Devices such as srotries and humorous anecdotes are effective attention getters with which to open longer speeches-don't rely on a simple question or statement to capture the interest and fascination of your audience--weave a tale, spin a web of mystery or emotion and leave the final note to pick up as your memorable ending--leave them hanging as a way to draw out interest throughout your speech! Let's practice some good old fashioned story telling here--I will start a story and each person who comes next will add a few lines (4 or 5) and we'll each keep adding onto it to complete a true literary masterpiece! Later we can read it in class!
A Story by Coms 301
It was a dark and stormy night in Elk Grove. Sandra's speech class had run late by several hours and finally, at midnight, the students had begun to excuse themselves. She had lectured on demonstration speeches and as her students sloshed through the flooded parking lot to find their cars, Amanda noticed something strange at the other end of the parking lot. She held up her textbook to block the rain as she squinted. She saw _____________________. Ok--your turn!--S
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She saw the edge of the earth. The water from the parking lot forming a giant waterfall dropping of the edge of the planet. At that exact moment, all the cars in the lot started sliding ever so slowly toward the precipice. The water rose, and she was loosing her footing and inching ever nearer when from out of nowhere.......
Sorry... The previous post from Sean Driscoll
She felt a hand grab her and pull her up the stairs, they began running the oposite direction, and then they tried to think why the earth was oening up like that and why now, they looked behind them and everything seemed calm, they went back to the parking lot and were suprised to see...
Roxanne Harrington
comm301
that the hole had disappeared and there was a huge pumpkin in its place. A door appeared in the side and with a heavy groaning sound slowly swung open to reveal a flickering of candlelight within. Intrigued, Sandra began walking slowly toward the pumpkin for a better look. Suddenly she felt alone. She quickly turned to make sure her new friend was following. And that's when____________
Charles Bertolette
she was shocked to see no one behind her! She was frightened as she realized she was all alone, but even more so when she heard a rustling from the opposite direction. Very slowly she turned back around, afraid of what other strange things were in store for her. As she faced the anonymous noise coming from the huge pumpkin, she noticed a shadow stepping out of the pumkin. As the shadow drew closer and took form, it was none other than a...
it was none other than rihanna! she asked sandra why she was standing in the rain and gave her an um-ber-ella ella ella eh eh eh. now the two of them proceeded into the pumpkin to find a video playing. before it was too late they realized it was the ring tape and thats when the fone rang and said "7days". frightened, they ran out of the giant pumpkin and.......
Valenthia Carlock
Sandra and Rihanna thought they were in the clear of the phone call until their cell phones started to ring. They were so frightened that they each grabbed each other and answered the phone call together. It was the scary voice letting them both know that they only had seven days to live and no matter where you try to run death will follow you. The two both started running around frantically until out of know where....
The two both started running around frantically until out of know where....
A black cat and a frog drove up in a an escalade both of them wearing mismatched outfits and bright orange socks. The music pumping from the vehicle was so loud it felt as if every cell in Sandra's and Rihanna's body was vibrating.
Wide-eyed,twitching, ears bleeding because of the loud music, the cat and frog told Sandra and Rihanna that they had received the same phone call 10 days ago. They told the ladies that there was only one hope for their survival that being that they had to immediately start slamming rockstars, monsters, and redbulls to stave off the curse. The two women asked where they could find the elusive elixirs. The cat and the frog gave them a map and a flashlight. The women set off through the swamp where they....
J.A.D. Jackson
The women set off through the swamp where they....
encountered SHREK and Fiona. Stunned by the monstrous ogres, Sandra and Rihanna didn't know what to say. Fiona asked Sandra and Rihanna why they were traveling in the swamp but neither answered. Suddenly, Donkey appeared with Puss riding a top. Seeing all these mystical creatures made both women faint.
The smell of boiling ooze awoke Sandra. She slowly opened her eyes to unexpectedly find...
