P ERSONAL E XPERIENCE S PEECH Tell us a story….

G OALS FOR THIS SPEECH Improve eye contact!!! Improve vocal variety and tone of voice More exciting and engaging storytellers Tell a detailed story of yourself to the class Review plot graph What makes for a good story We get to know you more Work on interesting introductions and a clear purpose for the speech Work on brainstorming techniques Speak comfortably for 2-3 min with a manuscript

G ET OUT YOUR J OURNAL PLEASE. It is time to go deeper than what you shared in your interview speech. HOW DEEP? You are going to share a story with the class of an experience that you have had that is personal to you. LIKE WHAT? It can be humorous, frightening, dangerous or adventurous. But you must have a point to make… it could be what to do or not to do, a moral or lesson… Now we are going to work on brainstorming techniques

Topic Ideas…. 1. Closest you ever came to death 2. Most trouble you ever have been in 3. Time you “got away with something” 4. Scariest thing that you’ve witnessed 5. Strangest thing you ever witnessed 6. Best trip you ever went on 7. Strangest vacation you ever took 8. Most unusual/cool person you’ve met 9. Best practical joke 10. Most life-changing experience 11. Pet peeves 12. Most embarrassing moment 13. Favorite thing to do Brainstorm # 1: Pick one of the topics on this page and make a cluster/bubble map that addresses all the situations you could talk about for that topic.

Brainstorm #2 Chose another topic from the list and make a journalistic brainstorm Who: What: When: Where: Why: How: Topic Ideas…. 1. Closest you ever came to death 2. Most trouble you ever have been in 3. Time you “got away with something” 4. Scariest thing that you’ve witnessed 5. Strangest thing you ever witnessed 6. Best trip you ever went on 7. Strangest vacation you ever took 8. Most unusual/cool person you’ve met 9. Best practical joke 10. Most life-changing experience 11. Pet peeves 12. Most embarrassing moment 13. Favorite thing to do

Brainstorm #3 Pick one more topic either from the list or of your own choosing. I will give you 5-8 min to freewrite on that topic. The rule are…you must constantly be writing – no stopping until I say so. Let it go where it may – anything might come to mind. Topic Ideas…. 1. Closest you ever came to death 2. Most trouble you ever have been in 3. Time you “got away with something” 4. Scariest thing that you’ve witnessed 5. Strangest thing you ever witnessed 6. Best trip you ever went on 7. Strangest vacation you ever took 8. Most unusual/cool person you’ve met 9. Best practical joke 10. Most life-changing experience 11. Pet peeves 12. Most embarrassing moment 13. Favorite thing to do

NOW WHAT? Once you pick your topic, Write down all the details you can remember. Some details may include: 1. Where were you? (Describe the setting so I could draw it if I wanted to) 2. How old were you? 3. Who was with you? 4. What time of year? Time of day? 5. What happened before and after? 6. Thoughts running through your mind? 7. Small details that will make the story come to life.

P LOT IT OUT – THE STORY GRAPH

F OCUSING IN ON THE DETAILS Chose one moment in this story to describe in greater detail (Mrs. Bell will work you through some exercises to practice this) Focus on Sensory Detail What did you hear? What did you see? What did you touch/how did things feel? What did you smell? What did you taste? Add in a simile or metaphor A comparison using “like” or “as”

W RITING YOUR INTRODUCTION How can you draw your audience in to your story? Open with action (in medias res) in the middle of the story Open with a startling statement or fact about you or the situation Open with a hypothetical situation – “What would you do if you…” “Imagine…” Open with a relevant quote Open with a rhetorical question (one not meant to be answered but to get the audience thinking).

T HINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN YOU START WRITING Think of this speech as telling the audience the story of “The time when…” Talk TO the audience rather than AT the audience. Use wording as if you are having a conversation with the audience, but keep in mind the decorum of the public speaking arena. ORGANIZATION Get interest from your audience = HOOK Tell story: Background, paint a picture, where, when, what, how, etc. DETAILS ~DESCRIPTIONS ~DETAILS What did you learn? Result?

R EQUIREMENTS It has to be a story about you - the more specific the better It has to be school appropriate (no drugs, swearing, sex…) It has to be 2-3 minutes long. It has to be interesting!! It must have a catchy introduction (use our handout) It must have sensory description in it (we will practice this) It needs to have a purpose (theme, moral, lesson, larger meaning, point) You will also be graded on poise, eye contact, vocal variety, tone (we will practice this) You will need to write out a manuscript of the entire speech to turn in (and use).