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Case-Writing--how to write effective AFF and NEG speeches

A.Affirmative and Negative Structure

1. Introduction

The introduction should not be used to define terms or to make some grand point; it should be used to preview your case as follows. Take for example this introduction:

"Capital punishment is a unique consequence. There is no other penalty in terms of a punishment that dares to blatantly take a life. But by taking a life, we devalue life, and only then can we understand the injustice that the death penalty forces upon the surrounding society. And it shall be this fact that will be examined in today’s round. As the negative, I shall prove that because capital punishment will go so far as to take a life, other injustices are created. In explaining these injustiices, I shall negate the resolution, ‘capital punishment is justified.’"

In this introduction, the key ideas of the case are implied, and a direct stance against the resolution is taken.

Write an AFF or NEG introduction for the resolution: "Governmental limitations on political campaign spending are antithetical to democratic ideals." Now review your introduction, checking for 1) implied key ideas, 2) direct statement of position, and 3) NO basic assumptions, but reasonable lead-ins to your argument. Do not go on until this check list is verified.

The next part of the introduction is the definitions. Provide definitions that are reasonable but are not the basis of your case. You don’t want a definition debate. Find definitions for your cases. Are they reasonable?

The final part of the introduction is the value-criterion statement. Provide a one-word value (I recommend justice) and use only one, concise sentence to provide the meaning of your value to the case. Use a one-word criterion and a short sentence to explain it as well.

Look over your introduction, which should be less than a page each, and see that all logic is correct. Read it over as if it were a debate, and STOP for today. Do the next part tomorrow.

2. Observations

First of all, observations are not needed; they should only be used if they are crucial to your case as an attack or as a common defense, i.e. capital punishment as a tool. Second of all, they should not take up more than 8 lines of text; anything more is a waste of space and a waste of time to explain. Third of all, try to avoid using more than one observation and anything more than 2 observations is a really confusing case for the judge. If you want to write an observation, speak to others about it before you use it—it might not be worth your time to explain.

If you have written an observation, does it 1) Have a logical flow? 2) Does it prove anything? 3) Does it conflict too much? (If you have to spend 3 minutes in rebuttal defending it, chances are that it is not worth it. Use this checklist before you advance to the next step. If you have written an observation for one case, read it out loud. STOP; otherwise, go on to the next part.

3. Contentions

Contentions are the heart of your case. Use no more than three for both AFF and NEG, and explain each one in equal detail. Otherwise, your focus may be too much on one contention and too little on another. Take a day or two to think of reasonable contentions, and test their logic on others; if they can defeat a contention, anyone can. Once you have thought of reasonable contentions, type one every day, check for logic, and read it over for practice. Therefore, writing contentions for each case should take no more than 4 or 5 days. Here is a list of DO’s and DO NOT’s:

• DO think over your contentions for at least a day before writing them.
• DO write a single contention each day.
• DO NOT make your "tag-line" for the contention a complex sentence
• DO make the "tag-line" short and therefore easily understood by all.
• DO NOT, with few exceptions, make a contention that is more than a page in length.
• DO NOT make abstract or historical metaphors/examples that take a long time to set up. The judge will get lost in a sea of explanations if you do this.
• DO review your contentions by yourself to see if they make sense.
• DO read them aloud to see if you can read them effectively; that is, to see that the contentions flow with your speaking style.
• DO show contentions to others to see if 1) they can understand the argument, 2) they can determine that it’s reasonable, and 3) they can or cannot effectively dispute what you’re saying. If you can pass these three checks (with the more people the better), you’ve got yourself a contention.
• DO understand how your contention relates to your value and criteria—drawing a connection is the best thing that you can do with an experienced judge.
• Finally, DO see that the contentions prove something—the most obvious point but also easily the most overlooked.

That’s the list of DO’s and DO NOT’s—now let’s go on to the structure of your case. There are 4 key parts:

1. The TAG-LINE—easily the most crucial part of the contention, because, often, it’s the only thing that the judge writes down about the contention. Make it short and sweet. i.e. "Capital punishment is torture," NOT "because of the injustices in the surrounding society, along with the injustice of capital punishment in itself, we must reject the death penalty because it is a cruel and unusual punishment called torture." The judge would ALWAYS prefer to write down the first tag line. Make it short by making it direct.

2. The BODY, or REASONING SECTION, is your justification for the tag-line. Once again, concise sentences that get to the point are best. Don’t make outrageous claims—just say quickly what you mean. How you convey it may not be the strongest in the beginning, which is why we write cases at least two weeks in advance before your 1^st tournament.