Jason Wong
that she was pregnant, again!!! As her stomach began to grow out of control, she beacme very hungry, she couldnt stop eating. Then she passed out because she was finally satisfied. When she woke she saw Denzal Washington standing in front of her with breakfast.......... Sincerely Janelle T
Denzel complimented Sandra on her fashionable maternity wear and witty speech techniques. She waved her wedding ring and rolled her eyes heavenward, sick and tired of the nonstop getting hit on by celebrites she had to endure! It made teaching distracting,honestly! Denzel said, "Wait, it is not what you think, this is my visual aid for my demonstration speech about cooking." Denzel continued, trying not to say 'um'--"Lacey emailed me since I missed class last week, I am here for a make-up--what's with the blaring pumpkin and Rhianna?" Slumped over the Public Speaking textbook nearby, Rhianna woke with a start and began singing "Runnin just as fast as we can...holdin onto one another's hand, trying to get away, into the night...and then you put your arms around me and we hold each other tight and then you say: I think we're alone now" Gasping, Denzel and Sandra realized Rhianna had bumped her head on the bumper of the escalade and now thought she was the 80's one hit wonder "Tiffany!" Frustrated, the dog and cat began drinking the Rockstar themselves. Denzel snatched the Redbull, slammed it and began his speech, right there on the side of the banks of the creepy swamp. His attention getter was "How many of you get hungry when a grey skinned creepy anonyamous video character threatens your life?" Sandra looked around, shrugged and raised her hand. Since her classroom at Sac City was a crappy broken down portable with a Zenith TV from 1976......
She will fight for a change. She felt anger and madness, and could no longer bear look at the Zenith TV again. How could that be possible? She wondered whether it was a funding shortage or just ignorance. She made the ultimate decision that change is needed, and that she will vote this year. Her head kept thinking deeply about the issue when suddenly a voice snapped her into reality "are you ok," Denzel said. Sandra did not answer, but kept looking at him. She felt lonely and scared. She realized that she had only six day to...
~ Issam Zejli
To live. Denzel finished with his speech then, Sandra, Rhianna and he went outside. Denzel had a funny look in his eye. "What's wrong?" Sandra asked." "I don't know how to tell you this", Denzel answered, but I am your husband. You have amnesia and don't remember me right now." He proceeded to tell her that after she had entered the pumpkin and passed out after eating so much, she couldn't remember a thing. She looked at him as if he were insane! She insisted that this just wasn't true. Rhianna told her that it was true and that they were even expecting twins. Sandra scratched her head and...
started thinking more of why and how Denzel was her husband and that being pregnant with twins was impossible because years ago Sandra was told by many doctors that it wasn't possible to ever have twins because of how her body was. Sandra was so mad that she couldn't remember nothing so she and that her so called husband was insane. Sandra started yelling because....
Keturah Guary
..everything was just starting to feel so out of control. "I've got to get a handle on things," she thought. "I just don't know what to believe anymore!". Sandra decided that what she needed most was to get some rest and have something to eat. But where? She grabbed Rihanna's hand, turned her back on Denzel, and started walking away. As they took a few steps away, they were suddendly confronted by....
(Kathleen Farren)
that her car had been stolen and she had no way home; she could not call anyone she knew that would come and get her that late, aftr midnight; so she called a cab, yellow cab; they're always around late at night looking to make some extra money. when she finally arrived home the meter amount was higher than what she expected, so she gave the driver 55.00 and wrote a check for the difference of......
drusilla lang
$200.00. Who would have thought gas prices and inflation could make a simple trip home so expensive. As Sandra walked through her front door her stomach suddenly shrunk, her head began to clear and the funny smell that the swamp had left on her dissipated and was replaced by the soft smell of English roses and baby powder. Sandra pulled her cell phone out of her bag and turned it on. The date was October 28th, some how in all the madness she had lost a full week and a day, leaving her Monday night class worried for her. But, very happy that they got the night off. As Sandra left her phone on longer she realized she had also lived passed the curse. Then her phone began exploding with text message alerts and email notifications as she heard a different noise in the kitchen....
Sandra tiptoed slowly toward the kitchen to see where the noise came from. As she approached the kitchen, she saw a shadow lepted from the cupboard. Sandra walk closer and realized... "Mini Me? What are you doing in my kitchen?"
"Ah girl, I saw a roach trying to creep into your oven so I decided to hide in here and smoke it."
For a second, Sandra thought she was getting "PUNKED". She decidedly to check out the oven and suddenly...
Mayger Vuong
I meant, "she saw a shadow leaped..."
