Real Communication An Introduction

Chapter 13  Organizing, Writing, and Outlining Presentations 389

you might handle references in APA format. Your instructor may have

his or her own preferences about how to handle citations, so when in

doubt, ask.

c Give your speech a title. Once all of your ideas and points are organized on
paper, you can give your speech a catchy title that captures its essence. You
might also consider using a provocative question as the title or part of a
memorable quotation that you will use in the body of the speech.

At every phase of development, you should review your outline for sound
organization. When reviewing, you should see a clear hierarchy of points
reflected in each tier of your structure. A weak link in the outline—an unsup-
ported argument, an unrelated point—reveals an overall weakness in the way
you’ve presented and defended your thesis. A solid outline shows not only how
well you’ve organized your material but also how each point is supported by
two or more subpoints, making a stronger case for your thesis statement. It also
shows the scope and validity of your research by detailing your evidence with
complete citations.
If sitting in front of a blank Word document and typing a formal outline
feels too overwhelming, you might want to take advantage of some of the free
outlining and mind-mapping applications and tools available online. For exam-
ple, SimpleMind (available on your desktop and for Apple or Android devices)
allows you to create a visual mind map, creating and connecting your hierarchy
of points in colored circles. Take a look at Figure 13.3 to see how such an appli-
cation might help you get started on your outline.

Busy work and

family schedules

Make sleep a

priority

Consistent sleep and

wake-up times

Reserve your bed

for sleeping

Avoid caffeine and

alcohol before bed

Medical conditions

Relational stress

Late-night TV and

Internet usage

Decreased performance

and alertness

Affects memory and

cognitive ability

Contributes to chronic

health conditions

National Sleep Foundation: 78%

American adults < 8 hours sleep;

53% < 7 hours sleep

SD = a condition in which

a person does not get

enough sleep; can lead to

chronic exhaustion

Class survey: 30%

of you get less than

6 hours sleep

on weeknights

Repercussions of SD What is SD?

Causes of SD How to avoid SD

Sleep Deprivation:

You must understand the causes and effects of

sleep deprivation—as well as simple steps you can

take to avoid it—in order to improve your life now

and avoid costly personal and social ramifications.

FIGURE 13.3
MIND MAPPING can be a great way to organize your ideas if you prefer a more visual style of outline.