In my experience, it’s often helpful to save writing the opening of the speech for later in the process, rather than trying to start with some engaging anecdote or shocking fact and then trying to build your speech around your opening.
Writing


A Checklist to Use for All of Your Email PR Pitches
April 11th, 2016 by Steve GoldsteinMedia relations experts often tell PR pros to “think like a reporter” when pitching story ideas or news. Perhaps a more useful and specific recommendation would be to take great care with each word, sentence and paragraph. This checklist of questions to ask before sending email pitches should help you do just that.

Six Tips to Help You Transform Bland Speeches Into Exciting Narratives
April 11th, 2016 by Justin Pettigrew, Assistant Professor, Kennesaw State UniversityAs a PR pro, writing speeches can be one of the most challenging things to do. It becomes especially difficult when writing a speech for someone else, like your CEO, COO or another C-suite executive, whether you’re in-house or at the company’s agency of record.

Five Tips to Transform Brand Communications Into Storytelling
April 4th, 2016 by Lorrie-Ann DiazJournalists are busier than ever, consumers are savvier today than they were yesterday and the flow of information is massive and neverending. In other words, the heat is on for PR practitioners everywhere. These days, an interesting narrative is non-negotiable, and sharing it across multiple media is standard operating procedure. After all, giving your audience what they want, when they want it and how they want it is tantamount to keeping them engaged with your brand.

Dash It All—or Rather, Don’t.
March 25th, 2016 by Ian James WrightOveruse of the dash is becoming an issue. You might be using it wrong, or your thoughts might be cluttered and disjointed. It’s time to stand up for restraint and examine your writing for signs of this creeping menace. Let’s get back to basics and talk about when it should and shouldn’t be used.
Tips From a Reporter on Great PR Writing
May 28th, 2013 by Tony SilberWe’ve been doing a lot of writing in PR News lately on great PR writing and as I was reflecting on this very intricate craft—a form of writing that requires immense skill—I thought it might be useful to reflect on what a journalist looks for in P…

Getting the Job: 5 Tips for Acing the Dreaded PR Writing Test
November 15th, 2012 by Andrew HindesWhether you’re entering the job market or you’re a seasoned vet considering a career move, here are five ways to nail any pre-employment writing assessment.