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Use your topic to focus the message.

As Sara’s story revealed, selecting a topic for your speech can seem overwhelming at first. But the systematic approach described in this chapter can help you move past any feelings of frustration or confusion. First, develop a set of potential topics based on the results of research, brainstorming, word association, and mind mapping. Select the best topic based on an understanding of the assignment, your audience, your knowledge and interests, and the context of your speech. Then, refine your topic by determining your rhetorical purpose and narrowing your topic to the most relevant aspects, given the time available for your speech. To draft your specific purpose, express your rhetorical purpose and decide what you’d like to accomplish in your speech. Finally, hone in on your specific purpose by creating your thesis statement—a single sentence that captures your overall message and what you’d like your speech to convey.