<p>Does anyone have any pointers about becoming a speechwriter for academic or political figures?</p>
<p>Thanks,
Fred</p>
<p>DS once went to school with the son of top-notch political speechwriter Landon Parvin. He was probably the top speech writer for Ronald Reagan and did many of the Bush speeches…including the very funny presentation by Laura Bush at the Gridiron Club. If talking with faculty in the communications depts of major universities doesn’t provide what you need, I’d try to contact some of the speech writers themselves or people who are well known political pundits…CNN has bunches and maybe you could get someone on staff there to help you out. Even though it can be a long shot, it’s worth a try to be bold enough to find someone who’ll mentor you thru the process. I like DC area colleges because often adjunct faculty or guest speakers/instructors are drawn from the top ranks of the political community.</p>
<p>Also, volunteer, volunteer, volunteer…that’s what I did and I met many top politicos of my day, while initially pursuing a program of study in journalism.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>I was a speechwriter for five years for two cabinet secretaries. It’s a wonderful profession, and I enjoyed the work very much. On the assumption that you are a student of some kind, I’d suggest looking for work on a Senator or a Representative’s staff. They have a lot of speech-giving responsibilities, and most do not have someone assigned full-time to speechwriting–so if you tell them you’d like to try being a speechwriter, they’ll give you a chance, even if you’re low in seniority. If it turns out you’re good at it, they’ll give you plenty of opportunities to practice!</p>
<p>As far as speechwriting tips, any number of books will help. I think the most basic and practical one is “Public Speaking for Dummies,” which breaks down both the arts of speech giving and speechwriting in a simple, non-technical way. My own suggestions would be that you listen to your speaker (or speakers) every chance you get, especially when they’re delivering material you’ve written; that you read compilations of great speeches aloud (especially Lincoln’s, Kennedy’s and Churchill’s) to get a sense of rhythm and a mastery of language as it’s written for the ear; and, most importantly, that you learn how to edit yourself. Editing, not writing, is the key to a good speech–if you haven’t gone through four or five drafts and at least two “read-alouds,” you’re going to have words, sentences, and even passages that may look good on paper, but will sound jarring when they’re spoken. Good luck!</p>
<p>I’ve written speeches for politicians for several years (among other duties).</p>
<p>I’d say the most important preparation is to know the issues you are writing about, so I’d suggest a solid grounding in US History, and other common topics like Economics.</p>
<p>I agree totally with the post above.</p>
<p>I’m in grad school with a woman who used to be a speechwriter for several Senators and the State Department. She was an English major at a top-10 LAC.</p>
<p>I think spending a summer (or better yet, a semester) interning in a member of Congress’ office would be hugely helpful–most of my friends who worked on the Hill after graduation worked there during college as well. Working for a state legislator would also be good, but the connections you make will probably be more useful at that level and not transfer as well to national politics.</p>
<p>Thank You for your suggestions. I am glad to hear that a social sciences/liberal arts background is advisable. I’ll keep an eye out for faculty members. Are there any professional organizations/ formal channels which I should keep an eye out for? Any centralized location for jobs?</p>
<p>Thanks,
Fred</p>