How to Choose Your Forensics Individual Event Topic or Script

Many Speech and Debate students find that preparing your speech is the most difficult part about Forensics. While many students have no problem speaking in front of a crowd or performing under pressure simply coming up with a speech topic or script can be a daunting task.

If you already know in which event you'd like to compete, it is now time to get into the details of exactly what you'll be saying in front of that audience at your first tournament. That is, now you need to choose your script, speech subject, or debate case, and get to work!

But not so fast, because you could be committing yourself to a speech for the next nine months, it is important that you choose the right content. This is not like picking an ice cream flavor as Baskin Robbins-because there are way more than 31 flavors, and this is going to last much longer than any ice cream cone will. I should hope.

The most important rule in choosing your topic, script, or case, is that you must believe in it. If you don't believe what you are saying, then no one else will either. So if your speech topic isn't interesting to you the first, second and third time, it's not going to be interesting to a judge either. If you don't believe that your HI is funny, no one else will either. If you don't think your DI or Duo is interesting, then you are going to find out exactly how awkward ten minutes of silence can be.

Now, I hear what you are saying, "So how do I actually come up with my topic?"

HI, DI, DUO

There are as many scripts to choose from as there are pieces of literature in the English language. I have seen winning interps come from sources ranging from Charlotte's Web, to The Gremlins, to Shakespeare. The key thing to remember about any interp is that it is up to you to bring a new personality and life to a piece through your presentation. I have seen the Wizard of Oz become a twisted and brilliant comedy, and I've seen old campfire ghost stories become the most chilling and disturbing performances I can imagine. This is the power that you have the potential of unlocking from any script.

The easiest literature to convert into an interp is a stage play. There are thousands and thousands of plays in existence, many of which are available to you in your school's theater department, most public libraries, and any bookstore. Online bookstores like www.Amazon.com and www.BarnesandNoble.com will also carry a huge selection of scripts for you to choose from. Autobiographies, well written fiction, and short stories can also be a gold mine for finding appropriate material. Don't panic if you find yourself at a loss after many hours of looking. It often takes the best interpers months to find the right script. So no more stalling, get out there and start searching. If you are at a complete loss for material after you've gone down every possible avenue, there is nothing wrong with figuring out what other successful competitors have used in the past. Be careful, though. There is nothing more embarrassing and frustrating than competing against someone who is using the very same script as you. When you base your selection on the selection of others, the likelihood of running into this problem grows exponentially. Now get out there and choose your script!

Oratory

Because the primary goal of an OO is to challenge your audience to reexamine their beliefs, and you need to find something that you believe in, the easiest way to find a topic for an oratory is to think about crucial lessons that may have been particularly hard for you to learn, that you may be able to help your audience learn with less pain and effort. This lesson should be able to be summarized in a single sentence and can be a broad as "People should be more considerate of one another," and can be very specific, such as "Education should be equally afforded to all individuals."

If you keep a blog, journal, or diary, this can be a fantastic source for topics. Simply look through your old entries, and find the most meaningful portions, and figure out exactly what you learned from that event. If you aren't sure, determine what you SHOULD have learned from that event, and learn it! In many cases, this anecdote from your life can and should be made a part of your oratory, as it will let the audience relate to you, and understand that the lesson you are teaching comes from experience, not a text book.

If you have examined your life, all of your personal writing, and every other personal avenue you can think of, and you are still drawing a blank, turn to the Internet. Editorials, intellectual blogs, current events stories, and weekly columns may hold the answers you seek. Try and avoid hot political topics, as they are generally more polarizing than an oratory should be, and may not be able to give you a clear enough moral to run with. This is your chance to change the world, one speech at a time! Go figure out how!

For additional information and tools to prepare you for your next tournament, visit:

www.iSpeechAndDebate.com