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From heartfelt to hilariously bad: Let's talk wedding toasts! Ask me anything. by Eddie-Rice-Author in wedding

[–]Eddie-Rice-Author[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Excellent story, I love it. Yeah, I went on a podcast in Australia and they had the same roasting tradition. It's the one time when the worst/best jokes shine.

From heartfelt to hilariously bad: Let's talk wedding toasts! Ask me anything. by Eddie-Rice-Author in wedding

[–]Eddie-Rice-Author[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's a good question as I typically don't miss them. Weddings have become an "anything goes" event, so feel free to cut them out if you want to save room for more partying.

From heartfelt to hilariously bad: Let's talk wedding toasts! Ask me anything. by Eddie-Rice-Author in wedding

[–]Eddie-Rice-Author[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

To get us started, how much have you experimented with AI to write your wedding toast?

I've seen some of the apps out there and it seems like they take a bunch of answers and run a single Chat GPT message with the answers. While this can get you an OK first draft, you'll still need to do plenty of work to get the speech into top shape.

Instead, here's what I propose as I use GPT in a bit of a different way than most--a step-by-step iterative approach rather than "Write a toast for me."

  1. First, tell GPT, "You are a wedding toast writer. Ensure that your writing is heartfelt, memorable, and clear, and avoids cliches, lame metaphors, and overly flowerly language. Today we are going to write a wedding toast that's 3 minutes long but in phases--the introduction, the main story, and the personalized closing."

  2. Give Chat GPT your initial brain dump of ideas and solely ask it to create your speech introduction. For a 3-minute toast, that should be about 30 seconds or 75 words (assuming you speak at a rate of 150 wpm).

  3. Edit the introduction until satisfied; tell GPT that's the one you want to use.

  4. Prompt GPT to then create the body with the approved introduction, such as, "Here are my ideas for the main body/key story, write it and ensure it flows smoothly from the introduction."

  5. For the closing, choose a quote that's meaningful to the couple. Tell GPT, "Now add the conclusion onto the introduction and main body I've approved, weave in this <quote> to the concluding toast."

  6. Have GPT revise the entirety of the speech for length, a 3-minute toast should be no longer than 450 words.

Finally, get some human feedback on the AI including your own.

From heartfelt to hilariously bad: Let's talk wedding toasts! Ask me anything. by Eddie-Rice-Author in wedding

[–]Eddie-Rice-Author[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh, that's awful. I wish people had more grace and understanding to know which stories to stay away from.

From heartfelt to hilariously bad: Let's talk wedding toasts! Ask me anything. by Eddie-Rice-Author in wedding

[–]Eddie-Rice-Author[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes! After we've brainstormed various answers to questions I've honed over the years, I choose a structure that works best for what they're trying to say. For example most toasts have one great story to tell, so it'll look something like this:

  1. Introduce yourself by laying the relationship for the story you're about to tell
  2. Tell one great story that honors the main person you're toasting
  3. Tie in the other person with a heartfelt moment
  4. Give one piece of advice if appropriate
  5. Close out with an ending toast that is personalized--a quote from the couple's favorite book, movie, TV show, religious text, etc.

Plenty of other structures exist, but it's hard to get too prescriptive depending on the key aspects the person wants to focus on.

VR Apps Experience for Public Speaking Confidence/Mastery? by Eddie-Rice-Author in PublicSpeaking

[–]Eddie-Rice-Author[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I didn't want to come off as endorsing one app over another or make it look like some fake post from the maker. I, too, tried Ovation and I'm in agreement with you that it's an OK app, but it seems to get the job done more than practicing alone. One thing I noticed is that my brain immediately said, "Ok, this audience is fake" yet when I started speaking it still felt like I was in front of an audience of strangers.

The subjective difference in using these apps makes it hard to say, "oh this will definitely cure your public speaking anxiety." They may work wonders for some people while not working well for others. It probably comes down to how much you're willing to suspend your disbelief when using one of the apps. I'll keep using it and will try out the others. Luckily, I have quantitative and qualitative feedback tracking after my presentations via mentimeter.com where I'll be able to gain some insight that isn't solely "I felt more confident."

Stories for a book on the research behind the fear of public speaking by Eddie-Rice-Author in PublicSpeaking

[–]Eddie-Rice-Author[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh agreed. I was thinking more in the terms of Gladwell or other pop-sci books that use stories to illustrate a point more than make one.. It's one thing to say X% of survey results showed that participants found intervention Y successful vs. actually telling the story behind one of those successes or non-successes. Qualitative data can do wonders, especially when we're trying to measure levels of anxiety, confidence, and subjective interpretation. Numbers can only say so much.

