But, Wait, Is Extemporaneously Even A Word?

first of all, let me say, that i LOVE the word ‘extemporaneously’ and now i’m TOTALLY going to google it because it might not even be a real word and i’ve been using it literally for years cause that’s how i roll.

“Carried out or performed with little or no preparation; impromptu: an extemporaneous piano recital. 2. Prepared in advance but delivered without notes or text: an extemporaneous speech. 3. Skilled at or given to unrehearsed speech or performance: an accomplished extemporaneous speaker.”

ah, that’s a relief.

cause i have entirely mispronounced and / or misused actual words AS WELL AS used entirely MADE UP words in all kinds of conversations including right there ON STAGE.

cause that’s how i roll.

this is how i give talks very last minute or entirely impromptu (one might say EXTEMPORANEOUSLY) including how i narrow down a topic (if i can talk about anything), how to deliver a fully organized speech, and i’m gonna go ahead and give you the punchline right now – once you’ve got the knowledge, you need to practice, practice, practice.

PICK A TOPIC

of course, there are situations where the topic will be picked for you, but what if you can talk about ANYTHING. sometimes unlimited freedom is its own special kind of stifling, but here are a few ways to figure out what you’re keen to shape into a speech.

effectively, this is about figuring out what’s on your mind.

right now.

stream of consciousness writing: there are a few different ways to DO this writing style, but what I do is open up 750words.com and let my fingers do the talking.

be sure to set a timer or a goal outline – for example, write seven hundred fifty words or write for fifteen minutes or write three pages – or you’ll meander. because the key to this style is to go back and circle / highlight / find what resonates. pick at least two topics that you want to play with, then go to the next step.

meditation: again, there are a ton of ways to meditate – find one that works for you.

i do yin yoga, also called seated meditation, at night before i climb into bed which has all kinds of other benefits like flexibility, better sleep, focus, and such; however, for these purposes, you’re basically prepping your brain to give you ideas. meditation is about focusing on breath or physicality or calming your brain, but I use it to listen to myself.

kind of like letting the dial on the radio tune itself.

dream journal: and, yes, totally a broken record, but tons of options exist.

a long time ago in a galaxy far away i dove into this world where i wrote down what i could remember as soon as i woke up. i kept a blank journal and a pen next to the bed so that i didn’t even have to get out of bed – i would even write in the night if something woke me up. once you do this for a few days, you’ll develop more of a dream memory and these dreams can be interesting to discuss or can be a jump off point for research.

these are all ways to find starting points.

pick two or three.

then move on to the next step. which we’ll talk about next week. I KNOW – i suck for getting you started and then leaving you hangin’.

forgive me?

in the meantime, i want to hear from you – how do you find your speech topics? do any of these ideas resonate? have you already tried them and you’re ready for step two?

me, too.

see you next week.