Speechwriter

From ArticleWorld


A speechwriter is a person who prepares speeches, briefings and other documents that will be read aloud by another person.

Qualifications

A speechwriter should have superior writing and oral communication skills. He or she must have a general knowledge of – and interest in – as many subjects as possible. Speechwriters are typically college graduates, many graduate with a degree in communications, English, media studies or business. They should have some creativity in order to maintain the audience’s interest. A speechwriter should be able to write to interest a variety of audiences and be able to research effectively via phone, library and the Internet.

Job description

Speechwriters will typically write and edit drafts of reports and speeches. They must be able to organize large amounts of data and for this reason they should be detail oriented. They will discuss the speech with the speaker, often holding an initial conference to determine the scope and mood of the speech, then a conference after an initial draft. In some cases, they will coach the speaker through practice sessions of the speech to make sure that tone and presentation are as they were intended when the speech was written.

A speechwriter can be employed by an individual who gives a lot of speeches (like a politician or celebrity) or a company that has prominent employees who give speeches and presentations frequently. Many speechwriters also offer their services on a part-time, contract or freelance basis.

Speechwriting in history

George Washington is known to have used Alexander Hamilton to help him with his speeches. However, Calvin Coolidge was the first president known to employ someone for his speechwriting services. The speechwriter was Judson Welliver. Currently, there exists the Judson Welliver Society, made up of all former presidential speechwriters.