You can write. But can you speak your writing aloud with confidence and ease?

You’ve spent time developing your voice on the page. But put you in front of a small audience, or a microphone, and your voice retreats.

You rush. You over-explain. You lose the thread.

It happens at readings. On podcasts. In interviews. When you’re the one holding the piece of paper at the wedding.

This workshop was built for that gap.

Over three focused hours, you’ll move between writing and speaking—generating new material, shaping it for the ear, and learning how to deliver it with authority. You’ll leave the workshop with a short spoken piece and the knowledge of how to approach the challenge of facing an audience.

What You’ll Learn

How to find your through-line. Storm your thoughts onto the page—then learn how to find the spine of what you want to say. What will your audience respond to?

How to write for the ear. The spoken word asks for different things than the written one — shorter sentences, sharper rhythm, no dead language. You’ll learn to hear the difference.

How to memorize through image and emotion. Not mechanical repetition, but with imaginative circumstances that locate you in the heart of what you’re saying.

How to embody your words so your audience feels as well as hears. You’re not just a talking head! Your body is a key component in getting your audience’s mirror neurons to fire. Plus, when your body is occupied with what you’re saying, it forgets to feel nervous.

How to bring ease to any speaking situation. The key is rehearsal, and developing your own connection to your words.

Especially useful for:

• Writers preparing for readings, book events, or author talks

• Anyone giving a speech — wedding, memorial, celebration of life

• Podcast hosts and guests

• Teachers, coaches, and therapists who speak about their work

• Anyone who has something worth saying and wants to say it well

Your Workshop Leaders

Allegra Huston, co-founder of Imaginative Storm, is the bestselling author of six books including Love Child: A Memoir of Family Lost and Found. Her TEDxAsheville talk on Imaginative Intelligence has garnered thousands of views and a stack of enthusiastic comments on YouTube.

James Navé has worked professionally in performance poetry, storytelling, memorization, and public presentation since the 1980s. He co-founded Poetry Alive!, was a founding facilitator for TEDxNewYork salons, and has coached multiple TEDx speakers.

Together, Allegra and Navé have decades of experience in helping people find a stronger creative voice and bring their work into the world.

No prior experience required. The emphasis is on connection, not perfection.