David Murray

… write “less” when “fewer” is called for, or “farther” when “further” is needed, or “hopefully” at all—even though these distinctions don’t matter to anybody except other...

Every year, the Professional Speechwriting Association surveys our members—on job satisfaction, on salary trends, on trends and concerns in the business. This year, we asked simply, “What...

The company is advertising for a writing job, but it lets HR goons write the job description. And so the company seeks a writer who is a...

Six years ago I helped a young Army officer who was dying of cancer to write his memoir. The first edition, published by Beaver’s Pond Press, had...

At a Professional Speechwriters Association seminar in Chicago last week, another speechwriter asked me: How do I animate and effervesce my wooden, flat speaker? Bring in a speaking coach, I...

New York Mayor Bill De Blasio isn’t pleased with the speeches he is reading, we learn from recently released City Hall emails, reported in the New York Post. Who’s...

It’s not a complaint one often hears about CEOs. But when it comes to CEO communication, it’s true: CEOs don’t know what they want. I know this...

Some speechwriters might have resented it when I criticized Jon Favreau and Lovett for what I saw as the glib, snarky style the former Obama speechwriters showed on...

“People need to be reminded,” said Samuel Johnson, “more often than they need to be instructed.” Commencement speakers struggle to come up with a speech, when “everything’s...

I took a Robert Kennedy biography on spring break, and all I got was six lousy insights on speechwriting. Actually, not lousy at all, thanks to author...