Umm.. Uhh.. Just.. Well.. You see...

Started by Catalyst. November 14th, 2012 4:44 PM
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  • 27 replies

Catalyst.

Nothing of significance

Male
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Seen December 29th, 2013
Posted November 15th, 2013
126 posts
10.5 Years
When speaking, do you prefer to have a written, prepared speech, a point-form list, or making up your argument as you go?

Guess I may as well expand the question a bit: Are you good at thinking on your feet, or do you always think of what you're going to say before saying it?

Khawill

<3

Male
The Cave of Hymns
Seen March 31st, 2023
Posted January 2nd, 2023
1,566 posts
10.7 Years
Improvision is my strongest point when it comes to talking, (actually I can't follow a plan for the life of me, so this applies to how I live). Though nobody is good at giving speeches without some sort of organized list or written script, well nobody who should be giving important speeches. The reason being is that every time someone says "um, like, uh, and" or pauses frequently sounds like a knife through my ears (it also makes you sound like you don't know what you are saying) and the easiest way to prevent this is by writing it out.
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Frostweaver

Ancient + Prehistoric

Age 34
Male
Canada
Seen September 11th, 2016
Posted July 30th, 2016
8,246 posts
19.7 Years
As long as I the content of a speech then I'm fine if I need to walk up without any notes. However I suppose that's not really improvising then. If I know the topic really well though, then I don't even need to "prepare" and think about it in advance and I can talk about it with a lot of ease.

Supposedly I have a tendency to sneak in "Well..." in front of my sentence with or without preparations before hand though. It's just a natural part of my speech patterns.

Cherrim

Age 34
she / her
Toronto
Seen 19 Hours Ago
Posted 19 Hours Ago
33,052 posts
20.4 Years
I don't really like improvising if it involves speaking. :( Even when I have to leave a message on an answering machine, I'll usually hang up, write down point form for what I have to say, and call back to leave the message.

I haven't had to give a speech or presentation or anything in a long time but when I do, I usually totally memorize everything I have to say and if not, I have to bring notes up with me so I can look down and check them if I forget what I'm saying.

I am pretty good at improvising when I have to, I just don't really like to leave it up to that.


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Synerjee

Atra du evarinya ono varda.

Everywhere and anywhere.
Seen May 28th, 2016
Posted February 25th, 2016
2,901 posts
10.6 Years
I always need to have a guide when speaking for presentations and such. It's an absolute must. If I go up in front of the class without any preparations, I won't know what to say. I almost always go blank and stutter with lack of pointers. I always have queue cards or a piece of small paper with speaking pointers in hand and will keep referring to them from time to time. And yes, I need to think before saying things. Being spontaneous is not easy for me..

TRIFORCE89

Guide of Darkness

Age 33
Male
Temple of Light
Seen November 25th, 2017
Posted October 21st, 2016
8,122 posts
19.1 Years
I can't improvise unprepared, like answering machine message (to use Lightning's example). I'm not a particularly spontaneous person.

But, if I'm well versed in something I can improvise. That kinda shows that you know what you're talking about

TwilightBlade

All dreams are but another reality.

Age 31
Female
Florida
Seen 8 Hours Ago
Posted 5 Days Ago
7,098 posts
16 Years
I like to prepare a written speech and refer to it when I need to. If I not allowed to use a paper, then I'll stuff as many points as I neatly can on notecards. Written notes help me cut down on saying uh, um, and like like like like. I also have the memory of a potato when I stand in front of the class, regardless if I'm presenting or simply introducing myself, haha. I like to think about every word I say before I say it.

...And then I learned later in life that it's not quite about what you say, but how you say it and present yourself. -_-;

The Grubby Pup

Where's mah shiny squeaky ball

Male
Lettin' da madness & da music get 2 me!
Seen May 7th, 2016
Posted March 6th, 2014
373 posts
14 Years
well, it depends on the situation, ya know. Usually first thing on my mind if I'm around family or friends; basically in an environment where I feel most comfortable.

But...if it's something that's usually important; like a project. Also, things this that are unexpecting or forthcoming. I usually halfta think it over.
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Nick

Seen 4 Weeks Ago
Posted July 28th, 2021
17,572 posts
18.6 Years
I have to think about what I'm going to say before I say it. I always have a list of things that I want to say to someone. I'm only good at replying on my feet with a sharp tongue. Regular conversations with me tend to involve a lot of awkward silence, because I'm trying to form what I'd like to say in my head before I say it out loud so it makes the most sense, but even then if I think for too long and have an entire script planned out, I tend to stutter over my words. Maybe I'm just socially awkward.

Captain Fabio

Age 33
London, UK
Seen November 4th, 2021
Posted November 2nd, 2021
12,193 posts
17.1 Years

I am very good at improvising! :3
I use to do drama and acting, so it just came very easily for me, as well as being involved in many meetings at University and having to speak in front of a lot of people, it doesn't affect me, so I can speak easily and improvise just as.

Ho-Oh

used Sacred Fire!

