Cutting a Script to Time
Almost every first full draft of an Info speech runs long, and cutting it down is a distinct skill from writing it. You'll learn a systematic method for cutting without damaging the speech's core teaching.
What to Cut First
Cut secondary examples before cutting primary ones, cut decorative language before cutting content-bearing language, and cut redundant restatements before cutting original explanation. A useful hierarchy: cut filler and repetition first, then secondary supporting material, and only as a last resort trim a primary content area itself.
Cutting Without Losing Clarity
After any cut, re-read the surrounding sentences aloud to make sure the transition still makes sense and no citation or logical link was accidentally broken. It's easy to cut a sentence that seemed minor but was actually doing quiet structural work, like setting up a later reference.
The Word-Per-Minute Baseline
Advanced speakers calculate their personal average speaking rate (words per minute) during a natural, unrushed rehearsal, then use that number to estimate roughly how many words need to be cut for a script running over time, turning a vague 'cut about a minute' into a concrete, specific word-count target.
A speaker's draft runs at 10:45, needing to lose roughly a minute and fifteen seconds.
She first cuts a secondary example in area one (a second, less vivid bridge-collapse case study), saving 25 seconds. She then tightens a wordy transition sentence between areas two and three, saving 10 seconds. She trims a redundant restatement in the conclusion that repeated the thesis almost word for word, saving 15 seconds. Still 25 seconds over, she reluctantly cuts one supporting statistic from area two, the least essential of three statistics there, bringing her to 9:58.
1. What should generally be cut first when trimming a speech that runs long?
2. True or False?
"After making a cut, it's good practice to re-read the surrounding sentences aloud to check the transition and logic still hold."
Answer all 2 to check.
Cut in order of priority — filler and redundancy first, secondary examples next, primary content only as a last resort — and always check surrounding logic after each cut.