Read a famous or familiar speech (such as Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech) or watch one online. (A great site to consider is TED, which offers inspirational speeches about “ideas worth spreading.” See ted.com.) Next, create an outline for your chosen speech. Can you follow a clear sequence of points? Do the subpoints support the speaker’s main points?
When creating the outline for your speech, write each main point on a separate index card. Spread the cards out on a table and then pick them up in the most logical order. Does this order match the order of your outline? How did you choose to arrange the topics—spatially, chronologically, or topically?