How to *uhm* Improvise

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines editorializing as "Introducing opinion into the reporting of facts". There's probably a  "fake news" joke in there somewhere, but I'm gonna skip over that wall. "Well what if I don't really know what I'm talking about, or aren't qualified to do this?" Might I direct your attention to every politician in office. You can do this. Impromptu editorializing is less predictable than the other variations so you're gonna have to think quick on your feet.  Good thing we've worked on that for the last five posts. The prompt will sometimes be an opinion piece that critiques a news article, and other times it will be a news article that reports on a current event. Either way, your job is to discuss the article that you are given. We will look for weaknesses and strengths in the argumentation, decide if the author advocates for the appropriate action or response, and attempt to persuade the judge t...

Ok just sit back, relax, take a deep breath, and listen. We're going to go through a counseling session. Don't worry, I'm not gonna charge you for this consultation...this time. Impromptu counseling is probably the cheesiest of all the impromptu variations. It's a "Dear Abby" style letter and response. For those of you who have been blessed with the good fortune not to know what Dear Abby is, I shall explain. It's basically a column in the newspaper where people can write in to Abby with their troubles and woes and she will give them advice. Today, you're abby. But unless your name really is Abby, probably don't go by that. And if your name is Abby, probably change it for the time being. I'm gonna tell you right now, the most important thing you need to win this event is empathy. "But Ryan, I'm just not really a touchy-feely kinda person." Well guess what? Today's the day you're gonna be. When you walk in that room y...

You might not realize it, but every time you tell someone about your day or bring up a fond memory, you are participating in storytelling. So since we have so much experience in this area, impromptu storytelling should be a breeze, right? Wrong. Anyone can relate details and convey ideas, but not many people tell you a story that lets you live their imagination. The art of captivating storytelling is one that not many individuals possess.  What sets apart a mediocre story from a great one? Well according to the American Press Institute, the audience decides this. They are the ones you have to convince of your stellar storytelling abilities, or in this case, the judge is. The AP website explains that a good story does more than just explain or amplify, it adds value. So we need to find a way to connect with our audience. The easiest way to do that is to incorporate themes that they will be able to identify with such as anger, greed, lust, sacrifice, etc. Building these types of ...

Good morning and welcome to WONO Radio! We're gonna kick off your morning by teaching you how to prepare your very own broadcast. As we did with the weather forecasting, we're gonna have to get you a personality. It's time for you to design your character.  This is your chance to have fun and be creative. You are the DJ, you make the rules. Come up up with your station’s call letters and your own name to go by. Your character can be as whacky or serious as you want it to be, but it should be something you can pull off. Remember though, like djtechtools.com suggests, sometimes keeping it simple is best. Now there's going to be one major change for this event that you aren't used to, you have 30 minutes to prepare your broadcast. In fact, you will be put in a large room with all the other competitors and each of you will be given a news packet. This packet will have  international, national,  and local news, sports, weather, and commercials all in a manilla folde...

Impromptu Weather Forecasting is a relatively new event, one that was developed and implemented into our competitions in the last two years. Basically, this event gives competitors the chance to try their hand at predicting the weather. The idea was hey, if professionals can incorrectly predict the weather, why not give these college kids a shot?  According to komonews.com, the best way to become a meteorologist is to take as many science and math-type related classes as you can such as Physics, Chemistry, and Trigonometry while in high school. Now since we're not in high school, and we only have three minutes to prep our speech, we're going to have to improvise.  Now I know what you're thinking, "How am I supposed to know what the weather's gonna be?" I'm so glad you asked! And isn't it crazy that I can predict your thoughts? I'm pretty good at forecasts. Anyway, when you walk into the room, you will be given a prompt that tells you the weather...

The most basic improvised event that we see at every single tournament is Impromptu Speaking. All of the other events that I will cover share the basic concept and structure with this event, so it will be easier on all of us if I start here. Any novice speaker that I work with will get their feet wet with Impromptu. Once they are comfortable here they typically branch out and try the more unique events. The concept behind Impromptu is simple.  You are given a prompt, typically a quotation, which you must analyze and then persuade the judge as to why your interpretation is correct.  Rules:  Competitors have seven minutes total for this event. That time may be split between time used to prepare their speech and to deliver it. The judge will give 30 second verbal cues while you prep and hand signals counting down your time while you are speaking. You must speak for at least 4  minutes.  A note card is permitted, but remember that you should only use...