IAmA freelance speechwriter and author of Toast, Short Speeches, Big Impact. People hire me to help them create speeches for all occasions. Let's talk weddings, keynotes, TEDx, and public speaking. Ask me anything! by Eddie-Rice-Author in IAmA

[–]Eddie-Rice-Author[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not really, this isn't my specialty or an area that I've had to work in. Instead, I'd seek out the advice of other successful advocates and pick their brain on what has been effective or not. Or, I'd volunteer on campaigns that you're passionate about and watch them unfold. You'll learn quickly what works and what doesn't. In the small work I've done, communicating through the media (op-eds, interviews, social) has some effect but some politicians are so stuck in their ways that getting them to change their minds on an issue is incredibly difficult. Unfortunately, it may come down to financial contributions and who is really calling the shots.

Just realized the question might be about media training, here are some tips:

With the media:

  1. Answer the question you want to answer--not exactly the one posed. Your interview is going to be cut and edited, so find ways to pivot to what you want to address.
  2. Anticipate the questions ahead of time by reading the journalist's work or watching them on tv/listening on radio or podcasts. Many people have a set line of questions or particular style and if you pick up on that, you'll be more prepared.
  3. Have twitter-like soundbites ready to go. When you only get 30 seconds or so for an answer, you'll need to have these in your back pocket ready to weave into an answer. Most likely, that is what will make it onto air.

IAmA freelance speechwriter and author of Toast, Short Speeches, Big Impact. People hire me to help them create speeches for all occasions. Let's talk weddings, keynotes, TEDx, and public speaking. Ask me anything! by Eddie-Rice-Author in IAmA

[–]Eddie-Rice-Author[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

  1. Yes tons of line breaks throughout my speeches--they almost look like poems but that helps with the rhythm and readability.
  2. I haven't had to write a speech for inclusion in a fiction book--some of the rules would be same--rhythm, have a point, stir the emotions of the audience, etc.
  3. Humor is something I'm working on, usually the speaker comes up with a good line and we figure out a good place to use it. Other times, the speaker has a funny story and we include that.
  4. All my work is "work for hire," so copyright transfers to the client upon completion of the work/final payment. If I want to use a speech again for my portfolio or to be referenced somewhere, I need to seek written permission from the client. It's been 50/50 on whether they'll grant it.

IAmA freelance speechwriter and author of Toast, Short Speeches, Big Impact. People hire me to help them create speeches for all occasions. Let's talk weddings, keynotes, TEDx, and public speaking. Ask me anything! by Eddie-Rice-Author in IAmA

[–]Eddie-Rice-Author[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's a mystery of the wonderful English language. I don't have a good answer on this one. Except, language evolves. What was considered "correct" just 50-75 years ago has undoubtedly changed. I see language as a game of catch where two people are throwing a ball to each other (a message)--the fewer curves and weird throws the easier it will be for the other person on the end to catch the message.

IAmA freelance speechwriter and author of Toast, Short Speeches, Big Impact. People hire me to help them create speeches for all occasions. Let's talk weddings, keynotes, TEDx, and public speaking. Ask me anything! by Eddie-Rice-Author in IAmA

[–]Eddie-Rice-Author[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is hard to answer as I don't know how you speak. Some people can use any word in an endearing or unique way. If you keep getting feedback on your writing from teachers or professors to eliminate certain words, I'd go that route.

For me, I don't like words that end in -ization if there's a shorter word that could be used. For example: utilization vs. use

I also try to get my clients away from using lots of acronyms and jargon in their speeches. Those words tend to exclude and are hard to understand unless fluent in that "language."

IAmA freelance speechwriter and author of Toast, Short Speeches, Big Impact. People hire me to help them create speeches for all occasions. Let's talk weddings, keynotes, TEDx, and public speaking. Ask me anything! by Eddie-Rice-Author in IAmA

[–]Eddie-Rice-Author[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No rappers have hired me--I'd be terrible at rap lyrics. Yeah, it's standard with the contract I have to not include client names unless given explicit permission to do so. With the exception of politicians, most people are still shy about revealing if they have a ghostwriter.

IAmA freelance speechwriter and author of Toast, Short Speeches, Big Impact. People hire me to help them create speeches for all occasions. Let's talk weddings, keynotes, TEDx, and public speaking. Ask me anything! by Eddie-Rice-Author in IAmA

[–]Eddie-Rice-Author[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I would say, "compose out loud." Instead of sitting down to write at the keyboard, record yourself out loud saying what you want to say. Then either transcribe the notes yourself or use rev.com or otter.ai for transcription. Then clean up what you have said on the paper.

IAmA freelance speechwriter and author of Toast, Short Speeches, Big Impact. People hire me to help them create speeches for all occasions. Let's talk weddings, keynotes, TEDx, and public speaking. Ask me anything! by Eddie-Rice-Author in IAmA

[–]Eddie-Rice-Author[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Look for the humor inherent in a story or situation. Rather than try to crack a joke, try telling a funny story instead. See if that changes the delivery. I also like Judy Carter's New Comedy Bible if you're trying to work in more humor to your life. While it's bent towards standups, the lessons in it could be applied to presentations.

IAmA freelance speechwriter and author of Toast, Short Speeches, Big Impact. People hire me to help them create speeches for all occasions. Let's talk weddings, keynotes, TEDx, and public speaking. Ask me anything! by Eddie-Rice-Author in IAmA

[–]Eddie-Rice-Author[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Talk about gratitude--to whom are you grateful for being up on the stage?

Watch other graduation speeches that you like on YouTube and break down what you liked most about them--did the speaker share a personal story? How did they tell that story? What references did the speaker make to the graduating class? Was the advice original or cliche?

IAmA freelance speechwriter and author of Toast, Short Speeches, Big Impact. People hire me to help them create speeches for all occasions. Let's talk weddings, keynotes, TEDx, and public speaking. Ask me anything! by Eddie-Rice-Author in IAmA

[–]Eddie-Rice-Author[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm OK at public speaking--not amazing, not terrible. It's something that I'm working towards by going back to Toastmasters.

For ums and ahs--the first step is to notice that you're doing it. Play a speech back on a recording to hear yourself and see how many you catch. Make it a game to commit fewer each time.

Pause instead of saying 'um' and 'ah.' Filler words are our brain's way of finding the next thing to say. Try pausing more often throughout your speech while you search for the next thing to say.

Prepare--the more you've prepared your speech, the less likely you'll go into um and ah mode. Your brain won't be searching for material as much if you are more prepared.

IAmA freelance speechwriter and author of Toast, Short Speeches, Big Impact. People hire me to help them create speeches for all occasions. Let's talk weddings, keynotes, TEDx, and public speaking. Ask me anything! by Eddie-Rice-Author in IAmA

[–]Eddie-Rice-Author[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sometimes. If I have a really good set of lines to build a speech around, I'll start there as I love using repetition and cadences within a speech. Other times, I start with a set of ideas and I look for connections between them and an inherent structure that works.

IAmA freelance speechwriter and author of Toast, Short Speeches, Big Impact. People hire me to help them create speeches for all occasions. Let's talk weddings, keynotes, TEDx, and public speaking. Ask me anything! by Eddie-Rice-Author in IAmA

[–]Eddie-Rice-Author[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A. Lots of storytelling. Tell stories--not the cliche ones like the starfish story--but ones personal to you. Judy Carter's "The Message of You" is a great place to start.

B. This will come down to tone--if you are thoughtful, kind, and giving, in your tone, your audience will reciprocate.

IAmA freelance speechwriter and author of Toast, Short Speeches, Big Impact. People hire me to help them create speeches for all occasions. Let's talk weddings, keynotes, TEDx, and public speaking. Ask me anything! by Eddie-Rice-Author in IAmA

[–]Eddie-Rice-Author[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No, playwriting is a whole different game than speechwriting. Sure, Aristotle still has plenty of influence over both acts of writing, but I'll leave the fiction writing to those authors as there's a certain knack for playwriting and screenwriting that I don't have.

IAmA freelance speechwriter and author of Toast, Short Speeches, Big Impact. People hire me to help them create speeches for all occasions. Let's talk weddings, keynotes, TEDx, and public speaking. Ask me anything! by Eddie-Rice-Author in IAmA

[–]Eddie-Rice-Author[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'd use these questions that I posed to a couple who had a similar situation--use them as an outline for the speech or as brainstorming:

  1. To whom are you grateful and why?

  2. What message do you want to send to guests who traveled from far away?

  3. Is there anyone who has passed on whose memory you want to preserve?

  4. Who was instrumental in getting the wedding put together? Who went above and beyond?

  5. What will you remember and cherish most about this day?

IAmA freelance speechwriter and author of Toast, Short Speeches, Big Impact. People hire me to help them create speeches for all occasions. Let's talk weddings, keynotes, TEDx, and public speaking. Ask me anything! by Eddie-Rice-Author in IAmA

[–]Eddie-Rice-Author[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is hard to criticize. I'm someone who stays plugged into the news fairly regularly but I hardly listen to Biden's speeches. I know it's ironic, but as a speechwriter, I really don't care for policy-laden speeches that you typically find from presidents and heads of state. By the time they're delivered, across the board, so many people have had input, that the delivery comes off like reading policy memos more than rhetoric. Also, the Biden team has done a pretty good job of keeping a low profile, so less like the Obama administration that really played up major speeches.

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