What ideas or advice do you have for writing a short speech on the topic of a dad feeling sympathy for his son?

First, you need to decide the purpose of your speech and know the intended audience. If the speech is meant to be a fictional dramatic monologue, you’ll need a clear idea of who your characters are. Try brainstorming ideas for the characters’ backstories. The Gotham Writers link provided below has sets of questions to help flesh out your characters. Next, every story needs a conflict to capture your audience’s interest. Why does the father feel...

First, you need to decide the purpose of your speech and know the intended audience. If the speech is meant to be a fictional dramatic monologue, you’ll need a clear idea of who your characters are. Try brainstorming ideas for the characters’ backstories. The Gotham Writers link provided below has sets of questions to help flesh out your characters. Next, every story needs a conflict to capture your audience’s interest. Why does the father feel sympathy for his son? Has the son made a mistake? Does the father have his own regrets? Remember, conflicts do not have to be between two characters. Standard conflicts in narrative writing usually fall into one of these categories: Man vs. Nature, Man vs. Society, Man vs. Man, and Man vs. Self. Whatever conflict you choose, a typical story structure means having a climax or turning point, followed by resolution of the conflict. If your story does not have a strong theme, your audience will be left asking themselves, “So what?” Perhaps the deeper significance of the story has to do with the father-son relationship.

If the speech is meant to be non-fiction, the following tips can help you write a strong speech that will capture your audience’s attention. Plan the main points of your speech with a clear structure. A rule of thumb for speech structure is tell them what you’re going to tell them, tell them, then tell them what you told them. This means you should begin by previewing the main points of your message and end by reviewing or summarizing those points. This repetition will help listeners follow your train of thought. Also, remember that to your audience, you are your message. Let the audience relate to you by sharing something about yourself. Along with your words, consider incorporating props or visuals to support your message.

Public speaking is often cited among people’s greatest fears, but through preparation and practice you will feel confident to let your message be heard.