Great Speaking Tips Archives

I Memorize The Meaning, Not The Lines. Should You?

By Chris Carosa on December 30, 2025

That’s the difference between a great actor and a great writer. And never the twain shall meet. To be fair, there’s also a difference between a mediocre actor and a mediocre writer.

On the other hand, there is no difference between a bad actor and a bad writer—you keep watching and reading them for the same reason you keep watching those videos of old-time steam engine train wrecks. They’re so bad they border on slapstick.

But this is about where great writing and great acting (and, if you’re a Sinatra fan, great singing) do not intersect. Both please you. That’s how they’re alike. We’re not interested in Continue Reading “I Memorize The Meaning, Not The Lines. Should You?”

Posted in Great Speaking Tips

The Compliment That Caught Me Speechless

By Chris Carosa on October 14, 2025

After moderating the panel, I rushed to gather my materials. The large crowd buzzed in the afterglow of satisfaction. A woman came up to me and said, “I hope you’re still on the radio.” The comment stunned me. It seemed to come out of nowhere.

Then I remembered. We had only one microphone. It was on a cord. My vision for the panel was more of a conversation than a series of mini-presentations. Passing a mic between each panelist would stunt the informal back-and-forth I wanted to achieve. What could I do?

When the panel began, I asked each person to speak without a microphone to test if the audience in the back of the room could hear us. They could, so I told everyone we wouldn’t be using the mic. That’s when a lady sitting in the front said, “Will you be able to keep your voice loud? Whenever a presenter decides to go without a mic, they start loud, but their voice invariably gets quieter as the presentation goes on.”

I stopped dead in my tracks, looking at her straight in the eye. Then, channeling my inner Continue Reading “The Compliment That Caught Me Speechless”

Posted in Great Speaking Tips, Memoir of a Real Life, The Compleat Carosa Commentaries Tagged AM radio, AM640, Animal House, APHNYS, Apollo, audience, Gates Chili, Hall of Fame, Houston, John F. Kennedy, lunar landing, Manning & Napier, Moon, New Haven, read the room, Rice University, Ronald Reagan, Speaking, speaking confidence, WYBC, Yale

The Anatomy Of A Perfect Speech

By Chris Carosa on October 22, 2024

Buchel, Charles A.; Herbert Beerbohm Tree (1852-1917), as Mark Anthony in ‘Julius Caesar’ by William Shakespeare; Theatre Collection; http://www.artuk.org/artworks/herbert-beerbohm-tree-18521917-as-mark-anthony-in-julius-caesar-by-william-shakespeare-30507 Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Well, isn’t that interesting? It seems last week’s column brought forth a surge of fascination. And curiosity. Several readers requested a more complete example. They wanted to see an actual speech that most effectively employed the three cornerstones of a perfect speech: story weaving, callbacks, and self-deprecating humor.

Oh, there are so many. From Churchill to Reagan to Kennedy, modern orators have used these tools to persuade and entice listeners.

Marc Antony’s eulogy for Julius Caesar in the second scene of Act III of Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar is a classic example of a speech that uses these elements effectively (see “Story Weaving, Callbacks, and Self-Deprecating Humor,” Mendon-Honeoye Falls-Lima Sentinel, October 17, 2024). Now, I realize it’s probably been a while since high school or since you watched Marlon Brando’s masterful performance as Marc Antony in MGM’s 1953 production of Julius Caesar. So, before we begin, here are the salient parts of Antony’s speech:Continue Reading “The Anatomy Of A Perfect Speech”

Posted in Great Speaking Tips, The Compleat Carosa Commentaries Tagged Brutus, Callbacks, Churchill, John F. Kennedy, Julius Caesar, leaving a blank, Marc Antony, Marlon Brando, MGM, Persuasion, Reagan, repitition, rhetoric, self-deprecating humor, Shakespeare, speaking skills, story weaving

Story Weaving, Callbacks, And Self-Deprecating Humor

By Chris Carosa on October 15, 2024

Many years ago, a young aspiring columnist asked an established author what it takes to be a writer. “To write, you need to find your pen,” said the wordsmith. “To write well, you need to find your voice.”

“Find your voice?” What does that mean?

