Public speaking, writing, and reading are a lot more interrelated that most people would think. You might think of them as brothers, and sisters of creative processes. There is also a certain hierarchy involved. You have to read to write, then you have to write to speak. Without question the best way to improve your public speaking ability is to speak. Speak anywhere, anytime you can gain an invitation to do so. However it is also important for someone who wants to speak well, to write well. This is one of the biggest reasons beginning speakers are told to write their speeches out. One of the biggest advantages to this approach is it helps you gain structure to what you are trying to say. When I speak I have literally been known to rewrite my speech on the fly ! I can do this because I have strong writing skills. I can actually picture the outline of my speech in my head, without looking at my notes ! Writing your speech out also makes editing easier, because you can see it in front of you and think about it line by line. But the relationship between writing and speaking is more than just writing your speech out. It also includes writing things other than just your speeches. What you write doesn't even matter. Write letters, articles whatever. The point is the better writer you become, the better speaker you become. Guess what ? The best way to become the best writer you can be, is to write incessantly. Even though writing is the best way to become a better writer, there's more that you can do. Read ! Read everything possible. One of the best things a person who wants to improve their writing skill can read is the daily newspaper. This ties directly into the two key advantages of reading to the writer. One especially with a newspaper, reading keeps you informed. From this you get topic ideas, and current information about your topic to feed your content creation. Second reading teaches you about words, how they should flow. Newspapers are good for this, in part because they are written to be understood by the average person. Reading a newspaper helps you learn how to explain things in an organized way. Even so don't discount the value of reading top quality fiction. From this type of reading you can learn how to express things in a more narrative, entertaining way. So remember that speaking, writing, and reading are not completely separate activities. They are in many ways, different aspects of the same craft. Being better at any of the three makes you better at all of them. Practice using this to your advantage. |
