Writing speeches is fantastic practice. More than anything, it teaches you to write the way you talk. That's generally a good thing. Most forms of writing educ

Writing speeches is fantastic practice. More than anything, it teaches you to write the way you talk. That's generally a good thing. Most forms of writing education tell you to communicate clearly, as though you're speaking your words -- but they don't show you how. Writing a speech forces you to confront the way you sound. When great writers talk about writing "by ear," this is what they mean.