Technique of the week · Special situations
Improvisation
Speaking without a script
You don't need more ideas — you need a structure you can grab in three seconds.
The idea
Impromptu speaking is a skill of structure, not inspiration. With one or two reliable frames — Point–Reason–Example–Point, or Past–Present–Future — you can turn any question into a clear minute.
How to do it
- Take a breath and say your point first, even if it's simple.
- Give one reason and one concrete example.
- Repeat your point in different words and stop.
In the session
The drill
The impro wheel: a random topic, a random structure, a random constraint. Thirty seconds to think, ninety to speak.
This week
Your homework
When someone asks your opinion today, answer in PREP: point, reason, example, point.
When you give feedback, ask
Could you see the structure? Did they finish cleanly or trail off?
Source: PREP and similar frames used in debate and Toastmasters Table Topics.