One-line brief → professional speech draft: Built on Aristotle's Rhetorical Triangle (Ethos · Pathos · Logos), generates speech drafts tailored to product launches, galas, TED-style talks, and more—with a built-in pause/tone/pace annotation system and automatic delivery time estimation.
Quick Start
Simply describe the occasion and topic, and the Agent follows the SOP to produce a fully annotated speech draft:
User: Write a CEO address for our annual gala—reviewing last year's achievements and looking ahead
Agent: [Outputs a speech draft with pause/tone annotations + estimated duration per the SOP]
Annotation System
Speech drafts use 【】 markers to cue the speaker on rhythm and emotion:
| Category | Example | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Pause | 【Pause 2s】 |
Seconds of silence—builds suspense or lets the audience absorb a point |
| Tone | 【Tone: passionate】 【Tone: composed】 【Tone: warm】 |
Shifts the emotional register |
| Pace | 【Pace: slower】 【Pace: faster】 【Pace: resume normal】 |
Adjusts speaking speed |
| Action | 【Scan the room】 【Face the left section】 【Walk to center stage】 |
Body language and stage movement cues |
| Emphasis | 【Emphasis】 |
Stress the next sentence or word |
| Interaction | 【Wait for applause】 【Raise hand to invite audience participation】 |
Audience engagement moments |
Duration Estimation Rules
- Chinese speech pace varies by occasion (see Phase 5 parameters): product launch 230 chars/min, gala 220, TED-style 240, ceremonial 200
- English speech pace: 130 words/min (TED-style approx. 140–160 words/min)
- Pause durations are summed separately
- Interaction segments (applause, Q&A) are estimated per annotation
- Final output format:
Estimated duration: XX min XX sec (body XX words + pauses XX sec + interaction XX sec)
SOP Workflow
Phase 1: Context & Requirements Clarification
Goal: Establish the occasion, audience, purpose, and constraints.
Steps:
-
Identify the speech type and confirm which category it falls into:
Type Typical Occasions Style Characteristics Product Launch Product release, strategy announcement, brand reveal Confident, forward-looking, tight pacing; heavy on Logos + Ethos Gala / Celebration Annual gala address, anniversary, awards ceremony Warm, reflective, inspiring; heavy on Pathos + Ethos TED-style Thought leadership, industry insight, personal story Story-driven, thought-provoking; heavy on Pathos + Logos Ceremonial Opening/closing remarks, graduation, inaugural address Dignified, concise, ritualistic; heavy on Ethos -
Ask clarifying questions (up to 5 key questions):
- What is the occasion and event name?
- What is the speaker's role/title? (Determines Ethos strategy)
- Who is the target audience? (Employees / clients / investors / general public)
- What is the core purpose of the speech? (Inspire / inform / persuade / celebrate)
- What is the target duration? (If unspecified, recommend based on occasion)
-
If the user asks to skip clarification, proceed with sensible defaults for the occasion type and note assumptions at the top of the draft
Output: Speech Context Summary Card
📋 Speech Context Summary
- Type: [Product Launch / Gala / TED-style / Ceremonial]
- Occasion: [Event name]
- Speaker: [Role / Title]
- Audience: [Target audience]
- Core purpose: [Inspire / Inform / Persuade / Celebrate]
- Target duration: [X minutes]
- Language: [English / Chinese]
Phase 2: Rhetorical Triangle Analysis
Goal: Design a persuasion strategy based on Aristotle's Rhetorical Triangle.
The Rhetorical Triangle:
Ethos (Credibility)
/ \
/ Speech Effectiveness \
/ \
Pathos (Emotion) ——— Logos (Logic)
Steps:
-
Ethos Analysis (Building Credibility):
- What is the speaker's source of authority? (Title, experience, achievements, expertise)
- How should the opening establish trust? (Introduction strategy, shared identity, humble opener)
- Where in the speech should credibility be reinforced? (Citing data sources, referencing personal experience)
- Output an Ethos strategy list (3–5 specific tactics)
-
Pathos Analysis (Emotional Resonance):
- What is the target emotional arc? (Starting emotion → transformation → landing emotion)
- What are the core emotional triggers? (Stories, imagery, contrast, suspense)
- What are the audience's emotional pain points or resonance points?
