Speechwriting

Speechwriting is an important genre of modern writing and communication. In its usual modern form, speechwriting involves the creation of a script for someone else—often a public figure—to read before an audience. Many speechwriters operate on an anonymous level, letting the speakers take credit for their words. However, as speechwriting becomes increasingly important and widespread, many successful speechwriters have earned a share of fame and praise for their work.

Brief History

The practice of speechwriting is very common in the modern world, but it may be traced at least back to ancient times. It likely developed alongside the practice of rhetoric, or the art of public speaking. Public speaking has certainly taken place since the early days of humanity, arising as soon as humans were able to communicate using a widely accepted spoken language. However, prehistoric speech was not documented, meaning that tens of thousands of years of spoken words have been lost.

Existing records show that public speaking had become an important part of early civilizations such as those of ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt. The art of rhetoric gained its greatest renown in ancient Greece, where much of political and social life revolved around philosophical discussions and debate. Public speaking ability was a prized skill. Teachers, speakers, and philosophers of the era studied rhetoric in great depth and listed its requirements and virtues, which would later be expanded upon in ancient Rome and subsequent civilizations. Similar developments also took place in ancient China, where speakers were prominent members of society, politics, and academia.

The practice of speechwriting also developed during ancient times. One documented early instance of speechwriting was the practice of logography. In ancient Greece, logographers were writers of prose who conducted what they considered scientific (as opposed to poetic) reflections into human actions and motivations. Logographers wrote speeches to be read by litigants in court. Their reputation for scholarly investigation into the human condition helped them write in a compelling and persuasive manner, and clients valued their services highly.

Overview

Over centuries, developments in government, society, and technology have made public communication more important than ever. In the twenty-first century, a public figure’s speech might be broadcast all over the world and be accessible online indefinitely. The content of a speech might determine the fate of a global agreement or a bid to end a catastrophic conflict. In many speeches, each word is extremely important, requiring careful choices and consideration. Speechwriting has become increasingly widespread and crucial for leaders seeking to make every spoken word count.

Speakers might write their own speeches before presenting them publicly. Alternately, many employ highly trained experts in writing and rhetoric to craft finely tuned scripts for them to deliver. The latter option has become increasingly common in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, as many public figures have very busy schedules, including time-consuming public appearances and high-profile speeches. Many leaders lack the time to write their own speeches. Instead, they may depend on one or more speechwriters, with whom they discuss their ideas and goals for the speech; it is then the speechwriter’s task to carefully choose and analyze each word and its connotations for a particular audience.

Modern speechwriters consider many points when crafting an effective speech. One of the most important is brevity, meaning that each word and phrase should have a purpose and help to advance the overarching goal of the speech. Another is awareness of setting and audience, requiring careful adjustments to tone and scale. For example, many speechwriters are known for including humor in their work, but jokes would likely be out of place in serious or solemn contexts. The ability to persuade is a must for many speeches in which, for instance, a candidate hopes to win over critics of a proposed policy.

Managing the emotions of a speech is also a crucial task. Some speechwriters have proven remarkably effective at evoking powerful feelings in listeners with what might seem to be simple words and phrases. For example, a 1940 speech by British prime minister Winston Churchill used everyday language and images to create one of the most stirring and powerful calls to action in modern history. In this speech, delivered in the midst of German attacks on Great Britain during World War II (1939–1945), Churchill listed places where the British would continue to resist the enemy: “on the seas and oceans,” “in the air,” “on the beaches,” “on the landing grounds,” “in the fields and on the streets,” and so on, before stating that the people of Great Britain “shall never surrender.”

Speechwriters must be adaptable to deal with changing situations. For instance, a speechwriter may have weeks or months to carefully research, draft, and revise a speech, such as an inauguration speech. Alternatively, the speechwriter might have been assigned to write a speech in a matter of minutes with little, if any, help. Traditionally, speechwriters who write for others have been meant to operate quietly and perhaps even anonymously. Most function as the public speaking equivalent of ghostwriters, writers who create works meant to be published anonymously or even attributed to others. Many speechwriters who created great historical works of oratory for others have been forgotten, their words instead attributed to those who spoke them.

The tradition of speechwriter anonymity has largely changed in modern times, with many speechwriters, particularly those who work for major world leaders, becoming well-known. One of the first speechwriters to achieve widespread fame was US presidential speechwriter Ted Sorensen, who helped to write “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country,” the most famous lines of President John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address. Since Sorensen, many presidential speechwriters have risen to a level of renown or even celebrity. For example, Jon Favreau, one of several speechwriters for President Barack Obama, became a public figure himself and the host of a popular podcast.

Many people have questioned the importance of public speeches in the twenty-first century. Vicious political polemics, social media, hashtag journalism, and the widespread reliance on soundbites have distracted many from the potential of lengthy, thoughtful, carefully crafted public addresses. At the same time, speechwriters are more common than ever, with US presidents typically employing a chief speechwriter with a crew of seven or eight assistants. Meticulously crafted public speeches still retain the power to win over audiences, both in person and across various media, and sway the course of human affairs.

Bibliography

Anthony, Andrew. “Lend Me Your Ears! The Art of Political Speechwriting.” The Guardian, 11 Sept. 2022, www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/sep/11/lend-me-your-ears-the-art-of-political-speechwriting. Accessed 13 Nov. 2023.

“Logographers.” Oxford University Press, 2023, www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/oi/authority.20110810105308638. Accessed 13 Nov. 2023.

“Presidential Speechwriters.” John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, 19 Feb. 2007, www.jfklibrary.org/events-and-awards/forums/past-forums/transcripts/presidential-speechwriters. Accessed 13 Nov. 2023.

“The President’s Speech, from First Draft to Delivery.” History.com, 18 May 2023, www.history.com/news/the-presidents-speech-from-first-draft-to-delivery. Accessed 13 Nov. 2023.

“Rhetoric in the Ancient World.” Lumen Waymaker, courses.lumenlearning.com/wm-publicspeaking/chapter/the-ancient-world/. Accessed 13 Nov. 2023.