Overnight Sensation - Public Speaking, Communication and Personal Development » Writing

Can You Really Write a Book in Three Hours?

James — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 22:00:03 +0000

There’s a piece of advice that I’ve seen floating around the internet that claims that you can create a marketable book in three hours or less. While the claim doesn’t explicitly say that the quality of such a book would get it on the New York Times’ bestseller list, it implies that the book might actually sell. While yes, it is technically possible to create a book in three hours or less, I question the value of such a product and in the three hours spent creating it.

So how does one write a book in three hours? Well all you need to do is speak into a microphone for three hours. That microphone can be attached to a recording device (including a computer with a recording program) so that you can ship off a tape, CD or MP3 file to a transcription service that will provide you with the text of what you have spoken. Or you could use a speech recognition product such as Dragon NaturallySpeaking
(I did an internship at Dragon years ago) that will do the transcription for you.

So your three hours are up and what do you have? The next bestseller? Again, what you’ve got is a text file that may be broken into paragraphs – a mere transcript of your speech. While I see a value in sharing speech transcriptions and recordings , I don’t see how it can be successfully turned into a book without a significant amount of work. In addition to recording your speech, you still need to do the following:

Write and organize your speech.
Fact check your speech if applicable.
Practice your speech to limit errors while speaking (or reading out loud).
Listening to the recording to make sure you didn’t misspeak, misquote or make any other errors.
Ensuring that your recording is of good enough quality so that it can be transcribed.

This is of course, just the tip of the iceberg. After all of this is done and you have a transcript in hand, you’ll still just have text and text doesn’t make a book (even an ebook). You’ll still need to do some (or all) of the following:

Add bullets, graphics, figures etc….
Create chapters, headings, a table of contents, etc….
Get an ISBN number and barcode if you plan to sell it online or in stores.
Select a cover design.
Add footnotes and other references.
Add bold, italics and other text formatting.

Now you can certainly outsource many of these steps, or incorporate them into your recording by saying things like “Begin Bold Chapter one a great start end Bold” but it’s not fool proof. You’ll also have to do a significant amount of editing because speeches project emotion differently than the written word. It’s easier to take a book and turn it into a speech than it is to do the reverse.

So while I like the idea of using speech transcriptions to help you create a book, I think the three hour promise grossly underestimates the actual time involved. Transcribing a speech will help you save time – especially if the speech has already been written – but you’re probably looking realistically at about 60 to 100 hours of work to complete a book. Some types of books such as made up stories and recounts of events in our lives work especially well with this type of format. A self help book or technical manual will take a bit longer. But whatever you plan on writing, give it a try – it’ll take more than three hours but it will get you moving faster.

Share and Enjoy:

Public Speaking Success: Why Writers Make Great Speakers

James — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 02:48:43 +0000

I’ve met a number of writers in recent months that have asked me how hard it is to transition their writing to speeches. I was surprised because it’s almost like there’s this perception that being a good speaker and a good writer are mutually exclusive. They think of it like baseball – where good pitchers are rarely good hitters in the major leagues because they focus on one particular skill. So I explain that it’s the complete opposite – writers can make great speakers because the skills necessary to be successful in both endeavors are very similar.

I’m a firm believer that great writers can become great speakers and vice versa. In fact, I always recommend to writers that they consider speaking as another avenue to promote their writing, topics and/or products. The converse holds true for speakers – writing is an excellent way to promote your speaking (if I didn’t strongly believe this, you wouldn’t be reading this). Here are two of the main reasons why great writers can be great speakers:

Great writers have a mastery of their language.

Great writers have excellent abilities when it comes to choosing words. They know exactly which words to use to convey a particular feeling or emotion and have the knack to find the perfect descriptive phrase when needed. They know how to use techniques such as alliteration and onomatopoeia to make key points and phrases memorable. They understand the concepts of using a headline to grab attention and they know how to open and close a piece to increase interest in their topic.

Let’s face it; it’s easy to blunder our words. We can do things like confuse “effect” and “affect” or “insure” and ensure. Experienced writers have a definite advantage here because of language skills.

Writers have great research skills.

Experienced writers understand the importance of “doing their homework.” Fact checking and gathering more information than they need to complete a piece, come second nature to them.

Writers also know how to interview people and the right questions to ask when doing research. They also have a working knowledge of resources for research (including connections and sources that may be exclusive to them).

What writers need to know about speaking:

Now although writers have a distinct advantage when they start public speaking, they still have some challenges to overcome. They need to learn at least the basics to become a successful speaker. Some of the things that writers need to learn before diving into speaking include:

How to interact with the audience during a speech. Writing is more of a one way means of communication where speaking is two-way.
How to use vocal variation to make a speech interesting. This can sometimes be difficult for writers as pace and pitch are not factors when you write.
How to use movement. Many writer-turned-speakers stick to the podium when they speak (watch Book TV on C-SPAN to see what I mean) because movement adds a new dimension.
How to use props and visuals. A picture truly paints a thousand words and can be a great tool especially for writers who normally don’t include images or graphics with their works.

So speaking and writing can go hand in hand (and at some point, I’ll post an article about how speakers can become writers). If you’re doing one, consider the other. It might be the perfect way for you to promote yourself to a new audience.

Share and Enjoy:

Public Speaking Success: How to Get Ideas for Speech Topics

James — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 16:13:29 +0000

The creative mind is our most powerful asset – I just wish it would cooperate more when I’m trying to come up with fresh material for speeches, articles and blog posts. So when my trusty mind is not cooperating, I look for inspiration elsewhere.

