A great presentation comes in two parts. The first half is beautiful, captivating design. And the second? Well-crafted content that has been written with the audience in mind, researched, and structured to be effective. We believe in the power of great content to change hearts and minds, all starting with a storyboard and then reflected in the words placed on each slide.
We’ve gathered some of our favorite quotes about writing to provide you with a little inspiration. Following each quote, we relate the core idea to the presentation space. Even if you’re not a writer, even if the act of writing seems terrifying, we hope this will provide you with some inspiration to get started.
“The reader is a friend, not an adversary, not a spectator.” — Jonathan Franzen
A presentation audience is no different than a reader in this instance. Have respect for your audience; understand that they are intelligent listeners who won’t automatically oppose your ideas, but rather will absorb your message and then make a decision accordingly. As you write your content, put their needs first as if they are a friend.
“The nearest I have to a rule is a Post-it on the wall in front of my desk saying ‘Faire et se taire’ (Flaubert), which I translate for myself as ‘Shut up and get on with it.’” — Helen Simpson
Presentations are difficult. For some, the delivery is the most unpleasant part of the experience. For others, it’s the content and design. No matter what area you struggle with, push through it. Stop making excuses for yourself. Your audience deserves your dedication to a project, not your procrastination.
“Listen to the criticisms and preferences of your trusted ‘first readers.'” — Rose Tremain
This is fantastic advice for anyone developing presentation content. Seek outside editing help from people who know about your presentation’s purpose and have your best interest at heart. Criticism is hard to hear. Preferences are also difficult to understand. But feedback is a precious asset to a writer in any medium, and should be taken seriously.
“Always carry a note-book. And I mean always. The short-term memory only retains information for three minutes; unless it is committed to paper you can lose an idea for ever.” — Will Self
As you work to develop the main ideas within your presentation, we encourage you to spend some time device-free to write down what you’re thinking. Brainstorm creative themes, think about your main takeaways, and get out of the office for a while. This can also be helpful if you come to an impasse with your writing, and are experiencing the classic woe known as writer’s block.
“Get it down. Take chances. It may be bad, but it’s the only way you can do anything really good.” – William Faulkner
This final quote is a motivator no matter what genre you’re working in. When you don’t know how to start Slide #1, just skip ahead to Slide #5. Write your speaker’s notes first, or just work on building a skeleton of an outline. All that matters is that you are putting pencil to paper, or finger to key, and starting.
Want to learn more about how to improve your presentation writing skills? Check out these related articles!
Presentation Writing Tips: Create a Casual Tone Using Pronouns
Presentation Writing From the Ground Up
Five Ways to Strengthen Your Presentation Writing
