Writing your own story is difficult. Now try telling a story in the voice of another person. That’s speech writing, and it’s a fine art.

I was cleaning out files and came upon my notes taken when speech writer Megan Rooney spoke at a VPW meeting. She has written for First Lady Michelle Obama and for Secretary of State Hilary Rodham Clinton.

She noted, “Most people don’t have a distinctive voice. It’s really about clarity purpose and organization.”

So how does one achieve that? She gave three tips —

1)      Put your message in a story. Make it personal, if possible.

2)      Keep it simple. Use signposts, such as “here’s what I’m going to say.” Include facts. The key is to find the dazzling ones and use them.

3)      If possible, try to be a little dazzling.

Once you have done that in your speech conclude with a call to action.

What have you done to make your speeches memorable?