• Avoid talking about religion, politics or race.Design Pics/Valueline/Getty Images
  
  Writing a speech can be an intimidating task. Whether you are experienced, or attempting this for the first time, it is always difficult to decide how to begin. There are some guidelines to follow, though, that will help you get started and fully complete the process of writing a very funny and entertaining presentation.
  
  

Pay Attention to Your Audience

• Focus on the group you are talking to. Is it going to be women, men or both? What is the age demographic you are dealing with? The purpose of this is to help you come up with speech topics that your audience can relate to. Men get a giggle out of topics that involve sports or action movies. They can relate to that. Women are amused by lifestyle situations --- perhaps how to deal with their children, careers and significant others all at the same time. If you are not certain, do some research on the gender and age of your audience.
  
  

Think Like a Comedian

• Talk about funny, ironic things that have happened to you. The greatest comedians of all time make a living doing this. Most of the time, if it has happened to you, something similar has happened to someone in your audience --- or at the very least, it has happened to someone they know. Whether it's a minor fender bender, a botched family holiday or a big mistake at the office, you can pretty much guarantee most people in the group listening to you can relate. Begin your speech with a funny story along these lines, and use it to loosen up the crowd. If you can make them laugh in the beginning, the rest of your speech should go very smoothly.
  
  

Decide on Your Message

• Create the body of the speech around one idea. Are you trying to promote saving animals? Do you want to help people learn how to make successful career changes? Any topic that makes people feel passionate is going to work for you. Animals, children, family, relationships and work are all areas most people can relate to. You can still keep the humor, but it's also good to send a serious message in the central body of your speech. Make sure it is something you feel very strongly about as well. That will come across in your presentation.
  
  

Use Quotations

• Pull quotations from famous people to complete the body of your speech. This will add credibility to your presentation, and give more dimension to what you are trying to get across. If you are giving a speech on how to be successful in business, then search the Internet for famous quotes on this. They are easy to find. Just be sure you give credit in your speech to the person who originally stated the quote. This kind of research can also help take your speech in the right direction, if you are having difficulty with a topic.
  
  

Topics to Avoid

• Remember that you will not likely know much about most of the people in your audience. So it's a good idea to avoid certain issues, such as religion, politics and race. These are areas that people have strong opinions about on many different levels. You could seriously offend some of your audience members if you go the wrong direction on these topics. Instead, avoid them altogether.