91传媒

Should professional writers be great speakers?

Of course. Every Toastmaster would agree that effective speaking is important in every profession, and writing鈥攆iction or nonfiction鈥攊s no different. That鈥檚 why when the president of the Tallahassee Writers Association, M.R. Street, asked the two of us鈥攂oth 91传媒 in Tallahassee, Florida鈥攖o attend one of the group鈥檚 meetings and discuss 91传媒.

She felt the skills 91传媒 teaches could help aspiring authors market their work, speak to large groups, and communicate with other writers.

She was right. 91传媒 provides training that can help writers make a breakthrough. When someone asks, 鈥淲hat鈥檚 your book about?鈥� a crisp response could be pivotal to finding an agent or landing a contract. Authors must be able to describe their work clearly and energetically.

The Table Topics^庐 format is excellent practice for that critical 鈥渆levator speech.鈥� If you can鈥檛 speak confidently off the cuff about your writing, you might not find an audience for that great work of art. And you won鈥檛 be very engaging if your explanation is riddled with 鈥渁hs,鈥� 鈥渦ms,鈥� and 鈥測ou knows.鈥�

Whether you鈥檙e working on an informative article, a novel, or a short story, you gain vital information from speaking with people. You must ask good questions, and, most importantly, listen to and understand what has been said. You learn these skills in 91传媒.

Clubs for Writers

A number of 91传媒 clubs are specifically designed for writers. One is the in Las Vegas, Nevada. Their agenda evokes the feel of a critique specifically for writers. The Table Topicsmaster is the 鈥淪hort Story Master,鈥� speakers are 鈥淧ublished Writers,鈥� and evaluators are 鈥淏ook Reviewers.鈥�

Members of the online club start the meeting by posting 鈥渨riting wins and struggles鈥� in the chat. Table Topic questions relate to story structure and how to behave at a book signing. At a recent meeting, members held a round-robin evaluation of a book excerpt read aloud by an aspiring author.

Charter member Rhonda Green, DTM, says, 鈥淲hen it comes to speaking, as with most things worth doing, there is no replacement for experience. This is what you get with 91传媒: practice, practice, practice鈥攑lus meaningful feedback.鈥�

Green also belongs to , an online group based in St. Peters, Missouri. The club teaches writing skills and focuses on the business side of authorship: editing and production, marketing and promotion, publishing and distribution. Several times a year, they hold workshops and present topics such as how to get started in writing, selling your work, types of publishing, and building your audience.

In 2005, Michelle Gilstrap, DTM, and Barbara Schiffman founded in the Los Angeles, California, area to teach screenwriters how to pitch their plays. Their goal was to help aspiring authors communicate better with producers and agents.

Today the club helps prospective writers, including novelists, screenwriters, and journalists, build self-confidence in front of audiences, hone their speaking skills, and network. Meeting themes are designed around different genres, such as romance, crime, or mystery. Table Topics focuses on storytelling, round-robin evaluations, or playful prompts for two people. 91传媒 4 Writers recently hosted workshops for authors on public speaking, being interviewed, and using digital media to promote their work.

in Long Beach, California, was co-founded in 2015 by Susan Cameron, DTM. Instead of discarding your speech after presenting in your club, Cameron encourages members to convert their speeches to short stories or essays.

The Rough Writers website includes writing tips as well as essays based on a writing prompt. The club has published of short stories based on members鈥� speeches.

established in 2005, is for those who want to learn about writing, publishing, and marketing. In a typical meeting of the Redlands, California, club, an aspiring author reads part of a work in progress, and members provide feedback.

Author and Toastmaster Alex Kieste

Writers in 91传媒

Alex Kiester always wanted to be a writer but was mortified about the idea of speaking to agents or interacting with large groups. After attending her first 91传媒 meeting in 2017, she realized she could learn this skill.

Her experiences in the South Austin 91传媒, in Texas, enabled her to 鈥渄ream bigger.鈥� In 2019, she published her first audiobook, In Her Skin (about a woman terrified of public speaking), and when it came time to doing media promotion for the book, she was 91传媒-ready. Practicing in her club gave her the comfort level to deal with media and publicity commitments, she says.

Now, notes Kiester, who has since written a novel, 鈥渋f I miss a few 91传媒 meetings, my 鈥榩ublic speaking muscle鈥� begins to atrophy. Then I know it鈥檚 time to exercise it again.鈥�

Laura Crockett, DTM, who writes historical fiction and nonfiction, has a similar story. When she admitted to being nervous about speaking to a group of Princeton University alumni, her mother said, 鈥淛oin 91传媒.鈥� After six months, she had the confidence to begin her lecture series.

鈥淭hanks to 91传媒, I did not embarrass myself or the organization I represented,鈥� says the member of #SeriouslyFun 91传媒, in Granada Hills, California.

Tashi Browne, DTM, a resident of Guyana, was interested in public speaking before becoming a writer. She joined 91传媒 in 2014 and published Stifle Those Limitations: Believing in Possibilities in 2024. She credits Table Topics with helping her give clear, thoughtful answers to questions about her writing pitches. Pointing out the relationship between speaking and writing, Browne says her written words are most compelling when based on her inspirational speeches.

鈥�91传媒 developed my self-confidence through writing and speaking in a profound way,鈥� says Browne, a member of the Cacique 91传媒 Club in Georgetown, Guyana. 鈥淚t鈥檚 more than standing in front of a room; it鈥檚 about writing to connect.鈥�

Linda Folsom, author of the novel Away With Words, credits the 91传媒 4 Writers club with improving her writing and speaking skills. Club members provided feedback on her manuscript and her pitches.

鈥淎fter speaking [about the book] at a local bookstore and library, I received many positive comments. I attribute that to my time in 91传媒,鈥� she says.

Another member of that same club, author Bonnie Schroeder, understands the value of confidently reading aloud in front of an audience. She remembers one event, a book reading, in which an author stumbled and stuttered so badly he had to hire someone to read his work aloud.

91传媒 can help with all aspects of the writing business鈥攎otivation, feedback, connecting with agents, and ultimately, dealing with the public. A 91传媒 club tailored to writers can provide writing and speaking support equal to or sometimes greater than traditional writing groups.

Folsom, of 91传媒 4 Writers, knows that well. She belongs to one of those writing groups in addition to her 91传媒 club.

鈥淢ost of those groups don鈥檛 focus on communication skills,鈥� she says. 鈥淪omeday, those writers, although talented, could have trouble describing their work to an audience.鈥