StorySailing®: Reconstructing the Gettysburg Address
(3/3/2020) Abraham Lincoln's famous Gettysburg address has been recorded by numerous orators over the years, including Orson Welles, but few of these works suggest that the speakers did anything more than read with conviction. How do you reconstruct a speech that … READ MORE→
(3/3/2020) Abraham Lincoln's famous Gettysburg address has been recorded by numerous orators over the years, including Orson Welles, but few of these works suggest that the speakers did anything more than read with conviction. How do you reconstruct a speech that … READ MORE→Vote Yourself Off the I-Land; Sail a You-Boat
(2/18/2020) You're either talking about your audience … or you're talking about yourself. Too many speakers are “opera singers” (me-me-me-me-me-me-me). Vote yourself off the I-Land; explore the world in a You-boat. I believe speakers should focus on the audience. In … READ MORE→
(2/18/2020) You're either talking about your audience … or you're talking about yourself. Too many speakers are “opera singers” (me-me-me-me-me-me-me). Vote yourself off the I-Land; explore the world in a You-boat. I believe speakers should focus on the audience. In … READ MORE→Two-Word Clichés for Writers and Speakers
(2/4/2020) Two-word clichés are perhaps the least obvious kind. Unless we're vigilant, they sneak into our prose, steal color, mask our individual voice, and make us sound like millions of other writers and speakers who all mindlessly employ the same worn … READ MORE→
(2/4/2020) Two-word clichés are perhaps the least obvious kind. Unless we're vigilant, they sneak into our prose, steal color, mask our individual voice, and make us sound like millions of other writers and speakers who all mindlessly employ the same worn … READ MORE→Public Speaking Tip: Speechcrafting Goes Beyond Speechwriting
(1/21/2020) Speechcrafting is a special discipline of which speechwriting is but a single element. The effective speechcrafting professional understands the art of narrative and also the power of stagecraft—timing, pauses, dynamics, gestures. Eloquent words delivered by a lackluster presenter will miss … READ MORE→
(1/21/2020) Speechcrafting is a special discipline of which speechwriting is but a single element. The effective speechcrafting professional understands the art of narrative and also the power of stagecraft—timing, pauses, dynamics, gestures. Eloquent words delivered by a lackluster presenter will miss … READ MORE→Public Speaking Tip: Use Your Full Speaking Range
(11/25/2019) Speaking range is as important to a presentation as musical range is to performance. Actors refer to the combination of body and voice as an “instrument.” A piano has an eight-octave range of pitch, and the piano was originally named … READ MORE→
(11/25/2019) Speaking range is as important to a presentation as musical range is to performance. Actors refer to the combination of body and voice as an “instrument.” A piano has an eight-octave range of pitch, and the piano was originally named … READ MORE→How Many Spaces After a Period? A Battle of Stories
(11/11/2019) How many spaces after a period? One or two? I researched and wrote an article about this frequently debated matter in my publishing blog that attracted hundreds of thousands of readers. The meaningful answer is that it really doesn't matter … READ MORE→
(11/11/2019) How many spaces after a period? One or two? I researched and wrote an article about this frequently debated matter in my publishing blog that attracted hundreds of thousands of readers. The meaningful answer is that it really doesn't matter … READ MORE→Public Speaking Tip: Speaking is a Service Industry
(10/28/2019) Speakers are commonly asked, “What's your topic?” or “What's your message?” Such questions may sound intuitively reasonable but they lead would-be speakers astray before the first word is written. Questions about “your topic” or “your message” imply that your speech … READ MORE→
(10/28/2019) Speakers are commonly asked, “What's your topic?” or “What's your message?” Such questions may sound intuitively reasonable but they lead would-be speakers astray before the first word is written. Questions about “your topic” or “your message” imply that your speech … READ MORE→The “Become a Millionaire Speaker” Story
(10/15/2019) A friend asked if he should take a day off work to attend a free “Become a Millionaire Speaker or Coach!” seminar. No. Don't quit your day job—even for a day. I'm sure the session offers hours of true and … READ MORE→
(10/15/2019) A friend asked if he should take a day off work to attend a free “Become a Millionaire Speaker or Coach!” seminar. No. Don't quit your day job—even for a day. I'm sure the session offers hours of true and … READ MORE→The Time and Tempo of Storytelling
(10/1/2019) Great storytellers are masters of time and tempo. What is this mysterious thing called “time?” Does it flow at the same speed for everyone? If we encounter a life-threatening situation, time is a stream of cold honey. If we're nervous … READ MORE→
(10/1/2019) Great storytellers are masters of time and tempo. What is this mysterious thing called “time?” Does it flow at the same speed for everyone? If we encounter a life-threatening situation, time is a stream of cold honey. If we're nervous … READ MORE→The Elements of Story
(6/11/2018) I never thought I'd learn about business while sailing alone on a small boat at sea, but here's the story: When I was a young man still in college, I found myself—quite through happenstance—in the company of an odd band … READ MORE→
(6/11/2018) I never thought I'd learn about business while sailing alone on a small boat at sea, but here's the story: When I was a young man still in college, I found myself—quite through happenstance—in the company of an odd band … READ MORE→