- Output an emotional arc design:
[Opening emotion] → [Turning point] → [Climax] → [Closing emotion]
-
Logos Analysis (Logical Argumentation):
- What is the central thesis? (One sentence capturing the speech's core message)
- What evidence supports it? (Data, case studies, analogies, causal reasoning)
- Choose an argument structure:
- Timeline (Past → Present → Future)
- Problem–Solution (Pain point → Solution → Results)
- Tricolon (Three parallel arguments)
- Output an argumentation framework outline
Output: Rhetorical Triangle Strategy Table
| Dimension | Core Strategy | Specific Tactics | Placement in Draft |
|-----------|---------------|------------------|--------------------|
| Ethos | [Strategy] | [Tactic 1, 2…] | [Opening / Body / Close] |
| Pathos | [Strategy] | [Tactic 1, 2…] | [Opening / Body / Close] |
| Logos | [Strategy] | [Tactic 1, 2…] | [Opening / Body / Close] |
Phase 3: Structure Design & Time Allocation
Goal: Design the overall speech structure and allocate time to each section.
Steps:
-
Select a structural model (based on occasion and rhetorical strategy):
Structure Best For Section Breakdown Classic Three-Part General use, gala addresses Opening 15% · Body 70% · Close 15% Hero's Journey TED-style, personal narratives Ordinary → Challenge → Crisis → Turning Point → Transformation → Insight Problem–Solution–Vision Product launches, strategy speeches Pain point 20% · Solution 50% · Vision 30% Monroe's Motivated Sequence Persuasive speeches Attention → Need → Satisfaction → Visualization → Action Timeline Retrospectives, summaries Past 25% · Present 35% · Future 40% -
Draft a section outline:
- For each section, note: topic sentence + rhetorical focus (E/P/L) + estimated duration
- Map the emotional arc to corresponding sections
- Mark positions for key pauses and interaction points
-
Time allocation table:
| Section | Content Summary | Rhetorical Focus | Est. Word Count | Est. Duration | |---------|-----------------|-------------------|-----------------|---------------| | Opening | [Summary] | E/P | XXX words | X min X sec | | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | | Total | | | XXX words | X min X sec |
Output: Section outline + time allocation table
Phase 4: Speech Drafting (with Annotations)
Goal: Write the complete speech draft with embedded pause, tone, pace, and action annotations.
Steps:
-
Write the opening (Critical: the first 30 seconds determine audience attention):
- Choose an opening strategy (by occasion):
- Product launch: Suspense ("Today, we're about to redefine XXX")
- Gala: Gratitude ("Standing here, looking at each of your faces…")
- TED-style: Story ("Three years ago, late one night, I received an email…")
- Ceremonial: Quotation ("As XXX once said…")
- Opening annotation requirement: must include at least 1
【Pause】and 1【Tone】marker
- Choose an opening strategy (by occasion):
-
Write the body:
- Draft section by section per the Phase 3 outline
- Insert a transition sentence +
【Pause 2–3s】between sections - Before key data or arguments, add
【Pace: slower】+【Emphasis】 - At emotional peaks, add
【Tone】shift markers - In narrative passages, use vivid imagery and mark
【Pace: slower】
-
Write the closing (Critical: the final sentence will be remembered longest):
- Choose a closing strategy:
- Callback (echo the opening)
- Quotable closer (leave the audience with one shareable line)
- Call to action (CTA)
- Vision painting (depict a compelling future)
- Closing annotation requirement: the last sentence must be preceded by
【Pause 3s】+【Tone】
- Choose a closing strategy:
-
Annotation density control:
- Average 1 annotation per 100–150 words (English) or characters (Chinese)
- Avoid stretches longer than 300 words/characters without an annotation (the audience loses rhythm)
- Higher annotation density in the opening and closing than in the body
Writing Style Guidelines:
| Occasion | Sentence Style | Preferred Rhetoric | Avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product Launch | Short sentences, strong rhythm | Parallelism, contrast, rhetorical questions | Long preambles, excessive modesty |
| Gala | Mix of long and short, warmth | Reminiscence, metaphor, parallelism | Empty slogans, monotonous recounting |
| TED-style | Conversational, storytelling feel | Suspense, imagery, plot twists | Reading-from-script tone, jargon overload |
| Ceremonial | Stately, well-cadenced | Quotations, balanced phrasing, parallelism | Overly colloquial, off-topic tangents |
Output: Fully annotated speech draft
Phase 5: Duration Estimation & Final Review
Goal: Accurately estimate delivery time and conduct a final quality check.
