We believe that every person and organization has a unique story that only they can tell — one that can inspire, inform, influence, and move people to action.

We help our clients to find their stories — to develop, express, and amplify their ideas — to help good organizations lead meaningful change, good leaders become thought leaders, and good people make a difference in the world.

What We Do

Message Audits

Is your message breaking through?

Before you refine or reinvent your message, you need to take stock of what you’re already saying—and whether the right people are listening. West Wing Writers can conduct a Message Audit that points the way forward for your organization. We’ll undertake a thorough review of the story you’re telling the world—through your speeches, interviews, op-eds, web copy, and other communications—to assess the consistency, clarity, and tone of your message, and to update it.

Conversation Audits

Who is saying what to whom? Effective leaders know the answer.

The marketplace of ideas isn’t a vacuum—so your message development process shouldn’t be conducted in one. Before you launch a new strategy or step to the podium, you need to know what your natural allies or competitors are
saying. West Wing Writers can help you
understand where the conversation is heading, so that you can lead it.

Core Narratives

Sometimes, you need to tell your story better. Other times, you need a better story to tell.

A core narrative tells your story — defining who you are, what you do, what makes you unique, and how your interests and aspirations intersect with those of the larger world.

A core narrative becomes an organization’s source code — serving as the basis of internal and external communications.

Thought Leadership Platforms

Our clients don’t want to hear themselves talk; they want to lead a conversation.

The greatest leaders are men and women of ideas. Ideas worth exploring, debating, and pursuing. Ideas so sweeping and ground-breaking that they change the way people think — and act. This is thought leadership.

Developing a thought leadership platform requires a meaningful investment of time, research, and deliberation — well before thought leadership can be exercised in speeches, op-eds, books, and other external communications.

Message Frameworks

Builders work from blueprints. So do leaders.

Analyzing your messaging — and others’ — is not an end in itself. It’s a step toward improving your argument and sharpening your case for change. We take our findings and translate them into a clear, concise framework of key messages and phrases that will help you — and all the leaders of your organization — present your ideas and plans to all your key audiences.

Speeches

Speech is action.

Nothing rivals the power of a speech: To transform an idea into action. Chart a new and clear course. Energize employees. Excite shareholders. Contain a crisis. Define a debate. Win a campaign.

Our speeches have been delivered from the world’s most important stages: TED. The World Economic Forum in Davos. The Clinton Global Initiative. Cannes Lions. The Aspen Ideas Festival. G8 meetings. The National Press Club. Our words have been heard in Shanghai and Mumbai and Berlin and São Paulo.

Our clients don’t want to sound like they hired a speechwriter. Whatever we write for you — whether a keynote address, analyst presentation, stump speech, or even talking points — will be in your voice, expressing your vision, advancing your goals.

Because a speech ought to do more than say where you’re going — it should help you get there.

Conference Messaging & Multi-Speaker Scripts

The best conferences cover a lot of ground, but advance one key theme.

A successful conference has a lot of moving parts — speeches, panels, slides, video — and a well-crafted script can make sure it all runs smoothly.

Whatever the focus of your conference, we help make certain that your message gets across.

Humor

Being funny is serious business.

When elected officials and leading executives need to make people laugh, they come to us. We’ve written humor for presidents, CEOs, and movie stars — even a couple of Supreme Court justices. Our speeches have been called “a tough act to follow” by Politico, and “the kind of nuanced political commentary that would draw big laughs on late-night television” by the Washington Times.

We’ve written comedy for presenters at the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center, and for speakers at the White House Correspondents Dinner, the Gridiron Club, the Alfalfa Club, Bohemian Grove, and numerous other corporate roasts and toasts.

We also help our clients prepare for appearances on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Colbert Report, and other late-night shows.

Op-eds, Blog Posts & Articles

Your byline can jumpstart a national conversation.

In a media environment where only the most compelling ideas break through, few things reverberate further than a well-timed and crisply written op-ed or essay.

The pieces we write advance important arguments, propose new policy ideas, and challenge the status quo. Chances are you’ve already read our work — maybe even this morning — in the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, The International Herald Tribune, or Forbes.

White Papers & Reports

Prepare a report that people actually want to read.

West Wing Writers has written annual reports and conference reports for foundations, think tanks, and Fortune 100 companies; we’ve drafted white papers for leaders of hospitals, energy companies, and nonprofits.

Books

Some ideas deserve to be bestsellers.

We have deep experience in writing and publishing books that not only inform, but engage — books that change minds, start conversations, and influence outcomes.

West Wing Writers’ books are, reviewers say, “remarkably well written” (Financial Times), “genuine and heartfelt” (Washington Post), and “a clarion call” (New York Journal of Books).

We work with our clients through every step of the book-writing process. We offer strategic guidance to refine an idea, craft a book proposal, and identify the right literary agent. We research, write, and edit manuscripts. We help our clients navigate the publishing process. And we develop “beyond the book” strategies, to keep our clients’ ideas in the news long after publication.

Media Training

On air. On message.

We’ll work with you to make that big media opportunity a big success.

Our media training sessions deliver practical instruction in an actual interview environment, with a camera crew, lights, and experienced interviewer.

We review and analyze previous media appearances to help clients build on their strengths. We advise clients on how to prepare for an interview; how to hone a message; how to use every question as an opportunity to advance a core message; how to sharpen sound bites; how to establish clear ground rules for questions; how to identify and avoid questioner traps; how to achieve maximum effect on TV; how to use positive body language; how to speak directly into a camera; and how to handle hostile questions.

What makes our approach unique is that we include a broadcast journalist and a speechwriter in each session — combining a reporter’s ear and a writer’s pen to help you craft answers in real time that stick.