Mayger Vuong
It flung open and hit her on the head. A thousand roaches came out of the oven and swarmed all around her body. Mini Mi searched around the kitchen for bug spray, as she screamed, "under the sink, under the damn sink". "I found it", he screeched. All of the sudden the lights in the kitchen flew on. "What in the hell are you guys doing", said one of the finest men in the whole world, Mr. Denzel. She stood their frozen in place. The roaches had disappeared. They had vanished into thin air. "Are you guys huffing bug spray. What in the hell are you guys doing in here." Sandra straightened out her pajamas as she said that she must have inhaled the fumes from the roach Mini Me was smoking in the oven. "But... I saw them... they were all over your...." Denzel interrupted Mini Mi, "You need to stop smoking that garbage", as he ushered him out of the back door. Sandra got a cup of water and started back up stairs. Unknowingly, With each step she took, a roach fell out of her hair and on to the stair well. When Denzel got to the room she was sitting on the bed with her back to him. But he could see something moving. Her hair seemed to be moving. But the fan was off, the window was closed, how could her hair be moving. As he inched closer and closer he got up the courage, "Sandra". As Sandra turned slowly around, roaches started to swarm from her mouth and eyes and.......................................
-olisa
...and Sandra's head exploded! Denzel started to run for the door as millions of cockroaches crawled out of Sandra's body. He got out of the house and ran to the neighbor's house and knocked frantically on their door. A teenage boy, wearing a vampire costume opened the door, "Hey man, you're a too old to be trick or treating", he said. And Denzel realized that loud music was blaring inside and there were other people in costumes, they were having a Holloween party. "I need your help", Denzel said. "My wife, she..she's dead!" The boy laughed, thinking he was joking. "Come inside and join the party, man! You look like you need a drink," the boy said. "No,no,no, you don't understand! There's something wrong with my wife, she's dead!You need to help me!" Denzel yelled. The teenager realized that Denzel was serious and let him inside the house. When Denzel was inside, he looked around and saw that...
Marie Parker
He looked around and saw that four of Sandra's students, dressed in witches garb, had materialized in the room. The witches Miss Dee Dee, Trang, Lacey and Mayger knew they had to work fast to bring Sandra back to life. The most powerful of these four broomstick riders of the night - Miss Dee Dee - poured a glowing green potion over Sandra's body. These four sisters of Salem joined hands and began to chant and dance wildly around Sandra's glowing body. A whirlwind of light and brillance charged into Sandra's body and a large explosion filled the room. The smoke slowly cleared and Sandra stood in the middle of the room, her hair slightly charred, but full of life and vibrance. Miss Dee Dee commanded her sisters to fly back into the night, and departed the room on broomsticks. Sandra noticed the explosion had turned Denzell into a frog. Evidently, Denzell was Miss Dee Dee's THIRD husband and this was punishment for his insolence! Sandra staggered out into the cool October evening....
The last comment was William.
(I am in trouble with four of my classmates!)
The cockroaches crawling out of the vents in the house. Denzel try to get everyone out and no one would listen. All the under age drunk kids kept on dancing and partying. He didn’t know what to do and grab a 6pack of beer and ran out the door. Suddenly he woke up it was just a dream. But then he heard someone knocking at the door and when he open the door he saw…. Yesenia Gonzalez
.....He saw it was none other than Sandra. Horrified, he dropped down to his knees and begged her to not turn him into a from again. But Sandra just looked at him and pretended like he was in need of a mental hospital. She forced him up and out the door determined to take him to a psychiatrist, but Denzel knew it was a trick. He struggled to run away from Sandra's strong grip, but Sandra was prepared. She had her helpers Joey, Olisa and Parneet to assist her in......
Anum saif
But then behind them came back the Fabulous witch Ms. Dee Dee! She turned back and said "I turned Denzel into a frog, and that is how he must stay"! Anyone who upsets the Fabulous witch Ms. Dee Dee must pay the consequences! So she commanded Sandra, and her students Joey, Olisa, and Parneet to step aside - so they did, for fear of upsetting the great and wonderful Ms. Dee Dee as she cast a permanent spell on Denzel. So from then on all men, women and children feared the wrath of the great and powerful Ms. Dee Dee. Until someone else came along to challenge her power it was the ever so amazing and wonderful..........
