Obama speechwriter: Second inaugural was tough to write

The president’s chief speechwriter explained why Monday’s address was among the most difficult he’s written. Plus, bad writing advice, reverse outlining, and more.

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Many speechwriters have written a speech as long as President Obama’s inaugural address this week; however, fewer scribes are familiar with the long, sometimes agonizing process of crafting such a speech. The chief speechwriter at the White House provided a glimpse into the work behind the speech this week.

Also, the value of outlining in reverse, Zen writing, bad writing advice, and more.

Writing the inaugural address: President Obama’s inaugural address this week was chided by conservatives as divisive, while being lauded by liberals for its themes of inclusiveness. Either way, there’s no doubt that it was bolder than anything we heard on the campaign trail. In an interview with The Huffington Post, White House chief speechwriter Jon Favreau discusses why his boss’s second inaugural address was one of the most difficult he’s written, and how he approached the lengthy process. Read the article here.

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