Advice on Impromptu Speaking!

(In the style of Raymond Chandler)

I was nursing a house merlot in the back row, in the back room of the swankiest book-shop in Leicester Square.

In came  a writer -  Philip Gwynne Jones, the man who had transformed Venice into a web of mystery.

They asked him to speak, and with a casual nod, he obliged. I braced myself for the typical acknowledgments and dull anecdotes. But Philip surprised us. Sure he thanked the bookstore, his agent, and his fans, in that order; then he spun a tale that held us captive. His words flowed like a jazz solo, each sentence a note that lingered, drawing us deeper into his world.

When the applause faded, I found myself next to him, my curiosity piqued. "How did you do that?" I asked, amazed. "No notes, just brilliance."

He smiled, "It’s simples," he said. "Remember who to thank. Have a rough framework so you know where you’re going, and a story within that framework. Then extemporise."

“Extemp who’s eyes?” I asked confused.

"Ah never mind. Actually,  if you're not comfortable with that," he added, leaning in as if sharing a secret, "don’t force it. Some people prefer speaking off the cuff, others don’t. If you’re somebody who doesn’t, then read your speech. But read it well. Own every word as if it were your last."

Philip Gwynne Jones, the man who turned words into magic, had given me a glimpse behind the curtain. The next time I had to speak, I'd either extemp her eyes with confidence,  or just read like my life depended on it. There's a kind of poetry in that, don’t you think?” Or maybe a novel. On second thoughts, just leave it to the experts.

(The real event was to promote two fantastic writers, Philip Gwynne Jones author of “The Venetian Sanctuary” and my friend, the wonderful Trevor Wood author of “The Secret Killer” https://crimefictionlover.com/2024/07/the-silent-killer-by-trevor-wood/

For more on impromptu speaking go to my blog on page one of this site http://standupanddeliver.co.uk/blog/how-do-you-deliver-speech-no-prep