I never understood that expression. It seemed like a cop out. It’s what you tell a young buck when you don’t have a real answer. After all, everyone is looking for that magic bullet, that sure-fire secret that makes you a success.

Well, after years of writing, it dawned on me the answer to “How can I be a good writer?” is obvious. You need to find your voice. I can’t tell you what it means, but I can tell you it’s Continue Reading “Story Weaving, Callbacks, And Self-Deprecating Humor”

Posted in Great Speaking Tips, Great Writing Tips, The Compleat Carosa Commentaries Tagged Abraham Lincoln, callback, Ferris Bueller, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Founding Fathers, Gettysburg Address, inaugural address, John F. Kennedy, public speaking, Revolutionary War, Ronald Reagan, self-deprecating humor, story weaving

Why You Should Tell Bad Jokes

By Chris Carosa on August 2, 2022

Let me clue you in on this from the very beginning: this is another business metaphor. I’m telling you up front this time so you can begin to think about the connections from the moment you start reading it.

I was strolling through the National Comedy Center in Jamestown the other day, taking in with delight the many funny people who have entertained so many for so many years, when a thought struck me. Why do good comedians tell bad jokes?

When a comic sits down to write gags, it becomes an exercise of no-holds-barred brainstorming. This is by necessity. You don’t know what’s really funny while you’re creating it, so you don’t want to restrict yourself in any way.

James Mendrinos, in his book The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Comedy Writing, writes: “You have to force yourself to stain the pages, even if you think the jokes aren’t your best work. I’m not saying that bad jokes are better than no jokes. I am saying that if Continue Reading “Why You Should Tell Bad Jokes”

Posted in Business Tips, Gray Matter Musings, Great Speaking Tips, Great Writing Tips, The Compleat Carosa Commentaries Tagged ad lib, Animal Crackers, business, comedy, David Letterman, George S. Kaufman, Groucho Marx, James Mendrinos, Jason Zinoman, John Vorhaus, Johnny Carson, joke, Judy Carter, Marx Brothers, Morrie Ryskind, National Comedy Center, Robert S. Bader, Rule of Three, Speaking, success, The Cocoanuts, writing, Yale

Remembering Armistice Day and Celebrating Veterans Day

By Chris Carosa on November 9, 2021

Today is Veterans Day. At the 11^th hour of the 11^th day of the 11^th month in 1918, an armistice between opposing sides formally ended the fighting of ‘The Great War.” This was called “the war to end all wars” because the world realized the deadly nature of technology had finally convinced everyone that there was no romance of war.

Perhaps the fact that America learned this lesson a half century earlier in its own Civil War explains our country’s late entry into “The World War” (yet another name used to define the conflict that raged from 1914-1918. Indeed, it was William Tecumseh Sherman who Continue Reading “Remembering Armistice Day and Celebrating Veterans Day”

Posted in Great Speaking Tips, The Compleat Carosa Commentaries Tagged Armistice Day, Calvin Coolidge, chemical weapons, Civil War, Decoration Day, Dwight D. Eisenhower, lost generation, Memorial Day, Michigan Military Academy, tanks, The Great War, The War to End All Wars, The World War, trench warfare, Veteran's Day, William Tecumseh Sherman, Woodrow Wilson, World War I, World War II

Betsy Ross, Quarterback Incompletions, and the Real Secret Behind How to Communicate Successfully

By Chris Carosa on July 9, 2019

It’s July and that means training camp and double sessions aren’t far behind. This makes it a great time to offer a metaphor that may just help you be a better communicator.

How many times have you been watching a football game and see a quarterback throw a perfect spiral to… no one but an empty piece of turf? He had all day to throw, was under no pressure, and seemed incredibly self-assured as he released the ball. Despite all these things going in his favor, he completely missed the nearest receiver by more than a mile.

“Stupid quarterback,” you mumble if he’s on your team.

“Ha! Ha!” you laugh if he’s not.

