Doug Woods

The Poetry Workshop

The other morning I went along to a poetry workshop, it was the first I had ever attended. Being my first, I was unsure what to expect. This is what happened. … We met in the cafe of an old theatre. There were seven of us in all; four I had met before, two new…… Continue reading The Poetry Workshop

I Once Wrote Some Poems part 2

I handed my poetry to my English teacher… It was two weeks before I got it back. I had expected red marks and comments on each poem, I had expected some grade, some pointers, some advice. Instead, all I got was; “Thank you for letting me read your work.” I’m not sure if that was…… Continue reading I Once Wrote Some Poems part 2

I Once Wrote Some Poems then Suddenly Stopped

When I was younger, I wrote some poems, received praise and had them published. Then I suddenly stopped. This is the story … I blame my English teacher at school. He was responsible for starting this all off. When I was fifteen or sixteen and still at school, our English teacher gave the class a…… Continue reading I Once Wrote Some Poems then Suddenly Stopped

Public Speaking for Introverts

I am naturally an introvert, so this article grabbed my attention. It outlines five strategies for delivering a speech in public. Some of these strategies I have tried myself and I am sure they could work for extroverts as well as for introverts such as myself. Here is a link to the article, 5 Strategies…… Continue reading Public Speaking for Introverts

How Do You Become a Public Speaker?

https://qr.ae/TWrFO4 There are many ways to become a public speaker. The starting point is to stand before an audience and speak. It does not matter what size your audience is; the first step is always to stand and speak. Some people go on to speak in front of an audience of hundreds or even thousands…… Continue reading How Do You Become a Public Speaker?

What Does Your Coffee Cup Say About You?

Do you know what this is? Of course, you do; it’s a take-away coffee cup. Yet. It is not any ordinary coffee cup, it is a Starbucks coffee cup. Furthermore, it is not just any old Starbucks coffee cup, it is a Starbucks Reserve coffee cup. This cup says a lot about me. It says…… Continue reading What Does Your Coffee Cup Say About You?

The Evening Lake

This image was taken one evening while I was staying at a hotel near Chepstow in Wales.

The Challenging Speaker

The Challenging Speaker I make a great point of telling an audience that I am not a Motivational Speaker nor an Inspirational Speaker. I am, however, a challenging speaker. To my mind, calling yourself a Motivational Speaker could almost be an insult to your audience. It suggests that they are lazy, unproductive and lack motivation.…… Continue reading The Challenging Speaker

Learning Public Speaking With Toastmasters

I first joined Toastmasters 4 years ago and I did so because I wanted to learn Public Speaking. I first heard of Toastmasters a few years prior to joining. A family friend had revealed that he was a member of the organisation and he told me some of what went on at their meetings. I…… Continue reading Learning Public Speaking With Toastmasters

Speech Writing

There are many different types of speech and almost as many different ways of writing a speech. Like all good speech writers, I like to vary my approach according to the nature of the speech to be written. I tend to follow 3 criteria when writing a speech; The person delivering the speech The occasion…… Continue reading Speech Writing