How to Speak & Deliver in 2016

Great Caesar's Ghost! Has it really been since September 7th, 2015? Has Speak & Deliver been left dormant for 4 long months?

Indeed, it appears so. Of course, we're in a New Year - which means lots of excitement and plans and goals - and bringing myself back to the keyboard for blogging is one of my big ones.

While the blog has been dormant - I have NOT been. I've been OUT there speaking and delivering - at conferences is New Mexico, Oklahoma and Kansas City. I've been coaching a great deal - and am having a great time connecting my new clients with their best messages - both for Keynotes and Contests.

Perhaps one of my biggest obstacles to writing here has been the 'illusion of originality'. I've been blogging here for nearly 7 years, and hate repeating myself. Of course, as speakers, we repeat ourselves all the time! Here, however, I've been a stickler for new ideas, new concepts, new subjects. I'm going to be less so this year, while still aiming to bring new thoughts to topics that might be old ground here.

I'll also continue with speaking related book reviews, and using more guest posts. If you want to write a guest post - email me at rich@richhopkins.com. I'd love to add your thoughts to the larger conversation.

It's easy to get sidetracked, especially when good things are happening. Speak & Deliver, however, is one of the places it all began - because of you, my faithful readers. Expect more, expect better. From me, certainly. And of course, from yourself - where will YOU Speak & Deliver in 2016?

Creating Your Perfect Speechwriting Environment

photo by Reg Saddler

Ahhhhhh. Do you hear that? It's the sound of quiet. The quiet that comes after 18 days of Winter Break. 18 days filled with anywhere from 6 to 20 kids in the house, and the cacophony of screams, whines, cries, yelling, and thankfully, a lot of laughter that accompany them. At last it is over, the kids are in school, and I can write again.

Well, that is, if I can ignore Facebook and Twitter long enough to type something. If I can turn off Pandora so I don't start typing the lyrics to whatever song is on instead of the thoughts I'm formulating. If I can focus on actually writing instead of the dozens of projects I have to work on.

Internal noise can be a lot harder to block out than external noise.

I have attempted, over the years, to create a perfect writing environment. I like to surround myself with books, artwork and toys - as many creative-types do. My toys tend to either be super-hero related or Star Trek themed, though I also have a Jack-in-the-Box bobblehead. The toys bring me joy, and transports me, subconsciously, I suppose, back to more innocent times, when I had less to worry about.

The books make me feel secure, in an odd way. I grew up always wanting a den with a big library - both of grandfathers had offices lined with books. Captain Kirk was always fond of 'real books', and of course, every motivational speaker I've ever heard talks about the importance of a personal library. While I probably have 10x as many books on my computer as I have as hardcopies, my external hard drive doesn't bring me quite the same joy as seeing the spines of real books lined up in my shelves.

Of course, I always have to have something on the desk to drink (usually diet Pepsi), and I can't let myself get too hungry. If it's too cold or too warm, that's a problem. If I let my desk get too messy, to the point my paperwork needs to be identified by carbon dating, lets say, it's tough to work as well.

With all of my efforts, my pain-staking attention to detail to master my environment, I have successfully created the perfect setting within to write. About twice in ten years. 

Who knows how many books, speeches, cartoons, paintings, and civilization-changing blogposts have been lost to the dedication to 'the perfect setting, the right mood, and exactly the right moment' to create, by creatives throughout the centuries?

The best environment to create, particularly for writers, is often right between your ears, extending to your fingers, while focusing on your page, electronic or otherwise.

Some of my best writing has come inside Carl's Jr., the airport, the city bus, and even sitting with 100 other people waiting to fight a traffic ticket. When I, beyond all logic, manage to simply shut the world out, and not worry about whether everything is in its place around me, but am focused instead on what's inside of me, waiting to be expressed.

There's nothing wrong with creating a great workspace. I just ordered a new Batman the other day with an Amazon giftcard, and, looking around me, I probably need to clean up again. But the perfect workspace isn't perfect if its the only place you can create, and for only those short, perfect windows of time when its exactly what you want. It becomes both a crutch and an excuse more than a facilitator.

Where do you create? What is the most bizarre place you've written something that turned out awesome? What do you consider your perfect writing environment?

The world we live in is imperfect and messy - but its also where we are most needed to create, and ultimately, to Speak & Deliver!

A Public Speaking School for Skills Improvement

When it comes to effectively delivering a speech in front of an audience, skills need to be developed and what can help you with this is a public speaking school. Majority of those who have tried at delivering one yet failed along with those with extremely sensitive nerves for social interactions would truly find this a very difficult task to confront. There could be two ways to meet this task where one is through attending classes with other people of the same predicament to work on and another is by working on your own.

Dealing With Nerves via Lessons

A public speaking school comes to serve not only to rid of nerves but also as a vital part of putting your other skills into better and more practice. Even when at most times a traditional class could aid many people in eliminating nervousness in some cases it can't. A case that is most serious could be one having very serious nerves particularly when trauma is there already buried deep within. One such case could be best addressed via therapy like hypnosis and it is only when this has been resolved can one effectively attend classroom teachings.

People with excessive nerves when it comes to social interactions may also find a classroom setup in a public speaking school quite tough to deal with. Perhaps these people have attempted to speak publicly before yet failed to materialize. Being one with such a case should cause you to remember that trying too much too soon is not wise because should failure become a recurring pattern it is only likely to cause further damage. You can instead try making small speeches and practice them in front of a mirror. By doing this you can better connect with your inner mind in convincing it that you can indeed make a public speech even in a gradual manner.

Being Armed for Attending Public Speaking School

When you get into a public speaking school it is important you come prepared and it helps to practice the mirror technique. Be sure that you continue with it at home even when initial classroom lessons have progressed for you to benefit from those lessons. Lessons should work to improve speaking techniques along with confronting your need to rid of anxiety and for the best results, both parts of the method in public speaking should work together. In the beginning you may need to work with a variety of speeches to determine your strength. With this, humorous and serious materials are not excluded.

Classroom learning via a public speaking school is beneficial in the area of speech preparation and its efficacy when delivered. People at most times find it more enticing to use an existing speech or make one out of a material that is already of public domain. What could be a predicament here is that there can't be maximum familiarity as opposed to a material which you have prepared on your own. Whether you choose to use one material over the other, in any case there is a need for extensive practice.

Additional Advantages in Attending Public Speaking School

Of the advantages of attending public speaking school one that is obvious is the ability to have feedback from other people prior to your actual public speaking stint. What can be aided here includes refining of your posture, making the proper eye contact and even the manner in which you speak. When speaking before an audience in a large room, you need to utilize a different method as the need to overcome the room size and length of space found between the audience and yourself is there. The use of a microphone also comes with the need for mastery using a different skill which your school in public speaking could help you with.