Informative speech

[Apocalypse Tank]

Wow, thanks. Tis a blast to read them all.

Asking the Escapist community is like tapping into the knowledge of the universe.
I have read every suggestion/comment (laughed, cried, freaked out). There are some truly inspiring words. Feel free to contribute, I am up for anything.

As for the thang itself, I can somewhat feel adrenaline running through my body whenever I think about it. It'll be pretty intense I imagine, and I am trying to cope with as many tips as possible.

Thanks again, got anymore?!

 

[Shivari]

So, I'll ask for some more specific questions to warrant a bump.

Alright, I have a 15 minute speech in a class tomorrow, and I'm absolutely dreadful at presenting. Seriously, I might as well walk up there and sob for 15 minutes.

So, my first main problem that is that I'm not going to have a podium at all, I just have to stand up there. Now, I'm absolutely afraid to just stand still for 15 minutes if there's no podium, but I've gotten comments that my constant walking around while practicing is rather distracting. Also, when I stand in front of people, I have a tendency to shake quite a bit, obviously at that. I've memorized the whole thing for the most part, and I'll just have a notecard to remember places and stuff I tend to forget, so at least I won't be holding a paper with my hands shaking. My hands will likely continue to shake though, and as I move my hands, it will be brought to attention. Also, my voice gets shaky too! I'm like a big shaky box of shakiness!

Bleh!

 

[742]

ignore them, if you cant do that, remember that most of them are probably just as bad as you and feel sympathy. just in case, have a contingency plan for damage control in the most likely circumstances, perhaps a psychology assignment or throw it in the copy of the script you take up (if your not the type to look at scripts that is, if you are bring a second) claim someone else must have put it in as a joke. and... well i would continue but im sure you get the point. also-REHEARSE!

 

[tomdavi]

My advice, if it's a fairly informal/ small class, just make a few jokes. Don't make em' complicated or "serious". Just try to laugh with your audience (maybe, I'm not putting this across right, this is more how I'd do it, and I'm a fairly confident public speaker already). What I am getting at is, don't make your speech a big thing in your head or it comse across as this big thing (not in a good way) to your audience. Talk to as many of them as you can beforehand. That way it will hopefully feel like you're just discussing a topic comfortably and at your pace, with friends rather than just preaching to the masses. Good luck with it and, yes to echo 742's important sentiment- REHEARSE!

 

[Erana]

With stage fright, look at someone you're friends with, and just talk to them. Rehearse by talking them through whatever it is you're explaining.

 

[AuntyEthel]

Do what Ben Stiller did to cure his nerves in There's Something About Mary.

 

[EeveeElectro]

Image people being eating alive by maggots. (imagining them naked makes me too horny).

 

[stormcaller]

Don't write in a overly formal tone write as you would normally speak and then go over and just add a little bit here and there.

Face your crowd head on (don't go hulk or anything) just look around from time to time as you say a big word it makes it look like you're speaking to everyone.

When your not look at the back wall or something, just don't stare.

If you use cuecards hold them out infront of you so you don't read them and block the sound.

And mainly practice,practice,practice getting other involved helps too so you can simulate a crowd.

Not too sure if this will help, it's just a short list of tips.