- Purpose: Every piece of great writing has a clear purpose. Whether it’s to inform, entertain, persuade, or inspire, the writer knows their objective and tailors the content accordingly.
- Audience Awareness: Great writers consider their target audience. They understand their readers’ interests, knowledge, and expectations, which helps them craft content that resonates with their audience.
- Engagement: Engaging writing captures the reader’s attention from the beginning and maintains it throughout the piece. It can use compelling storytelling, vivid descriptions, or thought-provoking questions to keep readers interested.
- Structure: Well-organized writing follows a logical structure with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. Each section flows seamlessly into the next, making it easy for the reader to follow the author’s train of thought.
- Grammar and Mechanics: Great writing adheres to grammar, punctuation, and spelling rules. It is free from distracting errors that can detract from the message.
- Voice and Tone: The writer’s voice and tone should match the intended message and audience. Whether it’s formal, informal, persuasive, or informative, the voice and tone should be consistent and appropriate.
- Originality and Creativity: While clarity is essential, great writing often includes a touch of originality and creativity. It presents ideas freshly and engagingly, using unique metaphors, analogies, or perspectives.
- Research and Evidence: Depending on the type of writing, incorporating credible research, data, or evidence can bolster the author’s argument or support their claims.
- Editing and Revision: Great writing is not usually a first draft. It involves multiple rounds of editing and revision to refine the content, improve clarity, and eliminate errors. Great stories are not written; they are rewritten.
- Conciseness: Effective writers convey their ideas concisely, avoiding unnecessary words or repetition. They get to the point without unnecessary verbosity.
- Emotional Appeal: Depending on the context, great writing may tap into the reader’s emotions. It can evoke empathy, sympathy, humor, or other emotional responses to create a deeper connection.
- Credibility: Great writing establishes the writer’s credibility or authority on the subject matter. This can be done through references to qualifications, experience, or the use of credible sources.
- Consistency: Consistency in style, tone, and messaging helps the reader feel like they are navigating a coherent and unified piece of writing.
- Call to Action (if applicable): In persuasive writing, it’s essential to include a clear call to action if the goal is to prompt the reader to take a specific course of action.
- Adaptability: Great writing can be tailored to different platforms and mediums, whether a blog post, academic paper, email, or social media update.
- Relevance: The content must remain relevant to the topic and purpose throughout the piece.
Remember that great writing is not static; it evolves with the context, audience, and purpose. What makes writing “great” can vary depending on these factors, but these components provide a solid foundation for effective communication through the written word.
