Mastering the Art of Speechwriting: Four Words and Five Lines

How Do You Write Speeches Which Change Lives?

In this episode we put the spotlight on one of the world's greatest speechwriters - Theodore "Ted" Sorensen - so that we can understand how he wrote such iconic speeches for President John F. Kennedy. What was his process? And what can we learn from it to become better communicators ourselves?

There was a simple framework which Ted used, which I'd love to share with you in this 10-minute masterclass. It's a framework I use to train AI models today, and it's a methodology that's as relevant for speakers and storytellers today, as it was back in the 1960's.

EPISODE LINKS

• Original recording of "4 Words & 5 Lines" from Ragan Speechwriters Conference (2009)
• BetterStories.org - The 9 Principles of Better Stories - inspired by Ted's 4+5
• Sorensen "On writing JFK's speeches" (4 mins)
• Sorensen "On writing a good speech" (12 mins)
• Counselor: A Life at the Edge of History by Theodore C. Sorensen [AUTOBIOGRAPHY]

EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

How Do You Write Speeches Which Change Lives?

In the last episode we looked at someone who read for a president. Today, we’re going to look at someone who wrote for a president – so we’re going to step back into a pivotal moment in history, to learn from (one of) the greatest speechwriters of all time: Theodore “Ted” Sorensen — the man who proved that a well-told story really can change the world.

I want to introduce you to the process he used which will help YOU to be a better storyteller an a more effective communicator. He’s responsible for some of the most iconic lines, of any speech, of any generation.

[JFK “ASK NOT”]

When you think of President John F. Kennedy’s speeches in the 1960’s like that Inauguration speech, or his Peace speech at American University (best) or his vision of a moonshot that reshaped history—the mind behind those words was Ted Sorensen.

But Sorensen wasn’t just a wordsmith. He was JFK’s trusted advisor, a master strategist who understood that great communication is about more than beautiful rhetoric. It’s about driving action, creating urgency, and shaping the world. Sorensen was instrumental in ending the Cuban missile crisis in October 1962 – 13 days that took the world as close to a global nuclear war as it’s ever been.

Kennedy & Sorensen didn’t just want to deliver speeches—they wanted to craft a vision for a better future.

Here's what Sorensen had to say about writing the kind of speeches which could do that:

[SORENSEN CLIP – WRITING EFFECTIVELY]

Monotone! “Comfortable in anonymity” - COUNSELOR – His memoir. Excellent. I have a lovely leather signed first edition! Unfortunately I never got to meet him.

Sorensen’s legacy is everywhere today. From boardrooms to campaign stages, hi principles—brevity, clarity, and purpose—are timeless. He showed us how to communicate with conviction, inspire people to act, and create narratives that matter. For business professionals, executives, and storytellers, his lessons are more relevant than ever. In a world drowning in information, Sorensen’s genius reminds us: it’s not about saying more—it’s about saying what matters most.

So, how did he do it? And how can we, as modern communicators, adopt his techniques to cut through the noise, build trust, and drive meaningful action?

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Let me transport you back to a short speech he gave 16 years ago.

It’s a freezing cold February morning in 2009.

-3°C.

And one hundred speechwriters are gathered together at the Ragan Speechwriters Conference in Washington, D.C. to hear Sorensen talk about the art and science of rhetoric. Ted was 80 and he needed help getting up to the platform to speak because his health was rapidly deteriorating. He could hardly see, but his mind was still as sharp as a tack. Speaking with eloquence and empathy, Ted stepped onto the platform to inspire this ballroom full of wordsmiths. His session was titled, “How to Write a Good Speech”.

After sharing a few stories and anecdotes for about 15 minutes, Ted delivered his not-so-secret “magical method” process for crafting Kennedy’s communications. And as with all great processes it was short and sweet.

And in 4-minutes he shared some of the most powerful communications advice you’re ever likely to hear. Like all great advice – it’s beautifully elegant and so simple that you can write it on the back of a napkin.

It all comes down to just 4 words and 5 lines.

Here’s what Ted said at that conference (I’m reading from the transcript because the audio quality was pretty bad and might hurt your ears!):

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“It’s not that tough to write a good speech, it’s just a matter of a few lines. Number one, the OUTLINE. I begin everything with an outline.

Number two, the HEADLINE. What’s going to be the headline in this speech? What’s new, and what’s the news in it? What do you want the public to take from this speech?

Then number three, the FRONTLINE. What’s the most important point in this picture, in clear language and will emerge as the front line early in the speech.

And then a few SIDE LINES. Side lines are quotations, or poems (I like to throw poems in occasionally), or humour.

And then finally, the BOTTOM LINE. You ought to have a subtle ending that makes the audience leave the hall saying, “Now that was a memorable speech”. So those are just a few lines.

And then I would add to that, in a way that helps people to remember, are the four features that characterise a good speech; number one, CLARITY (that’s the purpose of the outline).

Number two, CHARITY, praise your audience, make them feel like you’re asking them to do something important because they are doing something important.

Number three, BREVITY because Kennedy believed that anything worth saying could be finished in twenty to twenty-five minutes - unless it’s a State of the Union address which by its nature goes on and on.

And number four, LEVITY. Not a speech consisting just of jokes, but Kennedy had this wonderful eye for wit, but not only would he begin his speech with a humorous comment, but he would work them into the text as well.

So it’s easy to remember those four characterisations: Clarity, Charity, Brevity, Levity.

And that’s all there is to it!”

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Brilliant.

There’s probably more wisdom in those 303 words than in many of the storytelling and speechwriting books that I’ve read over the years. Ted sadly passed away a year later from complications after having a stroke, but the gift of advice that Ted left with us that day has become part of his legacy.

I use these 4 words and 5 lines today as the foundation of AI storytelling assistants that I’m building & training to help business leaders all over the world to tell better stories. I’ve even built a whole website dedicated to this methodology at www.betterstories.org where there are hundreds of links, books, courses and tutorials where you can dig into this in a lot more detail.

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So the next time you’re struggling to write an important speech, especially if people’s lives (and livelihoods) depend on it – then just think 4 words and 5 lines.

• OUTLINE: Will the shape of your story resonate with your audience? Is it “transformational”? Does it contain “intention & obstacle”?
• HEADLINE: Can you describe your story in ONE sentence? (10-15 words or less?)
• FRONTLINE: Will your story capture your audience’s attention in the first 2 minutes (or 200 words)?
• SIDELINE: What sidelines can you add to your story to personalise it? (How can you make it so unique & differentiated that you’re the only person who can tell it?
• BOTTOMLINE: What do you want your audience to do as a result of hearing your story? Is there a clear call-to-action? Business stories don’t just make an audience FEEL something, they inspire an audience to DO something.
• CLARITY: Have we done a good enough job at simplifying any complexity in our story
• CHARITY: Will the audience feel a shared purpose in the mission you’re asking them to join you on?
• BREVITY: Is it short enough? Why speak for 30 minutes if you can get the job done in ten?
• LEVITY: Have you added light relief where necessary? Especially if you’re talking about a heavy topic which can be intense. (AI ethics? Social impact?) A little humour or a few quotes could make all the difference.

Ted said,

“A speech is made great, not from the words used, but from the ideas conveyed. If the ideas, principles and values and substance of the speech are great, then it’s going to be a great speech, even if the words are pedestrian.” 

So there you have it.

The Truth in Ten.

Thanks for listening everyone.

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The Truth in Ten is a cross between a podcast series and a storytelling masterclass. Each short episode shines a light on a different inspirational leader; someone who shared a short story which changed the world in some way. This is a show for anyone who wants to make a difference by sharing their story.

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