How To Write A Speech For Someone Else

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Writing a speech for someone else can be a stimulating task to take on. It can also be challenging to write a speech for another person with a different voice than your own. As a ghostwriter, you write secretly, with little-to-no acknowledgment of your work. Whether you ghostwrite for a professional career or choose to help a friend with a wedding toast, learning how to write a speech for someone else can be a satisfying experience. To write a speech for someone else, learn about ghostwriting, prepare to write the speech, and finally, write the speech.

Getting Ready to Write

1. This information will probably not end up in the speech, but it helps you understand what stirs the speaker's heart and what made them who they are today. Ask about where they grew up, what led them to the position they are in today, and what they are passionate about. You will probably not use most of this information in the speech, but it will help make the voice stronger.

2. Note specific phrases or words they use, as well as where they place the emphasis in sentences. You will want to mimic these things when you ghostwrite the speech. Ask for their permission to make a recording of their voice so that you can use it during the writing process.

   Note words and phrases that are repeated as they speak.

3. Decide what you will do on your own, versus working with your friend or client. Some ghostwriters start with drafts written by the speaker. Other ghostwriters write the entire speech.

   Make sure the speaker is aware of how much work they are responsible for.

4. This provides the basic material for the speech. It's important that you know their viewpoint and beliefs about the situation. During the conversation, identify the goal of the speech. Know what the speaker hopes to accomplish.

   Big ideas and main points provide the basic structure of the speech. Understand exactly what the speaker wants to communicate so you can make these points clear.

Writing the Speech

1. Examples or stories will help flesh out the main points. Ask for personal stories or examples the speaker would be willing to share with an audience. Also try to identify examples with which the audience would connect.

   • For example, if it is a commencement speech, ask the speaker about their experience in school and getting out into the "real" world for the first time.
   • Make sure the stories connect well with the subject and main point of the speech.

2. Practice basic speech presentation skills as you ghostwrite. The speech should be memorable and easy to follow along. Most importantly, it needs to be a reflection of the speaker, not you. Some points to remember while writing the speech are:

   • Get the audience's attention quickly. This can be done by stating a surprising fact or starting out with a humorous or interesting story.
   • Keep the speech organized. Use transitions and guiding words like "first," "second," and "finally."
   • Use rhetorical devices, like examples, alliteration, imagery, and questions. Balance facts with examples.
   • Reflect the person's speaking style. Never fall into your voice during the writing process. Mimic their language, phrasing, and emphasis.

3. Stay well within the time limit that the speaker gave you. The speech should not be much longer or shorter than it is supposed to be. Consider how fast the speaker will be talking, and practice the speech aloud to test the time.

   Limit the amount of information you include. The audience will only remember so much information.

Understanding the Challenges of Ghostwriting

1. Ghostwriting involves hiring a writer to write material for another person. The ghostwriter gets no or partial credit, and the person who performs the ghostwritten speech gets the main credit. The point of using a ghostwriter is to help someone communicate clearly and effectively who otherwise doesn't have the time to write his own speech. Another reason for ghostwriting is a person may not be as skilled or talented at writing a speech as the writer they contract to help them is.

   • You can learn more about ghostwriting by looking up books on ghostwriting in your local library, researching articles about ghostwriting online, and by looking for famous examples of ghostwriting.
   • A few examples of famously ghostwritten speeches are John F. Kennedy's inauguration speech, Reagan's "Boys of Pointe du Hoc" speech, and drafts of Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous speech "I Have a Dream."

2. People who write a speech for someone else must determine where the boundaries are. Some people feel that ghostwriting is entirely unethical and should not be done. Decide what ghostwriting you will or will not do for a friend or client. Also identify situations where you believe people should write their own speech, or when you believe it's a viable reason to have someone else write it.

   • Knowing where you stand on the ethics of speech writing will make it easier to accept or decline requests for your writing services.
   • Ghostwriting in the academic arena is often viewed as plagiarism. Others feel that it is okay under certain circumstances, like when politicians, business leaders, or celebrities must present multiple speeches a day, on top of their other responsibilities.

3. There should be a partnership between the writer and speaker. When you write a speech for someone else, there is usually a strong partnership with the speaker. The speaker often provides the topic and main points for the speech, then the two must work together to create a strong speech.

   Writing a speech for someone you find difficult to get along with is most likely not a good idea. You can write a speech for a person that has different ideas than you, as long as you find it possible to keep your ideas to yourself.

4. The speaker must approve the speech. The speaker approves the speech before presenting it. Several rewrites may be necessary before an agreement is made for a completed speech. The speaker works with the speech writer to make sure it is written in a way that is natural for them.

   The ghostwriter must learn to adopt a range of voices outside of their own.

Community Q&A

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• How can I work a quote into my speech?

  Lynn Kirkham is a Professional Public Speaker and Founder of Yes You Can Speak, a San Francisco Bay Area-based public speaking educational business empowering thousands of professionals to take command of whatever stage they've been given - from job interviews, boardroom talks to TEDx and large conference platforms. Lynn was chosen as the official TEDx Berkeley speaker coach for the last four years and has worked with executives at Google, Facebook, Intuit, Genentech, Intel, VMware, and others.

  When you're trying to work a quote into your speech, make sure that the quote is coming from the heart. It has to be a quote that you personally identify with and believe in. If you don't care about it and you're only putting the quote in there to fill space, it's going to fall flat.

• How do I write an autobiographical speech?

  Make sure to learn all of the necessary details of the subjects life. Work with the person you are writing for to develop a completed speech that each party is happy with.

1. ↑ Lynn Kirkham. Public Speaking Coach. Expert Interview. 20 November 2024.
2. ↑ Lynn Kirkham. Public Speaking Coach. Expert Interview. 20 November 2024.

This article was co-authored by Lynn Kirkham. Lynn Kirkham is a Professional Public Speaker and Founder of Yes You Can Speak, a San Francisco Bay Area-based public speaking educational business empowering thousands of professionals to take command of whatever stage they've been given - from job interviews, boardroom talks to TEDx and large conference platforms. Lynn was chosen as the official TEDx Berkeley speaker coach for the last four years and has worked with executives at Google, Facebook, Intuit, Genentech, Intel, VMware, and others. This article has been viewed 78,583 times.

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