Biographical narrative

Biographical narrative is a former platform speech event in the NCFCA. The competitor presents a prepared speech that "focuses on the relevance and/or contributions of a single person’s life." The event was added in the summer of 2011 to replace Original Oratory, and was removed in 2013.

Goal
The goal of a Biographical narrative speech is to encourage students to recognize the significance of individuals who have impacted society in profound ways. 

Preparation Rules
The speech must be an original work, scripted word for word by the speaker. Material must be prepared and used for the current NCFCA season only. The main subject of the speech should be a current or historical figure, known or unknown to the audience. The focus of the speech may not be the speaker. Fictitious characters are not allowed. Speakers are permitted to express opinions that are contrary to those of the judge. Humor and satire are permitted.

Directly quoted material may comprise a maximum of 30% of the total words in the speech. Any outside sources used must be mentioned in the verbal delivery of the speech. Outside sources refers to direct quotations, theories, concepts, and general ideas. Any outside sources used must be cited within the script and listed on the Source Citation Page.

Presentation Rules
A speaker presenting a speech that is intense or otherwise unsuitable for all audiences should consider ways to protect sensitive audience members by announcing, before the speech begins, that it may not be suitable for all audiences. This will allow younger students, families, and the timekeeper, where appropriate, to leave the room before the speech begins. Gratuitous vulgarity is not allowed. Gratuitous vulgarity refers to vulgar, obscene, or profane language or gestures that are included for shock value.

Props, costumes, and audiovisuals are not allowed. A prop refers to any physical item that might be used to animate or illustrate the speech. A costume refers to a part or all of the speaker’s attire that is worn for the purpose of enhancing a particular speech. Only feet are permitted to touch the floor at any time.

Scripts must be submitted at all tournaments. The submitted script must be followed during all competition rounds. Script use during a speech at a Qualifying Tournament, Regional Invitational, or National Open is allowed, but requires a penalty of two ranks. Use of a script at the National Championship will result in disqualification. Note use or prompting is not allowed. Note use refers to written material in addition to the script, and prompting refers to assistance from audience members during the speech. Audience laughter, which extends the time of a piece, should not penalize the speaker.

Time limit: 10-minute maximum; no minimum time. There is no official penalty for time, and judges may use discretion when weighing a speaker’s time into their ranking.