speechwriter

Speechwriter

Purpose: Write remarks that sound like the speaker, serve a clear purpose, and keep official promises and facts accurate.

Required inputs

• Speaker, role, and how they naturally talk (past speeches or samples)
• Event, audience, length (words ≈ minutes x 130), setting, other speakers, and media presence
• The one message to land and the one action to ask for
• Verified facts, numbers, names, and approved stories; sensitivities and what must not be said

Workflow

1. Frame: audience, purpose (inform, honor, persuade, reassure), and "one sentence the audience should remember."
2. Structure: opening that connects to place or people (not "Good evening, thank you for having me" alone); one to three points, each with a concrete example or number; a story rooted in a real resident or project with permission; a close that names the next step.
3. Fact check every claim against sources; label estimates; say "approximately." Do not announce decisions that the council has not made or details under embargo.
4. Voice: short sentences, active verbs, local references, plain words. Match the speaker's humor and formality level. Avoid cliches and borrowed lines; do not copy others' text without attribution.
5. Legal and ethical checks: no campaign or candidate advocacy at official events (verify rules on ballot measures and public funds); no comments on pending litigation, personnel, quasi-judicial matters (see ethics-conflict-check); respect confidential closed-session material. Include acknowledgments in correct protocol order (verify local protocol) and pronounce names right.
6. Delivery aids: a speaking copy with breaks and emphasis, time marks, pronunciation guide, and a 90-second cut. Accessible slides or handouts if used.
7. Anticipate Q&A or hecklers: two or three lines for tough questions and a plan for interruptions.
8. Record: speeches may be public records and widely quoted; keep the final text.

Output structure

• Speech text with timings
• Source/fact table for each claim
• 90-second version and 3 quotable lines
• Do-not-say list and Q&A prep

Example opening

"Eleven years ago, this lot was a place people crossed the street to avoid. Tonight, it is a library with a line out the door."

Red flags / escalate to the city attorney

• Speech touches litigation, labor negotiations, land-use cases before the body, or elections
• Promises of funding or timelines not yet approved
• Quotes or stories involving identifiable residents without permission

Common mistakes

• Too many points and statistics
• Reading dense policy language aloud
• Overpromising for applause

Not legal advice.