Speech Coaching

Compelling content deserves a compelling performance.

Our speech coaches help our clients ensure that the power of their message is matched by the power of their presentation.

Our speech coaching sessions equip our clients with the tools they need for success at the podium. We cover how to prepare; how to rehearse; how to use teleprompters and microphones; how to identify which words and phrases to emphasize; how to manage nervousness; even what to wear. Your confidence as a presenter will generate confidence in your mission.

Workshops &
Presentations

Communication is art. We’ll teach you the brushstrokes.

Our workshops are designed to convey practical skills that can turn the art of persuasive writing into an approachable craft for you and your organization.

We offer workshops ranging from half-a-day to multi-day.

We don’t just write speeches; we deliver them.

West Wing Writers’ partners and principals speak often at corporate conferences, universities, and special events, like South By Southwest.

We’re always happy to step up to the podium and share our insights into the craft of writing and message development, or to tell stories about our experience at the White House, in political campaigns, or in writing humor for politicians and CEOs.

Thank you!

Uh oh. There was an error sending your message.

Washington, DC

New York

San Francisco

We believe that every person and organization has a unique story that only they can tell — one that can inspire, inform, influence, and move people to action.

We help our clients to find their stories — to develop, express, and amplify their ideas — to help good organizations lead meaningful change, good leaders become thought leaders, and good people make a difference in the world.

Message Audits

Is your message breaking through?

Conversation Audits

Who is saying what to whom? Effective leaders know the answer.

Core Narratives

Sometimes, you need to tell your story better. Other times, you need a better story to tell.

A core narrative tells your story — defining who you are, what you do, what makes you unique, and how your interests and aspirations intersect with those of the larger world.

A core narrative becomes an organization’s source code — serving as the basis of internal and external communications.

Thought Leadership Platforms

Our clients don’t want to hear themselves talk; they want to lead a conversation.

The greatest leaders are men and women of ideas. Ideas worth exploring, debating, and pursuing. Ideas so sweeping and ground-breaking that they change the way people think — and act. This is thought leadership.

Developing a thought leadership platform requires a meaningful investment of time, research, and deliberation — well before thought leadership can be exercised in speeches, op-eds, books, and other external communications.

Message Frameworks

Builders work from blueprints. So do leaders.

Speeches

Speech is action.

Nothing rivals the power of a speech: To transform an idea into action. Chart a new and clear course. Energize employees. Excite shareholders. Contain a crisis. Define a debate. Win a campaign.

Our speeches have been delivered from the world’s most important stages: TED. The World Economic Forum in Davos. The Clinton Global Initiative. Cannes Lions. The Aspen Ideas Festival. G8 meetings. The National Press Club. Our words have been heard in Shanghai and Mumbai and Berlin and São Paulo.

Our clients don’t want to sound like they hired a speechwriter. Whatever we write for you — whether a keynote address, analyst presentation, stump speech, or even talking points — will be in your voice, expressing your vision, advancing your goals.

Because a speech ought to do more than say where you’re going — it should help you get there.

Conference Messaging & Multi-Speaker Scripts

The best conferences cover a lot of ground, but advance one key theme.

A successful conference has a lot of moving parts — speeches, panels, slides, video — and a well-crafted script can make sure it all runs smoothly.

Whatever the focus of your conference, we help make certain that your message gets across.

Humor

Being funny is serious business.

We’ve written comedy for presenters at the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center, and for speakers at the White House Correspondents Dinner, the Gridiron Club, the Alfalfa Club, Bohemian Grove, and numerous other corporate roasts and toasts.

We also help our clients prepare for appearances on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Colbert Report, and other late-night shows.

Op-eds, Blog Posts & Articles

Your byline can jumpstart a national conversation.

In a media environment where only the most compelling ideas break through, few things reverberate further than a well-timed and crisply written op-ed or essay.

The pieces we write advance important arguments, propose new policy ideas, and challenge the status quo. Chances are you’ve already read our work — maybe even this morning — in the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, The International Herald Tribune, or Forbes.

White Papers & Reports

Prepare a report that people actually want to read.

West Wing Writers has written annual reports and conference reports for foundations, think tanks, and Fortune 100 companies; we’ve drafted white papers for leaders of hospitals, energy companies, and nonprofits.

Books

Some ideas deserve to be bestsellers.

We have deep experience in writing and publishing books that not only inform, but engage — books that change minds, start conversations, and influence outcomes.

West Wing Writers’ books are, reviewers say, “remarkably well written” (Financial Times), “genuine and heartfelt” (Washington Post), and “a clarion call” (New York Journal of Books).

Media Training

On air. On message.

We’ll work with you to make that big media opportunity a big success.

Our media training sessions deliver practical instruction in an actual interview environment, with a camera crew, lights, and experienced interviewer.

What makes our approach unique is that we include a broadcast journalist and a speechwriter in each session — combining a reporter’s ear and a writer’s pen to help you craft answers in real time that stick.

Speech Coaching

Compelling content deserves a compelling performance.

Our speech coaches help our clients ensure that the power of their message is matched by the power of their presentation.

Workshops &Presentations

Communication is art. We’ll teach you the brushstrokes.

Our workshops are designed to convey practical skills that can turn the art of persuasive writing into an approachable craft for you and your organization.

We offer workshops ranging from half-a-day to multi-day.

We don’t just write speeches; we deliver them.

West Wing Writers’ partners and principals speak often at corporate conferences, universities, and special events, like South By Southwest.

We’re always happy to step up to the podium and share our insights into the craft of writing and message development, or to tell stories about our experience at the White House, in political campaigns, or in writing humor for politicians and CEOs.

Workshops &
Presentations