Create a Working Outline First

Unless otherwise instructed, begin drafting your speech with a working outline using the sentence format before transferring its ideas to a speaking outline that uses key words or phrases. Working outlines are meant to be changed as you work through the mass of information you’ve collected. As you progress, you will no doubt rearrange points and add or omit material before you are satisfied that you have adequately demonstrated your speech thesis.

The completed working outline will give you confidence that you’ve satisfactorily fleshed out your ideas. Instead of worrying about whether you will have enough to say, or whether your speech will be well organized, you’ll have an accurate picture of what you’ll be able to communicate and how long it will take. Use the working outline to create a well-supported document containing all of your claims and research.

Separate the Introduction and Conclusion from the Body

Whether you are drafting a working or speaking outline, prepare the body of the speech before the introduction and the conclusion, and keep the introduction and conclusion separate from the main points. The introduction is the preface; the conclusion is the epilogue.

Introductions serve to gain the audience’s attention and stir their interest; introduce the topic and thesis; establish the speaker’s credibility, or ethos; and preview main points (see Chapter 14 for more on developing the introduction). In outlines, treatments of these functions in the introduction can vary. As in this text, you can use such labels as Attention Getter, Thesis, Credibility Statement, and Preview to indicate how you will address these elements, as is done in the sample speech outlines below. Alternatively, your instructor may prefer that you assign the introduction its own numbering system or simply write it out in paragraph format.

Similarly, in the conclusion you can indicate where you signal the close of the speech, summarize main points, reiterate the thesis and purpose, and leave the audience with something to think about or offer a call to action—or, again, assign it its own numbering system or write it out. (See Chapter 15 for more on developing the conclusion.)

Indicate Your Sources

As you work on the outline, clearly indicate to yourself where speech points require source credit. Directly after the point, either insert a footnote or enclose in parentheses enough of the reference to be able to retrieve it in full (see sample outlines in this chapter). Once you complete the outline, prepare a bibliography per your instructor’s directions. Instructors may prefer that you order the references alphabetically and place them on a sheet titled “Works Cited”; or that you create a “Works Consulted” list, including all sources consulted rather than just those cited in the speech. For guidelines on what to include in a source note, see the From Source to Speech guides in Chapter 9 and online. See Appendices B–C and G, H and I for individual citation styles.

Create a Title

As the last step, assign the speech a title, one that informs the audience of its subject in a way that invites them to listen to or read it. Thoughtfully crafted titles communicate the essence of a speech. At times, you might even refer to the title during your speech, as a means of previewing or emphasizing your perspective on the topic.

STEPS IN CREATING A WORKING OUTLINE

  1. ______ 1. On separate lines, label and write out your topic, general purpose, specific speech purpose, and thesis.
  2. ______ 2. Establish your main points (optimally two to five).
  3. ______ 3. Flesh out supporting points.
  4. ______ 4. Check for correct subordination and coordination; follow the numbering system shown in Table 11.1.
  5. ______ 5. Label each speech part (i.e., “Introduction,” “Body,” and “Conclusion”).
  6. ______ 6. Write out each speech point in sentence format.
  7. ______ 7. Label and write out transitions.
  8. ______ 8. Note sources for the bibliography.
  9. ______ 9. Assign the speech a title.