It’s hard to give a persuasive speech about something you don’t find particularly inspiring or an informative speech on a topic you know nothing about. Finding a topic that is interesting to you will prove useful, making you more motivated to research, refine your ideas, and generate audience enthusiasm.

But when you have a variety of interests, it can be hard to pinpoint one to speak about. One way to get started is to write up a list of topics that interest you. For example, take a look at the variety of interests listed in Table 12.1. Creating a thorough and detailed list of topics that interest you (or even others) can be a great tool for stimulating speech ideas.