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Speechwriter

May 10, 2023

A speechwriter is a person who is hired to prepare and write speeches that will be delivered by another person. Speechwriters are employed by many senior-level elected officials and executives in the government and private sectors. They can also be employed to write for weddings and other social occasions.

Skills and training

A speechwriter works directly with senior executives or leaders to determine what points, themes, positions, or messages the executive would like to cover. Speechwriters need to be able to accept criticism and comments on the different drafts of the speech, and be able to incorporate the proposed changes into the draft. Speechwriters have to be able to work on several different speeches at once, and manage their time so that they can meet strict deadlines for finishing the speech on time.[1] Speechwriters must also be able to accept anonymity, because with few exceptions, speechwriters are not officially credited or acknowledged. This aspect creates a dilemma for historians and compilers of speech anthology; namely, when some poignant phrase gains popularity such as John F. Kennedy's "ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country,". Should credit be given to the President, to speechwriter Ted Sorensen, or to both?

While there is a guild called "The UK Speechwriters' Guild" for professional speechwriters, they do not usually have specific training in the area or field for which they are writing speeches. Instead, speechwriters often have a broad understanding of basic economics, political roles, and policy issues, which make them generalists who are able to "translate" complex economic and policy issues into a clear message for the general public. As with many other writing occupations, most speechwriters do not have specific training in their writing craft. Instead, speechwriters often develop their speech writing skills by combining a general liberal arts education (e.g., in political science, philosophy, or English literature) with a variety of work experience in politics, public administration, journalism, or a related field.

Speechwriting process

 
U.S. President Barack Obama and aides Carol Browner, David Axelrod, and Jon Favreau working on a speech in June 2010.

Writing a speech involves several steps. A speechwriter has to meet with the executive and the executive's senior staff to determine the broad framework of points or messages that the executive wants to cover in the speech. Then, the speechwriter does his or her own research on the topic to flesh out this framework with anecdotes and examples. The speechwriter will also consider the audience for the speech, which can range from a town-hall meeting of community leaders to an international leaders' forum. Then the speechwriter blends the points, themes, positions, and messages with his or her own research to create an "informative, original and authentic speech" for the executive.[1]

The speechwriter then presents a draft version of the speech to the executive (or the executive's staff) and makes notes on any revisions or changes that are requested. If the speechwriter is familiar with the topic and the positions and style of the executive, only small changes may be needed. In other cases, the executive may feel that the speech does not have the right tone or flow, and the entire speech may have to be re-drafted. Professional speechwriter Lawrence Bernstein writes:

Some clients have called with six months to spare, others with four hours to go; some want to meet up first, others want coaching afterwards; quite a few did everything by email and we’ve never even spoken.[2]

The delivery of the speech is part of the challenge speechwriters face when crafting the message. Executive speechwriter Anthony Trendl writes:

Speechwriters specialize in a kind of writing that merges marketing, theater, public relations, sales, education and politics all in one presentation.[3]

Notable speechwriters

Some of the world's most notable political speechwriters include:

Australia

Bangladesh

Chile

Europe

Nigeria

United States

Fictional speechwriters

Some fictional speechwriters include:

See also

  • Ghostwriter, a professional writer who is paid to write books, articles, stories, or reports which are officially credited to another person
  • Judson Welliver Society, a social club of former presidential speechwriters

References

  1. ^ a b . Archived from the original on 2009-01-23. Retrieved 2008-12-14.
  2. ^ Bernstein, Lawrence. "Great Speech Writing".
  3. ^ Trendl, Anthony. "Speechwriter Value".
  4. ^ Carlos Huneus (3 April 2001). "Jaime Guzmán no fue un defensor de los Derechos Humanos en el Régimen de Pinochet" (PDF). Archivo Chile.
  5. ^ "Discurso de Chacarillas (1978)" (PDF). www.bicentenariochile.cl.
  6. ^ "Meet Merkel's 'girl camp': The secretive group of women keeping the German Chancellor in power". Retrieved 2018-07-19.
  7. ^ Pilkington, Ed (2009-01-20). "Obama inauguration: Words of history ... crafted by 27-year-old in Starbucks". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 2010-05-23.
  8. ^ Franklin, Benjamin; Madison, James; Washington, George; Adams, John; Leland, John; Hamilton, Alexander (June 4, 1998). "Religion and the Federal Government, Part 1 - Religion and the Founding of the American Republic | Exhibitions (Library of Congress)". www.loc.gov.
  9. ^ Catherine Donaldson-Evans (May 12, 2005). "Different Writer, Same President". FoxNews.com. Retrieved 2009-06-12.

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Speechwriters.
 
