Introduction

This general rule applies to all events:

Good Material for Interpretation Events

Each interpretation event requires you to select material to read. While the coaches will help and guide you, they do not have a supply of material to give you. It is up to you to find the material you will read and interpret. It is, after all, going to be something that you like and will not grow tired of quickly.

To find your selection, start by recalling works or authors that you have read and enjoyed; there may be good material there, or you might identify a topic or style of literature that you could explore further. One of the benefits of forensics is that it turns participants into avid readers - "interpers" are always on the lookout for more good material.

To be competitive you need good material. But don't spend too much time looking for "just the right reading." There is no perfect reading, and there is a lot of good literature out there. Be ready to try different things, different moods, different arrays of emotion. Some of your success will be due to the material you choose, but most of your success will come from what you do with the material.

Here are some characteristics of good material for interpretation:

• It should be adult literature. Sometimes readers do children's stories, but rarely do they score high competitively. Be wary of material that sounds juvenile or "high-schoolish."
• Good literature is universal - that is, it explores themes and situations that touch the experience of all people at all times.
• Good literature is individual - that is, the author explores the universal theme in a unique and special way, so that even if we have experienced the theme before, it seems fresh and new.
• Good literature has depth - that is, it stimulates the listener's thought and imagination more and more each time through, and the performer is still discovering new elements to convey on the 30th and 40th times the piece is performed.
• A good selection contains a variety of feelings, moods, and emotions. It doesn't sound "all the same" but rather gives you a chance to display several aspects of your speaking ability.
• A good selection does its job within the allotted time limit. Usually you must cut parts out of a selection so it fits your time limit, 10 minutes maximum. Shoot for a cutting that, on first reading, lasts 7 or 8 minutes. As you work on them, readings tend to take more time.

Check your selection choice with the coaches. They will advise you regarding its quality, and especially whether it is a piece that is too often done on the circuit.

The Limited Preparation Events

These are events in which you do not have your entire performance planned and rehearsed ahead of time, since you do not know the exact topic on which you will speak until you get to the tournament. But these events are not "unprepared." There is a lot you can (and must) do on your own and in practice sessions to become competitive in these events.

The Prepared Public Address Events

These speeches are thoroughly researched, outlined, written, memorized, and practiced before the tournament. Good topics are important, but more important are the skills in analysis, organization, language, and delivery that you will display.

Debate

Debate involves head-to-head competition with an individual or team from another school either on an annual topic (LD) or on a topic announced at the start of the round (PD).

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