When I first joined Toastmasters, the number one reason that I did not sign up for speeches was because I could never think of speech topics. I'm sure that a lot of other people struggle with this, too. That's why, in this post, you'll learn some tips to help you think of speech topics.
List Your Passions
What are you interested in? What topics make you excited? Whether you're crazy about Harry Potter or traveling the word, the things that you're passionate about are great topics for speeches. However, it can be hard to just "choose" a passion out of thin air. That's why I recommend that you make a list of your passions.
Set a timer for 2 minutes and write down as many of your passions as possible. Then, when you're finished, read through the list to see whether any ideas "jump out" at you. Have you read an article related to one of your passions recently? Are you working on any related projects? Did you learn something valuable while pursuing one of your passions? Take your first idea and spend a few minutes brainstorming the different things you can say. Sometimes, simply committing to an idea is the best way to get started in preparing your speech.
Think of Your Firsts
What was your first day of high school like? Was your first kiss blissful or disastrous? How did you get your first car? Your "firsts" are a treasure trove of possible speech topics. Best of all, "firsts" tend to be significant across cultures and generations, so speeches about "firsts" tend to be relatable and enjoyable for your audience.
Current Events
What is going on in the world? What is going on in your life? Whether the event is global or personal, the things that are happening to and around us are interesting. Make a list of events that have happened to you personally, in your family, in your community, and in the world over the last week. Did you learn a lesson from any of these events? Were any of these events especially humorous or tragic? Do you have an opinion about what has happened? Choose one of these events and tell your audience about it; people will love getting to know you, the surrounding community, and/or the world more.
You
Most Toastmasters clubs have a strong social element; while we all strive to improve our public speaking and leadership skills, we also want to have fun, make friends, and socialize. That's why speeches that help your club get to know you are a great option. First, the topic is easy because you are already an expert on yourself. Second, you're likely to get a lot of positive responses from your audience.
What are your hobbies and interests? What was the best day of your life? What was a challenge that you overcame? How did you get to where you are now? What is your dream? What was a dream that you used to have and why did you give it up? Who is your role model and why? Don't be afraid to show who you are; your Toastmasters club will love to know you more!
In addition to these ideas, watch this video about finding speech topics by Toastmasters International:
https://www.toastmasters.org/Resources/Video-Library/finding-speech-topics
Some of the ideas in this video are similar to mine, but there are also new ideas and new prompts. It's only five minutes long and full of great advice, so it's an efficient and effective way to jump start your thinking.
What strategies work for all of you? Are there any topics or strategies that you want to recommend? If so, please comment below so that we can pool knowledge and share expertise across the Division!
List Your Passions
What are you interested in? What topics make you excited? Whether you're crazy about Harry Potter or traveling the word, the things that you're passionate about are great topics for speeches. However, it can be hard to just "choose" a passion out of thin air. That's why I recommend that you make a list of your passions.
Set a timer for 2 minutes and write down as many of your passions as possible. Then, when you're finished, read through the list to see whether any ideas "jump out" at you. Have you read an article related to one of your passions recently? Are you working on any related projects? Did you learn something valuable while pursuing one of your passions? Take your first idea and spend a few minutes brainstorming the different things you can say. Sometimes, simply committing to an idea is the best way to get started in preparing your speech.
Think of Your Firsts
What was your first day of high school like? Was your first kiss blissful or disastrous? How did you get your first car? Your "firsts" are a treasure trove of possible speech topics. Best of all, "firsts" tend to be significant across cultures and generations, so speeches about "firsts" tend to be relatable and enjoyable for your audience.
Current Events
What is going on in the world? What is going on in your life? Whether the event is global or personal, the things that are happening to and around us are interesting. Make a list of events that have happened to you personally, in your family, in your community, and in the world over the last week. Did you learn a lesson from any of these events? Were any of these events especially humorous or tragic? Do you have an opinion about what has happened? Choose one of these events and tell your audience about it; people will love getting to know you, the surrounding community, and/or the world more.
You
Most Toastmasters clubs have a strong social element; while we all strive to improve our public speaking and leadership skills, we also want to have fun, make friends, and socialize. That's why speeches that help your club get to know you are a great option. First, the topic is easy because you are already an expert on yourself. Second, you're likely to get a lot of positive responses from your audience.
What are your hobbies and interests? What was the best day of your life? What was a challenge that you overcame? How did you get to where you are now? What is your dream? What was a dream that you used to have and why did you give it up? Who is your role model and why? Don't be afraid to show who you are; your Toastmasters club will love to know you more!
In addition to these ideas, watch this video about finding speech topics by Toastmasters International:
https://www.toastmasters.org/Resources/Video-Library/finding-speech-topics
Some of the ideas in this video are similar to mine, but there are also new ideas and new prompts. It's only five minutes long and full of great advice, so it's an efficient and effective way to jump start your thinking.
What strategies work for all of you? Are there any topics or strategies that you want to recommend? If so, please comment below so that we can pool knowledge and share expertise across the Division!