So I'm doing a little Public Speaking Thing

Moss

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Next Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. at my university. It's around a forty-five minute presentation on my life...I guess it's a third part awareness, a third motivational, and another third self-reliance. If the auditorium is packed there will be about 250 or so people in attendence, so I'm kinda nervous about it...but it should be fun.

Anyway, I attached what my speech may look like (it's quite long) so if any of you want to take the time to read it and give me any suggestions you may have, feel free to do so. Otherwise, if for some reason you don't hear from me ever again after next Tuesday...you'll know why.:mischief:
 

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Its natural to be worried, but you'll be ok. Once you get started talking it gets easier and easier. The cliche you hear alot is that if youre very nervous, you should imagine everyone in their underwear. That never quite did it for me, I have to imagine everyone taking a dump.
 
nonconformist said:
Imagine them naked.
All of them.

I tried that, and the good-looking girls's images completely derailed me. :sad:
 
Ive had some rethorics classes and held the graduation speech at my gymnasium in front of around 700 people, my advice to you would be practice, practice and practice. As long as you know your speech by heart it should go easy once youre on stage. Its the waiting to go on stage thats nervous. Also dont make any jokes unless youre damn sure people will laugh (try it on friends first) :p .

Id read and comment your text but my English isnt really en pair with native English speakers so ill leave it to someone else.
 
IglooDude said:
I tried that, and the good-looking girls's images completely derailed me. :sad:
Thats why you have to imagine them taking a dump;) See I got the whole thing figured out:goodjob:
 
They had thought that the recovery would take a month or more, I was eating pizza and out of the hospital in a week. That fact is made all the more remarkable by the fact that, and my cardiologist did not reveal this until after the surgery, but the last three people he had operated on had all died.

I think I'd switch that around a little.
That fact is made all the more remarkable by knowing, and my cardiologist did not reveal this until after the surgery, that the last three people he had operated on had all died. On top of that, they had thought that the recovery could take a month or more, but I was eating pizza and out of the hospital in a week.


The only times I remember crying were when they were about to put a needle into me, and of course, I also cried the one night that, for whatever reason, as stuck with me the longest.

I believe you are reffering to the surgery just above but it a little unclear.

The only times I remember crying were when they were about to put a needle into me, and of course, I also cried the night of my heart surgery, that, for whatever reason, stuck with me the longest.

The memory that sticks out in my mind the most, at least about those early years, is not one of pain and agony, but one of loneliness and longing for my mother.

To:

However, the memory that sticks out in my mind the most, at least about those early years, is not one of pain and agony, but one of loneliness and longing for my mother.

If my memory serves me right, the nurse did an excellent job of calming me down. She read me a book and we watched television together until I fell asleep. The next morning, Mom finally came back, and I was happy again.

It didn’t at the time. It’s an insult. In fact it’s the insult of insults.

Past tense.

It didn’t at the time. It’s was an insult. In fact it was the insult of all insults.

Once upon a time, five years ago or so, someone told me that I was “an earless, ugly, crooked-jawed, mentally ******** freak who rightly deserved to have my ears shoved up my _______ ass.

I'd drop the censored word. It may have been an exact quote but it may push it over the 'boundaries' of acceptable speech. You can make mention of 'having to remove a word or two to avoid being too crass'.

Tyler, that’s horrible, how on earth can you find that funny?

My so-called friends decided it would be fun to push me into the corner of the hallway and elbow me in the legs and ribs mostly

I got to page 9.... If it may be helping and if I have more time later I'll try to come back to it.
 
Thanks Duke, but I should mention that I'm speaking ad-libishly (yeah, I made that up). In other words, I won't have any paper or anything to speak off of...just a mic and my mind. So I tried to write that as I would speak it and not really as I would write it.

Edit: DoM, I've asked a couple of people about that word, and they've all said different thing...I'm tempted to air on the side of caution, but then again...it is a college atmosphere and an adult audience...but not sure...gut feeling I guess.
 
For anyone that read it, or part of it...does it seem half way interesting...I know 90% of speaking is the speaker and how he handles himself on stage, but content wise does anything seem to be missing? Are you left with any unanswered questions or confusion?
 
And Weds.? Small celebrity status, then Oprah. :D I'll try and read it tomorrow.
 
nonconformist said:
Imagine them naked.
All of them.

Even better: imagine yourself naked, and them all laughing at you. That way it'll be easier to concentrate on your speech ...
 
moss i'll edit my comment as i go.

I don't think you should really mention the time of your speech in the beginning. Even using the strategy of rounding it down already gives your speech a negative impression.

The volunteer thing can be dangerous. Just a question, what kind of people will show up there? You don't want to be embarrassed by a stranger in a bad mood, but I suppose you know how to handle it?

"Damn I’m getting old." You may want to reword "damn" with something like "man"? it may offend some people, but you know your audience so use your judgement.
 
How long did it take you to write that? It's huge!

I find that sort of "meditating" before a speech helps.

And bring water. Lots and lots of water...
 
I read it, and once again, I must congratulate you on a solid piece of work! While giving a very personal account of your own life, at the same time you very elegantly manage to show how your own experiences can apply in other situtions as well. Also, I think the opening part is very good, and should set the scene for a close-and-personal kind of relationship to the crowd, which is always a good thing, of course. Not only is it a very good way to catch their attention, but it also, in my experience, is a good way to "warm yourself up", if you're feeling nervous.

All in all, I must say that I regret that I can't be there to listen to it! Good luck, Tyler.
 
One of the tips I can give is to pick about 6 people in the audience, left and right, front and back and direct your talk to them. Look at them and physically turn from one to the next. It engages people in your talk and makes everyone feel that you are talking to them. If you keep your point of view fixed than you will lose most of your audience. This works whether you;re talking to 10, 100 or 1000.
 
Bozo Erectus said:
Thats why you have to imagine them taking a dump;) See I got the whole thing figured out:goodjob:
Not recommended for coprophiles, though. :ack:
 
At breakfast the next day, everyone holds "I Didn't Do It: the Bart
Simpson Story."

Lisa: This biography of Bart came out awfully quickly. It's not even
about him!
Bart: Sure it is! Look at the cover.
Lisa: But inside it's mostly about Ross Perot, and the last two
chapters are excerpts from the Oliver North trial.
Homer: Ah, Oliver North. He was just _poured_ into that uniform.
 
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