No matter which colors you’re wearing that day, you might be wrong. It’s very possible Continue Reading “Betsy Ross, Quarterback Incompletions, and the Real Secret Behind How to Communicate Successfully”

Posted in Business Tips, Great Speaking Tips, The Compleat Carosa Commentaries Tagged Betsy Ross, Chevy Nova, communication, Cool Hand Luke, flag, Latin, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, quarterback, receiver, The Beatles, William Shatner

The Fantastical (Real-Life) Time Machine

By Chris Carosa on June 11, 2019

I had the pleasure of being invited to perform for Living History Day at SUNY Fredonia a couple of weeks ago. The all-day event features dozens of “acts.” It’s offered to hundreds of 7^th graders from throughout the Greater Western New York region. They’re bussed in early in the morning and attend live demonstrations of everything from Seneca Indian dances to artillery cannon fire.

These 12-year-olds watch as regiments from the Revolutionary War (both sides), the War of 1812 and the Civil War (both sides) conduct their drills. They see real-life colonial cooking, frontier gaming, and homespun crafts. The learn from medicine women, Suffragettes, and military historians. They discover 18^th century artifacts, 19^th century women’s fashions, and 20^th century genealogical grave hunting.

All this is done in period dress. Not just generic period dress, but actors dress as actual historical characters. I walked in with Harriet Tubman. Later I saw her talking to Abraham Lincoln. I could have sworn I saw a British general drinking coffee with Susan B. Anthony.

And they were all in costume. Even the civilians wore clothing of the era they represented. You can see from the pictures from the event. Everyone donned the fashion of the time from which they spoke and lived.

All except me.Continue Reading “The Fantastical (Real-Life) Time Machine”

Posted in Gray Matter Musings, Great Speaking Tips, Memoir of a Real Life, The Compleat Carosa Commentaries, Western New York State of Mind Tagged Abraham Lincoln, Civil War, Greater Western New York, Harriet Tubman, Konstantin Stanislavski, Living History Day, Method acting, Rankin/Bass, Revloutionary War, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Seneca, SUNY Fredonia, Susan B. Anthony, Time Travel, War of 1812

Style or Substance? A Real-World Lesson (Part I)

By Chris Carosa on March 28, 2019

I never had someone so mad at me. And for no reason. We were both in tenth grade. Except for orchestra, we shared no other classes. We did share an Italian-American heritage. And she was mad in a way only an Italian-American can get mad. I’d seen it all before. In my extended family. In my neighborhood. In the dark alleys of the most obscure hallways within the school.

I just didn’t get it. I didn’t even know what a concertmaster was. Yet, there I was. Her, me, and the violin teacher.

But I get ahead of myself. Let’s go back to the beginning of the story…Continue Reading “Style or Substance? A Real-World Lesson (Part I)”

Posted in Business Tips, Gray Matter Musings, Great Speaking Tips, Memoir of a Real Life, The Compleat Carosa Commentaries Tagged A Tune A Day, Arkansas Traveler, concertmaster, Happy Birthday song, math, orchestra, Pop Goes the Weasel, Santa Lucia, The Irish Washerwoman, Three Stooges, violin

This is What Public Speakers Can Learn from Aristotle’s Greatest Mistake

By Chris Carosa on January 15, 2019

Spoiler Alert: I can only reveal once you fully appreciate the useful parts of Aristotle’s idea.

Have you ever had to – or will you ever have to – speak in front of an audience? It could have been (or be) an audience of one hundred or an audience of one. In either case, you may have noticed what happens when you’re in the audience watching other people speak. Sometimes you enjoy the presentation, sometimes you’re bored to tears. And it’s not based on the nature of the subject.

Here’s why.

Most speakers employ some variation of Aristotle’s Model of Communication. While roughly based on his Treatise on Rhetoric, it does not directly incorporate the persuasive tools Aristotle outlines in that classic volume. Indeed, neither does it involve the five canons of rhetoric, although this makes more sense since Cicero identified them centuries after Aristotle’s death.

Still, despite the lack of these important communication components, there’s another, more important, reason why Aristotle’s Model of Communication often fails. To best grasp the reason for this failure – and how to either avoid it or take advantage of it – you need to understand why this model has been both popular and effective.Continue Reading “This is What Public Speakers Can Learn from Aristotle’s Greatest Mistake”

Posted in Great Speaking Tips, The Compleat Carosa Commentaries Tagged Advertising, Aristotle, audience, communication, effect, Harold D. Lasswell, Institutio Oratoria, Marcus Fabius Quntinlianus, Model of Communication, occasion, Persuasion, Quintilian, rhetoric, Speaker, Speech, Treatise on Rhetoric