Even if you intend to speak from notes, there are many reasons to initially write out your speech in full.
Writing out your speech helps develop a consistent message. It’s easier to edit and organize remarks on a written script than changing and juggling a stack of notes. Having a script also makes it easier to decide whether and where to use visual aids. Perhaps most importantly, the best way to rehearse a speech, and the only way to accurately time it, is by using a script.
When writing your first draft don’t worry about length, include everything that comes to mind. Then edit, refine, and re-edit until you have a script that you’re reasonably satisfied with. I say reasonably satisfied because you’ll probably never achieve a script with which you’re completely satisfied, you’ll probably want to change something every time you look at it. It’s not unusual for experienced speakers to make changes to a speech while waiting to be introduced.
Unfortunately, if something can be misunderstood it probably will be misunderstood. If what you say is complex, mixed-up, or vague, the audience is not only apt to misunderstand something, but they’ll tune you out. So your speech must be logically organized and easy to follow, and the best way to achieve that is to initially write it out.
Although your audience may know exactly where you are in your presentation and where you’ve just been, they have no idea where you’re going. Segues and transitions have to crafted so that everything ties together, which is a lot easier to do with a script.
While drafting your speech ask yourself questions such as: Will the audience understand what this really means? Is it important to this audience? Why is it important to them? What are some solutions to the audience’s problems? Which solution should I suggest? What evidence will best support my recommendations? What actions do I want the audience to take? How can I convince them to take them?
Edit ruthlessly, eliminating all redundancies except repetitions included for effect. Although details make a talk come alive, too much detail obscures clarity, so don’t overdo it. Don’t assume things; if you’re not certain about what you’re saying, don’t say it.
Ask yourself, could someone else give this exact speech? If the answer is yes, scrap what you’ve done and start over, putting more of your own experiences, opinions, and ideas into it. If you hired someone to write a speech, you wouldn’t accept a poorly prepared product, so don’t accept one from yourself.
Quotations can reinforce your views, but they must be relevant and the source authoritative. If the person you’re quoting isn’t known to your audience you’ll have to briefly state his or her qualifications. Don’t rely on memory to accurately recall the quotation, and never paraphrase; write the quotation out in full, with the source and the source’s qualifications noted if necessary. If you’re going to speak from notes, write this information on a separate card.
If you’re going to speak from a script there are some techniques to keep in mind.
It’s always better to have a lot of pages than a script that’s hard to read, so be sure the print is large enough to read comfortably.
Use upper and lower case, regardless of the type size.
Each sentence should be typed as a separate paragraph and the last sentence on a page should end on that page.
Use only the top three-quarters of a page. This will prevent you from dropping your head and losing eye contact with the audience.
Number the pages on the top, bottom and on the back. This will make putting the pages back in order a lot easier should you drop them or they otherwise get mixed up
Mark up the script with cues such as underlines, double underlines, exclamation marks, slashes for phrasing, double slashes for pauses, and anything else that works for you