Speeches

When a new book is published in my Paul Jacobson Geezer-lit Mystery Series, I put together a new presentation to give at book events, book clubs, libraries, service organizations (such as Rotary, Optimist, Kiwanis) and retirement communities. With the publication in December, 2012, of Cruising in Your Eighties Is Murder, I now have a speech titled, “Rejection Is Not a Four Letter Word.” It takes me approximately two months to prepare a presentation. I keep a manila folder full of ideas, quotes, stories, etc. I take this out and start organizing ideas. Then I write out a script. I review it a number of times to tweak it. Next, I read through the script to time it, since I want a presentation of twenty-five to thirty minutes. Finally, I practice it over and over. I find that it takes me a month to memorize a presentation. I practice at my desk and when I take my daily walks. The hardest part is memorizing names. Then after I start giving the presentation, I have to still practice it, so I won’t forget it. I do all this work because I owe it to my audience to have an entertaining and professional presentation, and I owe it to myself to do the best I can.