Look up speechwriter in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

May 10, 2023
speechwriter, speechwriter, person, hired, prepare, write, speeches, that, will, delivered, another, person, employed, many, senior, level, elected, officials, executives, government, private, sectors, they, also, employed, write, weddings, other, social, occa. A speechwriter is a person who is hired to prepare and write speeches that will be delivered by another person Speechwriters are employed by many senior level elected officials and executives in the government and private sectors They can also be employed to write for weddings and other social occasions Contents 1 Skills and training 2 Speechwriting process 3 Notable speechwriters 3 1 Australia 3 2 Bangladesh 3 3 Chile 3 4 Europe 3 5 Nigeria 3 6 United States 4 Fictional speechwriters 5 See also 6 References 7 External linksSkills and training EditA speechwriter works directly with senior executives or leaders to determine what points themes positions or messages the executive would like to cover Speechwriters need to be able to accept criticism and comments on the different drafts of the speech and be able to incorporate the proposed changes into the draft Speechwriters have to be able to work on several different speeches at once and manage their time so that they can meet strict deadlines for finishing the speech on time 1 Speechwriters must also be able to accept anonymity because with few exceptions speechwriters are not officially credited or acknowledged This aspect creates a dilemma for historians and compilers of speech anthology namely when some poignant phrase gains popularity such as John F Kennedy s ask not what your country can do for you ask what you can do for your country Should credit be given to the President to speechwriter Ted Sorensen or to both While there is a guild called The UK Speechwriters Guild for professional speechwriters they do not usually have specific training in the area or field for which they are writing speeches Instead speechwriters often have a broad understanding of basic economics political roles and policy issues which make them generalists who are able to translate complex economic and policy issues into a clear message for the general public As with many other writing occupations most speechwriters do not have specific training in their writing craft Instead speechwriters often develop their speech writing skills by combining a general liberal arts education e g in political science philosophy or English literature with a variety of work experience in politics public administration journalism or a related field Speechwriting process Edit U S President Barack Obama and aides Carol Browner David Axelrod and Jon Favreau working on a speech in June 2010 Writing a speech involves several steps A speechwriter has to meet with the executive and the executive s senior staff to determine the broad framework of points or messages that the executive wants to cover in the speech Then the speechwriter does his or her own research on the topic to flesh out this framework with anecdotes and examples The speechwriter will also consider the audience for the speech which can range from a town hall meeting of community leaders to an international leaders forum Then the speechwriter blends the points themes positions and messages with his or her own research to create an informative original and authentic speech for the executive 1 The speechwriter then presents a draft version of the speech to the executive or the executive s staff and makes notes on any revisions or changes that are requested If the speechwriter is familiar with the topic and the positions and style of the executive only small changes may be needed In other cases the executive may feel that the speech does not have the right tone or flow and the entire speech may have to be re drafted Professional speechwriter Lawrence Bernstein writes Some clients have called with six months to spare others with four hours to go some want to meet up first others want coaching afterwards quite a few did everything by email and we ve never even spoken 2 The delivery of the speech is part of the challenge speechwriters face when crafting the message Executive speechwriter Anthony Trendl writes Speechwriters specialize in a kind of writing that merges marketing theater public relations sales education and politics all in one presentation 3 Notable speechwriters EditSome of the world s most notable political speechwriters include Australia Edit Don Watson wrote for Prime Minister Paul KeatingBangladesh Edit Md Nazrul Islam Chowdhury wrote for Prime Minister Sheikh HasinaChile Edit Jaime Guzman wrote for Chilean military dictator Augusto Pinochet 4 5 Europe Edit Eva Christiansen de wrote for Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel 6 Henri Guaino wrote for French President Nicolas Sarkozy Sir Ronald Millar wrote for British Prime Minister Margaret ThatcherNigeria Edit Reuben Abati wrote for President Goodluck Jonathan Olusegun Adeniyi wrote for President Umaru Musa Yar Adua Farooq Kperogi wrote for President Olusegun ObasanjoUnited States Edit Michael Anton wrote for President Donald Trump Aram Bakshian wrote for Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford Samuel Beer wrote for President Franklin D Roosevelt Josef Berger wrote for Presidents Harry S Truman and Lyndon B Johnson Pat Buchanan wrote for President Richard Nixon Christopher Buckley wrote for President George H W Bush Andrei Cherny wrote for President Bill Clinton William Dodd wrote for President Woodrow Wilson Anthony R Dolan wrote for President Ronald Reagan Ben T Elliott wrote