Here are my favorite sources for getting ideas for topics to speak (or write) about:

Visiting the various news service websites for stories that can inspire a speech:

I personally find the Drudge Report to be one of the best sources for this because it’s up to date, uses interesting photos to go with a headline and includes unusual topics. But any news site will work – look for stories, videos or photos that inspire you. Sometimes, an advertisement on a web site can inspire you due to it’s interactivity or message.

Taking a walk around the local library and looking at the titles of books, magazines, etc…:

I spend at least a couple of hours at the library each week checking out the new materials as well as just browsing. There are literally thousands of sources of inspiration and if you haven’t been to a library lately, there’s a lot more than just books and periodicals. Most libraries carry DVDs, CDs, audio books as well as electronic resources.

Listening to talk radio:

The subjects that people are discussing on talk radio can often make good speech topics. Since I speak about communication, I often get ideas just from listening to the way two people communicate with each other. Sometimes, it’s the words that someone will use that trigger an idea. Other times, the approach to the discussion/debate/argument that a person takes will get me thinking. When I was active in Toastmasters, I’d often hear something on the radio during my commute home that I’d turn into a speech for that night.

Looking at blog or search engine stats:

If you have a blog or web site, chances are that a number of folks find you via search engines. If you have logs or statistics, check them out to see what pages on your web site or blog are getting the most hits – it might indicate a good speech topic. Also, look at the search engine queries that people are using to find your site – these might point to not only an opportunity for more posts, but also for potential speeches.

Looking at popular searches on Yahoo! Buzz and Technorati:

Yahoo! Buzz lists the top search terms that people are using on Yahoo! Celebrities tend to dominate this list but products, news stories and even technologies sometimes make it to the top. Technorati is probably a better source for most people as this lists top blog searches and you’ll be able to pick up on breaking news stories as well as other stories of interest that isn’t covered by the mainstream media.

If people are searching for something, you may be able to tie it into your topic which would create a more interesting speech.

Visiting blogs:

I always visit blogs of friends and people in my area of expertise (see my blogroll) and I often find posts or something within posts that get me thinking. I often learn of things that I wouldn’t ordinarily find out about through the mainstream media. Sometimes, someone will write a post that puts things in a different perspective or takes an opinion that differs from mine – this gets me thinking about my opinion or perspective on the issue and could be something I could work into a speech.

Turning on the TV and searching through the channel guide:

Names of shows, movies and the programs themselves provide endless opportunities to inspire us for talks. Maybe someone is being interviewed on a news show or a character is doing something crazy on a sitcom – keep your eyes peeled for inspiration. With hundreds of channels, many of which have an educational theme, there are countless topics out there.

Asking others for ideas:

Yes, this actually works. Asking friends, family members and associates for speech ideas can really get you thinking. Sending out a quick email blast to a dozen or so people simply telling them you need to write a speech will result in stories about topics that people, liked, disliked and were inspired by. Posting to on-line forums works as well.

Looking at quotes:

I include an inspirational quote in my monthly e-zine (LINK) and as I search for quotes related to my topic, I often find other quotes that inspire me or get me thinking. There are a lot of great thinkers, writers and leaders out there that have inspired generations. One of my favorite sources is Abraham Lincoln – he has inspired regular folks, thinkers and world leaders.

So these are just a handful of suggestions to get the creative juices flowing. These suggestions are most helpful for casual short speeches such as speeches for Toastmasters. But even professional speakers that are looking for fresh material can find some ideas for stories, points or even an entire speech this way.

What are some of your best tips to come up with a speech topic?

Share and Enjoy:

Public Speaking: How to Write a Speech – Part 1: Your Speech Outline

James — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 04:06:39 +0000

Writing a speech can sometimes be as nerve-racking as giving the speech. Where do you begin? What format should you use? Will you need props?

The list of potential questions is endless, but getting started is a lot easier than you think. Assuming you’ve chosen your topic and done some preliminary research, you’re ready to sit down and write.

Now some folks prefer the free write approach. They simply start writing their speech out word for word and once they’ve gotten to the end, they simply make a few edits and they’re done. If that doesn’t work for you, then try creating an outline.

Before you can start your outline, it’s important to understand the three main parts of the speech. If you’ve ever taken a writing class, you’re probably already familiar with them and they don’t differ tremendously from their written counterparts.

The introduction is the first part – this is where you introduce your topic to the audience and provide a brief overview of what you’ll be talking about. You may even choose to list out your main points.

The body is meat of your speech. It contains your main points (I recommend two to five, depending on the length of your talk) as well as supporting evidence for each of your main points. This is the part of your speech that is of most value to your audience.

The final part of the speech is the conclusion. In this part, you sum up your main points and then end with a call to action.

So you’re sitting down at your desk, armed with either pencil and paper or word processor, and ready to write. I find it helpful to start with writing “introduction,” “body” and “conclusion” so I’m not staring a blank document. I then list my main points under each section – in the introduction, they get listed under the phrase “we’ll discuss:” and in the conclusion, “we’ve covered:”

Then I take another pass where I’ll add a sentence or two to the introduction and conclusion and then list out my sub-points for each of my main points in the body. I’ll then make several more passes through the outline, filling in more information with each pass.

I usually don’t write out my speeches word for word because that’s not my speaking style. I come across more natural and sound less rehearsed when I work from an outline. So I’ll generally continue this process until I get to the point where I’m at the level of granularity that I desire – in some cases, a fully written out speech.

Everyone has a different writing style, so it’s important to find the technique that works best for you. You might also find that different situations call for different techniques. The key is to experiment and note what works and what doesn’t.
We’ll continue this discussion in future posts.

Share and Enjoy: