Pain, hurt, despair, and general lack of control. Just some of the topics Anne Lamott has built a career writing about in 7 novels and numerous essays. She recently addressed a crowd in Vancouver at TED2017 with the 12 items she believes to be true about life and writing. In a mild tone with hints of jest, Lamott shared her highly personal thoughts and intimate exchanges to convey an enduring perspective.
Presenters experiencing writer’s block can pick up a few, helpful presentation writing lessons from Lamott’s TED Talk.
Embrace the Complexities
Nothing is ever what it seems. There are always new approaches to problems lurking below the surface of the status quo. According to Lamott’s experiences, life is impossibly complex.
“Life is both a precious, unfathomably beautiful gift, and it’s impossible here, on the incarnational side of things.” – Anne Lamott, 12 truths I learned from life and writing
And what works for one person, doesn’t always work for another. The same is true of writing for your presentations. You are a complex individual leading a complex life in a complex universe. As such, you should test out the environments where you write best, the style you feel most comfortable creating, and the content you are most confident spreading to audiences.
Presentation Writing Lessons:
1. Research how other public speakers in your industry structure their presentations.
2. Gather writing techniques from your favorite media sources, storytelling pieces, and platforms.
3. Write about your personal experiences regularly. You never know when a small occurrence could highlight a vital theme in your next speech.
Discover Your Answers
Using the analogy of following children throughout life “with sunscreen and ChapStick,” Lamott describes the necessity for searching for your own solutions. The next time you start producing a presentation that looks and sounds identical to your competitors, think about Lamott’s tip to find your unique path.
“You can’t buy, achieve, or date serenity and peace of mind.” – Anne Lamott, 12 truths I learned from life and writing
To accomplish a certain degree of presentation independence, inject a fragment of your soul, your passion, and your excitement into your writing. Whether it manifests itself through an image of your dog, Binky, on a slide to underline an introductory story or through a new phrase you coin in your speaking script to illustrate an industry trend, independence will free you from the chains of standard content.
Presentation Writing Lessons:
1. Establish a storytelling narrative beyond the data and statistics you’ve been sharing for years.
2. Attempt forming a presentation script before putting text to slide.
3. Look at how your competitors are speaking their messages and designing their slides. Evaluate one way you could do something different in your deck.
Try out a template for developing a consistent, clear, and concise storyline
Take Small Actions
I don’t believe I am going out on a limb here when I claim that most people hate giving presentations. Most of us probably don’t count the days until our next public speaking opportunity. And, according to a 2014 Prezi survey, 20% of respondents would rather play hooky or shift the responsibility to a co-worker than invest the time and effort a presentation requires. Lamott offers poignant advice for presenters who carry thoughts of pure terror and angst.
Whoa. Makes you take a step back and reconsider your hesitancy, right? Lamott encourages writers of all kinds to view a large writing project by its parts, rather than its whole.
Presentation Writing Lessons:
1. Treat your presentation like your children’s children will tell their children about it. Any written material you produce is actually part of your legacy. So, impart your wisdom, your experiences, and your ideas and do so proudly.
2. Create a to-do list each day with a reasonable amount of tasks you will complete for your presentation.
3. Store your presentation files in a safe place. In our digital world, you could repurpose the content in an unimaginable number of ways.
Find more public speaking reviews in the Ethos3 archives!
The Productivity Decline: A TED Talk Review With Yves Morieux
Never Stop Telling Stories: Inspiration from LGBTQ Women in America
Get Inspired By This Young Presenter’s TED Talk