for President Ronald Reagan George Elsey wrote for President Harry Truman William B Ewald Jr wrote for President Dwight Eisenhower James Fallows wrote for President Jimmy Carter 7 Jon Favreau wrote for President Barack Obama Andrew Ferguson wrote for President George H W Bush Charlie Fern wrote for President George W Bush and for First Lady Laura Bush David Frum wrote for President George W Bush Adam Garfinkle wrote for President George W Bush David Gergen wrote for President Richard Nixon Michael Gerson wrote for President George W Bush George Gilder wrote for President Richard Nixon Richard N Goodwin wrote for presidents John F Kennedy and Lyndon B Johnson Josh Gottheimer wrote for President Bill Clinton Historians believe Alexander Hamilton may have written speeches for President George Washington 8 Bob Hardesty wrote for President Lyndon B Johnson Jeffrey Hart wrote for President Richard Nixon Robert T Hartmann wrote for President Gerald Ford Ken Hechler wrote for President Harry Truman Hendrik Hertzberg wrote for President Jimmy Carter Emmet John Hughes wrote for President Dwight D Eisenhower David Humphreys wrote for President George Washington Sarah Hurwitz wrote for President Barack Obama Michael Johns wrote for President George H W Bush Hugh S Johnson wrote for President Franklin D Roosevelt Mark Katz wrote for President Bill Clinton Ken Khachigian wrote for Presidents Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan Arthur Larson wrote for President Dwight Eisenhower Matt Latimer wrote for President George W Bush Henry Lee IV wrote for President Andrew Jackson David Litt wrote for President Barack Obama Jon Lovett wrote for President Barack Obama Chris Matthews wrote for President Jimmy Carter William McGurn wrote for President George W Bush John McLaughlin wrote for President Richard Nixon Harry J Middleton wrote for President Lyndon B Johnson Stephen Miller wrote for President Donald Trump Raymond Moley wrote for President Franklin D Roosevelt Malcolm Moos wrote for President Dwight Eisenhower Peggy Noonan wrote for presidents Ronald Reagan and George H W Bush Jay Nordlinger wrote for President George W Bush Robert Orben wrote for President Gerald Ford Mark Palmer wrote for President Ronald Reagan Landon Parvin wrote for Presidents Ronald Reagan George H W Bush and George W Bush John Podhoretz wrote for Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H W Bush Ray Price wrote for Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford Aneesh Raman wrote for President Barack Obama Katherine Reback wrote for President Bill Clinton Peter Robinson wrote for Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H W Bush Samuel Rosenman wrote for Presidents Franklin D Roosevelt and Harry S Truman William Safire wrote for President Richard Nixon Arthur M Schlesinger Jr wrote for President John F Kennedy Matthew Scully wrote for President George W Bush Walter Shapiro wrote for President Jimmy Carter Michael A Sheehan wrote for President Bill Clinton Robert E Sherwood wrote for President Franklin D Roosevelt Jeff Shesol wrote for President Bill Clinton David Shipley wrote for President Bill Clinton Raymond Siller wrote for presidents Richard Nixon Ronald Reagan George H W Bush and George W Bush Curt Smith wrote for President George H W Bush Tony Snow wrote for President George H W Bush Ted Sorensen wrote for President John F Kennedy Ben Stein wrote for President Richard Nixon Marc Thiessen wrote for President George W Bush Michael Waldman wrote for President Bill Clinton Orson Welles wrote for President Franklin D Roosevelt Judson T Welliver considered the first official presidential speechwriter in the modern sense of the occupation wrote for President Warren G Harding 9 and Calvin Coolidge Mari Maseng Will wrote for President Ronald ReaganFictional speechwriters EditSome fictional speechwriters include James Hobert played by Alexander Chaplin speechwriter for the fictional Mayor of New York City Randall Winston on Spin City Toby Ziegler played by Richard Schiff Sam Seaborn played by Rob Lowe and Will Bailey played by Joshua Malina all wrote for the Bartlet administration on The West WingSee also EditGhostwriter a professional writer who is paid to write books articles stories or reports which are officially credited to another person Judson Welliver Society a social club of former presidential speechwritersReferences Edit a b Speechwriter Federal Government Job Profile Archived from the original on 2009 01 23 Retrieved 2008 12 14 Bernstein Lawrence Great Speech Writing Trendl Anthony Speechwriter Value Carlos Huneus 3 April 2001 Jaime Guzman no fue un defensor de los Derechos Humanos en el Regimen de Pinochet PDF Archivo Chile Discurso de Chacarillas 1978 PDF www bicentenariochile cl Meet Merkel s girl camp The secretive group of women keeping the German Chancellor in power Retrieved 2018 07 19 Pilkington Ed 2009 01 20 Obama inauguration Words of history crafted by 27 year old in Starbucks The Guardian London Retrieved 2010 05 23 Franklin Benjamin Madison James Washington George Adams John Leland John Hamilton Alexander June 4 1998 Religion and the Federal Government Part 1 Religion and the Founding of the American Republic Exhibitions Library of Congress www loc gov Catherine Donaldson Evans May 12 2005 Different Writer Same President FoxNews com Retrieved 2009 06 12 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Speechwriters Look up speechwriter in Wiktionary the free dictionary Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Speechwriter amp oldid 1138151637, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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