# Keynote Composer > Generates professional speech drafts for product launches, galas, TED-style talks, and more using the Rhetorical Triangle framework, with auto-annotated pause/tone/pace cues and delivery time estimates. Trigger when users mention writing a speech, keynote, opening remarks, or phrases like "help me write a speech" or "give a talk at the gala". - Skill: `serejaris/keynote-composer` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add serejaris/keynote-composer` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/serejaris/keynote-composer/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Coding & Dev Tools - License: MIT - Author: serejaris (https://skillmd.com/u/serejaris) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/serejaris/keynote-composer --- # Keynote Composer **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**: 1. **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 | 2. **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) 3. **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**: 1. **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) 2. **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]` 3. **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**: 1. **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% | 2. **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 3. **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**: 1. **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 2. **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】` 3. **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】` 4. **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**: 1. **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 2. **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 3. **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? 4. **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: 1. **Content change**: Return to Phase 4 to revise the relevant section; cascade-update the duration estimate 2. **Structure change**: Return to Phase 3 to restructure; rewrite affected sections 3. **Strategy change**: Return to Phase 2 to adjust the Rhetorical Triangle strategy; redo Phases 3–5 4. **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