Speechwriter

Speechwriter

A speechwriter is a person who is hired to prepare and write speeches that will be delivered by another person. Speechwriters are used by many senior-level elected officials and government executives, governors, and the president or prime minister of a country. Speechwriters are also used in the private sector, to write speeches or presentations for company presidents and Chief Executive Officers.

kills and training

A speechwriter must be able to work directly with senior executives, to determine what points, themes, positions, or messages the executive would like to cover. As well, 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. [www.jobprofiles.org/govfspeechwriter.htm] Speechwriters must also be able to accept anonymity, because with few exceptions, speechwriters (like ghostwriters) are not officially credited or acknowledged.

Speechwriters do not usually have specific training in the area or field for which they are writing speeches; a speechwriter preparing a speech for a governor on health policy will rarely have a Master of Public Health degree. Instead, speechwriters often have a broad understanding of basic economics, political roles, and policy issues, which makes them a generalist who is able to "translate" complex economic and policy issues into a clear message for the general public. As well, as with many other writing occupations, most speechwriters do not have specific training in their writing craft. Instead, speechwriters often develop their speechwriting skills by combining a general liberal arts education (e.g., in political science, philosophy, law, or English literature) with a variety of work experience in politics, public administration, journalism, or a related field.

peechwriting process

Writing a speech involves several steps. A speechwriter has to meet with the executive and the executive's senior staff to find out the broad framework of points or messages that the executive wants to cover in the speech. Then, the speechwriter does their 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 their own research to create an "informative, original and authentic speech" for the executive [www.jobprofiles.org/govfspeechwriter.htm] .

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 re-drafted.

Famous speechwriters

Some famous speechwriters include:
* Theodore "Ted" Sorenson wrote for John F. Kennedy
*Richard Goodwin wrote for Lyndon B. Johnson
*William Safire, Ben Stein, Pat Buchanan wrote for Richard Nixon
*Don Watson wrote for Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating
* Peggy Noonan wrote for the Reagan administration
* Judson T. Welliver wrote for Calvin Coolidge. Welliver is considered the first official presidential speechwriter, however Alexander Hamilton is thought by someFact|date=August 2008 to have written speeches for George Washington.
* Michael Gerson wrote for President George W. Bush.
* William McGurn (former Wall Street Journal editorial writer ) replaced Michael Gerson recently as chief speechwriter for President George W. Bush.

Fictional speechwriters

Some fictional speechwriters include: James Hobert, speechwriter for the fictional Mayor of New York City Randall Winston on Spin City. Toby Ziegler, Sam Seaborn and later on, Will Bailey all wrote for the Bartlet Administration on the West Wing.

References

ee also

* Ghostwriter - a professional writer who is paid to write books, articles, stories, or reports which are officially credited to another person.


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • speechwriter — [spēch′rīt΄ər] n. a person whose work is writing speeches as for a political candidate or officeholder …   English World dictionary

  • speechwriter — UK [ˈspiːtʃˌraɪtə(r)] / US [ˈspɪtʃˌraɪtər] noun [countable] Word forms speechwriter : singular speechwriter plural speechwriters someone whose job is to write speeches for other people, usually politicians …   English dictionary

  • speechwriter — [[t]spi͟ːtʃraɪtə(r)[/t]] speechwriters N COUNT A speechwriter is a person who writes speeches for important people such as politicians …   English dictionary

  • speechwriter — noun Date: 1834 a person who writes speeches (as for a politician) …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • speechwriter — /speech ruy teuhr/, n. a person who writes speeches for others, usually for pay. [1825 35; SPEECH + WRITER] * * * …   Universalium

  • speechwriter — noun someone who writes speeches for others, especially as a profession …   Wiktionary

  • speechwriter — speech|writ|er [ˈspi:tʃˌraıtə US ər] n someone whose job is to write speeches for other people …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • speechwriter — speech|writ|er [ spitʃ,raıtər ] noun count someone whose job is to write speeches for other people, usually politicians …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • speechwriter — n. person who writes speeches for other people …   English contemporary dictionary

  • speechwriter — speech•writ•er [[t]ˈspitʃˌraɪ tər[/t]] n. jou a person who writes speeches on assignment, as for a politician • Etymology: 1830–35 …   From formal English to slang

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