Text Mapping - A Deeper Look
If you haven’t had a chance to download my free public speaking guide, I’d suggest you do that and read over the section on text mapping (aka “Reading”, the 4th section of my public speaking system) before diving into this blog. Head on over to www.ubuskills.com and sign up for my mailing list - you’ll have the free guide delivered straight to your inbox!
Text mapping is the secret sauce, and I’ve written about it before here. You’ve probably heard me mention that when clients come to me and tell me that they are great when they speak off the cuff, but sound robotic when reading from a speech, I gently correct them to let them know they just haven’t learned this amazing skill.
And maybe you’ve had some experience with text mapping, but want a refresher. Let’s do it. In the guide, I use Mindy Kaling’s speech to Harvard Law, and here I’m going to use an excerpt from Gloria Steinem’s speech at the inaugural Women’s March (you can read the full excerpt here https://www.elle.com/culture/news/amp42331/gloria-steinem-womens-march-speech/)
Here it is in plain text:
Do not try to divide us. If you force Muslims to register, we will all register as Muslims. I know that there are women here from corporations and media and all kinds of places that make it kind of risky for you to say what you care about, what you feel, and what you support. And there are women here, I know, who have survived a national and global sex industry that profiteers from body invasion. We are united here for bodily integrity. If you cannot control your body from the skin in, you cannot control it from the skin out, you cannot control your lives, our lives. And that means the right to decide whether and when to give birth without government interference.
We are here and around the world for a deep democracy that says we will not be quiet, we will not be controlled, we will work for a world in which all countries are connected. God may be in the details, but the goddess is in connections. We are at one with each other, we are looking at each other, not up. No more asking daddy.
We are linked. We are not ranked. And this is a day that will change us forever because we are together. Each of us individually and collectively will never be the same again. When we elect a possible president we too often go home. We've elected an impossible president, we're never going home. We're staying together. And we're taking over. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Make sure you introduce yourselves to each other and decide what we're gonna do tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow and we're never turning back. Thank you.
Read that out loud the un-marked way first.
Next, read it taking full or top up breaths at the breath bars, and putting emphasis on the words that I’ve highlighted.
Do not try to divide us./ If you force Muslims to register,/ we will all register as Muslims./ I know that there are women here from corporations/ and media/ and all kinds of places that make it kind of risky for you to say what you care about,/ what you feel,/ and what you support./ And there are women here,/ I know,/ who have survived a national and global sex industry that profiteers from body invasion./ We are united here for bodily integrity./ If you cannot control your body from the skin in,/ you cannot control it from the skin out,/ you cannot control your lives,/ our lives./ And that means the right to decide whether and when to give birth without government interference./
We are here/ and around the world/ for a deep democracy that says we will not be quiet,/ we will not be controlled,/ we will work for a world in which all countries are connected./ God may be in the details,/ but the goddess is in connections./ We are at one with each other,/ we are looking at each other,/ not up./ No more asking daddy./
We are linked./ We are not ranked./ And this is a day that will change us forever because we are together./ Each of us individually/ and collectively/ will never be the same again./ When we elect a possible president we too often go home./ We've elected an impossible president,/ we're never going home./ We're staying together./ And we're taking over./ I thank you from the bottom of my heart./ Make sure you introduce yourselves to each other/ and decide what we're gonna do tomorrow/ and tomorrow/ and tomorrow/ and we're never turning back./ Thank you./
Now take a blank copy (copy and paste it into Word, perhaps) and mark it up yourself. What might you change? What word might you rather place emphasis?
There is no right answer. There is only the best way for you to communicate your important message.
Let me know how this worked out for you by leaving a comment below, or writing to me at megan@ubuskills.com. Alternately, let me know if something isn’t quite clicking - happy to help connect the dots!
Want more examples of writing to practise with? I have extensive examples at my January twitter challenges: https://twitter.com/hashtag/JanuarySpeakUp
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