~Ms. Dee Dee Chambers(as myself originally cast by William)
Somebody is using my name, yes it is prince Wonderful, that nasty witch Dee Dee is up to her natural self. I'll wait and catch the frog and take and it to neverland sure Michael would love to help Denzel, while on Neverland.........
Andrew Fantastic 5
Something was brewing up. Ms. Dee Dee's three sisters realized that their beloved sister was up to mischief again. Lacey, Trang & Mayger was determined to set thing straight. This cold and gloomy october night was getting stranger by the second. As the night in neverland trailed aways,... "Boom!!!" The three sister's plans to stop their sister was interrupted by...
Trang
(William lovely was of included me!)
Breaking News on the elections coming across on CNN. It turns out Barack Obama was declared the King of America. The three sisters decided stopping Dee Dee's plan would have to wait, and instead threw a victory party. When all the guests had arrived to the party suddenly the lights went out. Lightening began to burst from the sky, and the house seemed to shack like jello. Was this part of Dee Dee's plan? The sisters then discovered...
Leo Novakovskiy :)
Ms. Dee Dee caught wind of there plan to stop her and decided her three sisters needed a lesson of their own. She locked all of the doors and widows so no one could escape she could take them all down at one time in one place. How easy was this she thought with a laugh when suddenly....
Miranda Fuglsang
is there a new blog for this week?
Lacey, the youngest of the sisters, heard a "woosh" noise and instantly felt the arrow go through her heart. She knew that she would not be able to savor her last breath. Lacey's mind was racing-she knew that accepting death felt just like that split second when you decide to jump off a giant boulder into a lake for the first time. She felt incredibly light like she finally let go of all this weight that she'd been carrying her entire life. Then she started seeing psychodelic colors and...
-Javier Pasillas
she then realized that those mushrooms she ate were no ordinary mushrooms. It wAs at that point that she decided to call her brother billy bob who was suprisingly the person who gave those magic mushrooms to her. The colors she saw were vivid and strange, suddenly looking up she saw billy bob holding a knife and an iPod that was playing nsync. Billy bob leaped toward to grab her, it was at that moment superman cAme down and...............
Johnny sweeten
rescued her. Superman took her throughout the city while she was still intoxicated making her "trip" an exciting one. Superman, being tired after flying her around all of Sacramento, told her that she needed to go home because he was tired and needed to nap since he still had to write a paper that night about Martin Luther King's "Letter From a Birmingham Jail". She was sad because she still wanted to hang out but Superman didn't care because he had his priorities straight, knowing that school came first before girls. Lacey then . . .
MiGUEL MARQUEZ-SANCHEZ
then relized that she also had a paper due in pschology 340, on the affect of "special" mushrooms and the effect it has on the brain. although she wanted to hang out with superman she did get her prioity right and had superman drop her off, only to relize that this paper will not be hard to wright due to the fact that she has fist hand experience on the effects and outcomes of these "special" mushrooms, so with that set and done she leave behind the paper and begins to intake more of the "special" mushrooms. Lacey do not relize that......
Sorry forgot my name Victoria Smith and the word is does not
i was out one night around town and i seen a little boy walking with his friends heading to the store when i seen a dog
deyton
Lacey did not realize that all this school madness was an undercover ploy to attack her libido. She was so tireed from her wildish excusions, she was coming down from "shrooming" and Superman, the love of her life lieft her a note on her bed saying," I cannot love you, now or ever, love is kryptonite to my heart." With that beign noted she curled up into a little ball, feeling small, she remembered that there was still some magc potion that Billy Bob had given to her, so she reached into the showbox under her bed and........
~Lacey M. Schenider
Oh and by the way WILLIAM< Thanks for bringing me into this episode, again...
I love being a hillbilly drugster...lol
She saw i blurry dark shadow in the parking lot right next to her car. As she walked closer the figure didnt move, she," Hi," to the figure but there was no response. She could see shinny long knives on his hands. All of a sudden as she stood at her car.....
Danielle Hansen
ooppss i did the wrong thing. let me try again.....
She reached into the box and pulled out the potion. She thought for a minute about all the good memories she had with the love of her life. She began to weep and opened the potion bottle. She poured the potion into her mouth. she started choking when all of a sudden....
Danielle Hansen
Danielle Hansen you watched romeo and juliet,lol
Anna Martinez
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