A course in speech writing (preparing speeches for delivery by another person) is critical to the development of public speaking skills for college students. Unlike the traditional public speaking course, speech writing classes emphasize the preparation of the content of a speech over the delivery of the message. Students develop the ability to construct an eloquent and appropriate message that fits the oral style of a speech. Factors such as arrangement, idea or argument development, evidence, emotional and ethical appeals, transitions, as well as stylistic features like the use of metaphors, antithesis, and personification come to the forefront. Additionally, instructors are not limited to five minutes of harried evaluation on the day the student gives the speech. Careful semester-long feedback is given to the students to indicate the strengths and weaknesses of their manuscripts. Speech writing classes complement the traditional public speaking class experience because they emphasize those elements of the public speaking process that tend to receive less attention due to the nature of a performance class. (KEH)