Age 31
Female
QLD, Australia
Seen June 5th, 2022
Posted April 23rd, 2022
35,988 posts
17.5 Years
I think of what I'm going to say up to a great point, but then when I have used up all I've thought about, I improvise like crazy. I try to talk up whatever I'm doing as a way to bide time/etc but ya. I'm also fine with speeches, lists not so much because boring and involve effort to put them into dot points. ;( Funnily enough the fear of not being able to improvise makes me not want to get into radio presenting and rather the other side of journalism.

Broken_Arrow

Paper Plane

Female
The Land of Amun
Seen August 28th, 2021
Posted January 5th, 2019
1,209 posts
11.7 Years
I don't know tbh

i hate when i'm serious and don't find strong words to say..then i feel silly tbh and all the seriousness gone with wind! :|

whenever i'm in a really good mood and nothing busy my mind or in a challenge i do improvise well..other than that i say silly stuff comes out from the silly zone in my mind....sometimes i just say things and when i remember em i feel WTF were i talking about there!!!! o.O

i think i leave it to come as it rains i don't really care much about that.
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Zeffy

g'day

Male
Seen December 1st, 2022
Posted January 30th, 2021
6,395 posts
14.1 Years
Unless it's a really formal speech, I almost always speak impromptu. I don't know why but it works for me the most. If I do have to prepare a speech, I prepare it on the day of the speech itself since, well, I feel more comfortable that way (unless, again, it's a really formal speech).

Urugamosu

Happy, and Searching.

Male
Perth, Australia
Seen 1 Week Ago
Posted April 26th, 2022
587 posts
14.7 Years
It's usually pre-made. I have stage fright, so I usually need something to get through whatever I need to talk about.

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Nick

Seen 4 Weeks Ago
Posted July 28th, 2021
17,572 posts
18.6 Years
I always need to write it out, or at least have a little critical thinking session before I say something. Even in everyday conversations. If you're hanging out with me offline and there's interactions involved, I can pretty much guarantee that there will be awkward silences shared between us. During that time, I will be thinking long and hard about what it is I should say. Unless I said something. Then I'll either be criticizing you in a complaining sort of way to myself for not saying anything to me or I'll be asking myself why you aren't saying anything.

Cosmotone8

silhouette of the past

Male
Boston, MA, USA, Earth, Sun Solar System, Milky Way Galaxy, Universe
Seen July 22nd, 2016
Posted March 20th, 2013
1,758 posts
11.4 Years
Depends on what I'm arguing for. If its just something small, then I'll think on my feet. If its something bigger or if its a topic I'm not very familiar with, then I will plot out what I'm going to say.
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Shining Raichu

Expect me like you expect Jesus.

Age 32
Male
Australia
Seen October 17th, 2020
Posted December 21st, 2017
8,958 posts
12.3 Years
I suck so bad at improvising and thinking on my feet. It's terrible, I'm one of those people who thinks of the perfect thing to say an hour after an argument.

However, if you give me time and a pen, I will move the earth.
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curiousnathan

Male
Australia
Seen October 18th, 2020
Posted October 5th, 2020
7,753 posts
13.7 Years
I can't improvise for the life of me, so having an already prepared speech is what I always use when presenting to a group of people. On rare occasions I'd put dot points down, but I prefer to have most of my information written down. I'm pretty good with presenting myself in front of groups of people (making speeches, presenting work/presentations etc.), but I'd rather be safe than sorry, since my nerves sometimes get the best of me.

Hybrid Trainer

Age 28
Him/Them
«UK»
Seen April 12th, 2023
Posted January 27th, 2022
2,096 posts
14.5 Years
I used to be a massive bullet pointer. Every time I had to prepare some sort of speech or presentation I would bullet point every single thing I was going to say.
Since starting uni though I've had to learn to improvise, partially because I constantly miss hearing about assignments and I have to wing what I'm talking about, but mostly because my course demands it. In most of my classes I will be given a topic at the start of the lesson and will have to read up on it, make a presentation and then present it to the entire class in the space of about an hour and a half.

antemortem

rest after tomorrow

Age 24
he/they
Los Angeles
Seen June 15th, 2022
Posted June 14th, 2022
7,467 posts
11.3 Years
If I have something to read off of, I'll stumble over every word. If I can just improvise, I can fib certain things as to bridge the gaps in my words.
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Elite Overlord LeSabre™

On that 'Non stop road'

Age 97
Shimoda City
Seen 2 Days Ago
Posted January 25th, 2022
9,705 posts
15.5 Years
I just have a general bullet list of stuff I want to cover... this method allows me to make sure my points get across, while leaving me the flexibility to improvise and add in items if the conversation heads off in various tangents and I need to add it in.

Sticking to a rehearsed script is something I'm terrible at.

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Evermore

Age 27
Male
青い世界
Seen October 10th, 2014
Posted August 21st, 2014
1,302 posts
10.7 Years
I prefer improv to writing it out,whenever I try to write it first is when I use words like "uh,um,yeah,but,but yeah,etc" because I usually forget what I wrote!
And I really dislike taking notes with me. :l





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