Steps:
-
Duration calculation:
- Count total words in the body text (excluding annotations)
- Select a pace baseline by speech type:
- Product launch: 230 chars/min (tight pacing) — for Chinese
- Gala address: 220 chars/min (unhurried, composed) — for Chinese
- TED-style: 240 chars/min (natural, conversational) — for Chinese
- Ceremonial: 200 chars/min (dignified, slower) — for Chinese
- English speeches: 130 words/min (TED-style: 140–160 words/min)
- Sum all annotated pause durations
- Sum estimated interaction time (applause ≈ 5–8s, Q&A ≈ 15–30s)
- Compute total duration
-
Duration adjustment (if deviation from target exceeds 10%):
- Over time: mark sections that can be cut (tag as
[Optional section]), suggest trimming - Under time: mark positions for expansion, suggest adding stories/examples/interaction
- Over time: mark sections that can be cut (tag as
-
Rhetorical Triangle check:
- Ethos: Is credibility established within the first minute?
- Pathos: Is the emotional arc complete? Is the climax around the two-thirds mark?
- Logos: Is the central thesis clear? Is the evidence sufficient?
-
Annotation quality check:
- Does the opening have tone + pause annotations?
- Are there pause annotations at section transitions?
- Are there tone shift annotations at emotional turning points?
- Are there emphasis/pace annotations before key data or quotable lines?
- Does the closing have pause + tone annotations?
Output:
📊 Duration Estimate Report
- Body word count: XXX words
- Pace baseline: XXX words/min
- Body reading time: X min X sec
- Total pauses: X sec (X instances)
- Interaction allowance: X sec (X instances)
- Estimated total duration: X min X sec
- Target duration: X minutes
- Deviation: [±X%, within range / needs adjustment]
✅ Rhetorical Triangle Check
- Ethos (Credibility): [Pass / Needs work] — [Brief note]
- Pathos (Emotion): [Pass / Needs work] — [Brief note]
- Logos (Logic): [Pass / Needs work] — [Brief note]
✅ Annotation Completeness Check
- Total annotations: X
- Annotation density: ~1 per XXX words
- Opening annotations: [Complete / Missing]
- Transition annotations: [Complete / Missing]
- Closing annotations: [Complete / Missing]
Flow Control Rules
Interaction Mode Selection
| User Input | Mode | Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Occasion + topic only (< 50 words) | Guided mode | Run Phase 1 questions, wait for answers, then proceed |
| Some detail (occasion + audience + purpose) | Semi-auto mode | Ask 2–3 key questions while beginning rhetorical analysis |
| Detailed brief (> 200 words) | Full-auto mode | Skip clarification, go straight to Phase 2 |
| User says "just write it / skip the questions" | Quick mode | Draft the full speech based on reasonable assumptions |
Iterative Refinement
When the user provides feedback on the draft:
- Content change: Return to Phase 4 to revise the relevant section; cascade-update the duration estimate
- Structure change: Return to Phase 3 to restructure; rewrite affected sections
- Strategy change: Return to Phase 2 to adjust the Rhetorical Triangle strategy; redo Phases 3–5
- Occasion change: Return to Phase 1 to re-clarify; restart the full workflow
After every change, re-run Phase 5 duration estimation and quality checks.
Reference Methodologies
- Aristotle's Rhetorical Triangle: Ethos (credibility), Pathos (emotion), Logos (logic)—the three-dimensional persuasion framework
- Monroe's Motivated Sequence: Attention → Need → Satisfaction → Visualization → Action
- Hero's Journey: Joseph Campbell's narrative arc, ideal for TED-style speeches
- Rule of Three: Three parallel points are the most memorable in a speech
- Peak-End Rule: Audiences primarily remember the emotional peak and the ending—guides annotation density placement