In my last post, I promised to outline my Speechwriter's Workout - exercises that I try to tackle with some regularity, to keep my skills sharp and my internal barometer registering "fairly productive." Today, we'll stretch our reading muscles.
There are some great speechwriting reference books and how-to's out there (although not as many as you might think). Here are just a few of my favorites that focus specifically on the writing of speeches:
How to Write and Give a Speech (Joan Detz)
Joan Detz is a legend in the speechwriting world and quite good at distilling her extensive knowledge into clear and usable advice. Includes a nice section on how to hire and work with speechwriters; good "inside information" for us writers to hear.
The Political Speechwriter's Companion (Robert Lehrman)
Even though political speechwriting is not my specialty, I find this book fascinating and filled with eye-opening wisdom about the vagaries of communicating nuanced messages to multiple audiences. Bob Lehrman's insight into the circus of politics is priceless; his writing style is very crisp, direct and accessible.
So You'd Like to Be a Presidential Speechwriter (Amazon Guide by Leah Kuchinsky)
I never knew Amazon had these Guides; this one sounds like it was written for an actual course but serves us as a valuable compilation of political speechwriting reads as well as speech resources (many with direct links to their audio). A nice companion to Bob Lehrman's book.
The Lost Art of the Great Speech (Richard Dowis)
A comprehensive book on what makes a speech great, and how you can do it too. Check out Appendix A, the Editing Checklist for Speechwriters, for a concise list of must-haves for every speech.
Lend Me Your Ears: Great Speeches in History (William Safire, ed.)
No list of speechwriting resources would be complete (and this one certainly isn't) without reference to this classic book, filled with some of the most memorable speeches of all time and Safire's insightful commentary on what makes them great.
Next week... the best places on the Web to hear brilliant speeches brought to life.