Shortening Essays/Speeches (1 Viewer)

[sebseb]

I'm not really sure if this is the right place to post this, but I have to write a speech on belonging, and this is the best place I could find. If it's in the wrong section, please tell me so I know where to post later.

I've written my speech on belonging, and have already chosen all the important points I need to talk about, but at the moment it's about one or two hundred words too long. All the points are fairly important, so removing them isn't really an option.

Does anyone have any tips for shortening essays or speeches?

Any help is much appreciated.

 

[-may-cat-]

Try to express your sentences in a 'tighter' manner, if you look through them usually you will find a lot of unnecessary words. Try to write the sentence out again in a different way, cutting out these words but still keeping the over all meaning.
EDIT: Also, avoid pushing the same concept over a couple of sentences, you think you're emphasising but usually you're just repeating.

 

[Absolutezero]

Above all, keep it succinct

 

[duckcowhybrid]

If there's more than 1 line between quotes/techniques, get rid of some of it.

 

[ashie0]

Keep in mind that although you may believe the shorter version of the speech is inferior to the original the audience will have no idea what you left out and won't be able to draw comparisons between the two. Just tighten your sentences, get rid of excessive description and repetition. Be very selective about what you include.

 

[Frostee8]

Weasel words

 

[Absolutezero]

Weasel words don't make it shorter, they obscure meaning.

 

[Swiftman25]

read it quicker