3. EXAMPLES—Nice, but not necessary. Do not go into overly complex examples about something like "radio-interferiometry" especially if it has nothing to do with the resolution. You may feel smart, but the judge won’t, and his or her confusion won’t help your case. Don’t talk about your cat Sylvester or your bird Tweety if the topic is journalism. Give an example about a journalist, real-life or not. When the example relates to the resolution, it’s that much easier to understand.

4. The VALUE CONNECTION is often forgotten by novices but is always used by the best. Tie your contention into the value or criteria. For example, if your value is justice and the contention is "capital punishment is torture," make the connection as follows: "Because capital punishment promotes and causes torture, it does anything but promote justice. Torture is never just." See? The judge gets in his mind that not only is capital punishment torture, but that this very fact makes it unjust. The connection is madeà Capital punishmentà Tortureà injustice. The judge will remember to negate.

That’s how you write a contention. Follow these guidelines, and you will be well on your way to writing a solid case. Remember, write a contention a day. NOTE: IF YOU NEED PRACTICE WITH THE WORDING OF TAG LINES, GO TO THE END OF THE REBUTTAL PRACTICE CASE SECTION FIRST.

4. The Conclusion

It’s time to wrap up your case—but how do you do it without sounding repetitive, or even worse, putting the judge to sleep? Well, simply state the contentions, but not in the form of "My first contention was…"—that’s boring and unimaginative. Make the value connection with all of your contentions to make a case that’s tighter than a ball of string. To use the capital punishment example once again, here’s a solid conclusion that the judge will remember: "Capital punishment truly is unique; it provides the government with the power to control, manipulate, and take life; capital punishment kills mercilessly because it assumes continual guilt; and with capital punishment, rehabilitation can never occur and thus a grave injustice has been done not only to the criminal but to the surrounding society. As the death penalty lives on, justice continues to die." This conclusion is short and makes the point that the continuation of capital punishment cannot support the value of justice. That’s a conclusion—just make the connection. Use another day to write the conclusion.

That’s how you write a case.

B. How to present a Constructive Speech—you’ve got a case, now what??!

1. First Read-Through; Getting to know your case--The title of this section is what it is—just read your case out loud one time. Through this read-through, you will see how this case fits your personality—where you should speak loudly, softly, etc. Read it in front of as many others as you can—get a feel for what this case is like; you’ll be using it for the next few months. Try to avoid stuttering and don’t get lost—read it as if it were a debate round: with a purpose and an attitude. After you’ve read it, get the opinions from around the rooms (I suggest using the Speaking Checklist and the end of this packet), and continue on to #2: Scansion.

2. Scansion—Print out two copies of both your AFF and your NEG case, and put one aside. You will be SCANNING the second copy. SCANNING is a technique used to visibly show the words you should emphasize through underlining key words. That’s all it is—a technique of underlining the words that you feel are most important. Let’s scan the following sentence: "When two rights come into conflict, one will undoubtedly take precedence, but the lesser right is not eliminated." SCANNED, this sentence should be as follows: "When two rights come into conflict, one will undoubtedly take precedence, but the lesser right is not eliminated." Read this sentence out loud—the focus is on the key words, and the judge will better understand what you’re saying. Now, with that said, scan both of your cases to the best of your abilities and read them out loud—the more of an audience using the speaking guidelines sheet, the better. Ask them how much your speaking style has changed—was it for the better or the worse?

3. Memorization—Move on to the rebuttal section as you work through the end of the Constructive speech section—do both at the same time, but pace yourself. Memorization is what it is; memorize as much of your case as you can. This is not to say that you should walk into your next tournament with the case memorized, but you should know the general wording of your cases, so that you can make more eye contact and generally look all the more confident for your efforts. DO NOT try to memorize the case. Just read the case at least once each day, letting the prose soak into the inner depths of your mind. Know which contention is which, and generally how the contentions are set up. It will really help you in cross-examination, as you will really know your case. Read it aloud as you look through the case if you want to—just concentrate on knowing what you’re reading—and don’t let a detail slip through the grasp of your keen eye. Present it at least once a week and try to avoid over-dependence on the paper itself—make eye contact with the people you are presenting to. I will just remind you by saying that practice makes perfect; the more you read over the case, the better prepared you will be by the time the first tournament rolls around.

4. The Final Presentation—Go to the tournament, case in hand, ready to give an unbelievable constructive speech.