Yup, I've stuttered since childhood. I'll repeat syllables, words, and sometimes entire sentences. Sometimes, I'll get stuck on a sound and draw it out very long. And sometimes, nothing comes out at all.

It's a very different mental feeling than when I go quasi non-verbal due to autism. Mentally, the stutter feels like my brain has hit an electric fence. When I am non/low verbal, my brain is instead going too fast to downshift from whatever flow/emotional state I am in to allow me to use my words.

I bring this up because trying to speak slower doesn't help the stutter. It's like a tic for me and I just gotta push through and ignore it, or pivot to another word. Meanwhile, trying to push through being non-verbal will agitate me more, and I just try to remove myself from conversation until my brain slows back down.

I appreciate when folks wait for me to finish speaking. If my fluency (how smoothly I can speak) is super bad at that moment, though, I'll make a beckoning hand gesture that means "please finish my thought". :)

Other stutterers may work differently. My stammer seldom is a blocker to communicating and just tends to make me sound foolish/weird sometimes.

As someone who focuses characters who stammer in their work, I wanted to create a little guide for fluent folk who want to delve into it and may be a little too anxious to try. Others do exist and mine isn't law, but I wanted to make one based on my own personal experiences of writing Kring in my webcomic, Coursing Constellations. I've kept it under a read more because it's pretty long lol.

On Being Well Spoken

I recently received a request about posting something regarding being well spoken.

Something you need to realise is that you’re not going to become well-spoken overnight. You need to practice on people. You need to SPEAK.

I used to stutter so badly that I could barely speak a whole sentence.

Flash forward a few years. I pitched my start up in front of a crowd, I joined Model United Nations in high school and college, I’ve been invited to speak on my entrepreneurial experience by some top universities in my country. It’s taken a lot to get here. And I’m still not where I want to be.

1. Apps to track progress and help you get better at public speaking

An app that you can use: “Speeko.”

I used to use this, it is beginner friendly and you can improve your public speaking skills as well.

2. Use topic generators

Go online and look up a topic generator. Generate a random topic, video yourself speaking on that topic. Don’t give yourself time to prepare anything - read the topic and start speaking. Set a time limit - you’ll realise that speaking for even 2 minutes can be quite difficult at times.

Not only does this make you realise that you may have limited language skills, but it will also make you realise exactly where you’re falling behind. Note down things in a journal.

- is grammar the issue?

- Lack of vocabulary?

- Too many filler sounds?

- Knowledge gap?

This is also a great idea if you’re at an intermediate level of learning a language/ polishing a language. Do this everyday and maintain a diary on your improvement.

3. Reading out loud

Select a news article or any article. Read out loud, slowly and steadily. Pronounce every syllable calmly.

A two minute read should take 5 minutes to read out loud. That’s how slow you should go. Not more than 4-5 words per breath.

Your tongue needs to get used to different syllables and sounds. Practice will help.

4. Talk in real life

Talk to anyone and everyone whenever you can.

Ask your barista how their day is going.

Ask your work or university security if they’ve had a good day and if they ate today.

Chat with your taxi driver about their life. I always start with asking them if they are from the city we’re travelling in. Even if you’re from that city, act like a tourist. Where are the best eateries? The conversation eventually goes to personal questions. How many children do they have, and what do they do? What do they like about the city?

You’ll learn the art of small talk only through practice. No book or guide can actually prepare you. You have to practice, practice and practice.

5. Diaphragm breathing

Diaphragm breathing is very important. Look up some YouTube videos for reference. You essentially breathe from your tummy (stomach goes in and out; not chest going up and down). This is a great calming exercise too.

6. Stuttering tongue/ jaw exercise videos

These are great because they really do prep your jaw and tongue well. The videos could include tongue stretches, placing your tongue on your palette correctly, etc. Search on YouTube.

7. Body posture

You really need to work on your posture too. Sit up straight. Back, STRAIGHT. Chin up, shoulders relaxed. Something as simple as posture can change your level of confidence.

8. Pranayama

A yoga exercise for breathing. You can find a guided video on YouTube for sure.

9. Vocabulary

Invest your time in expanding your vocabulary. There’s enough apps and games that can help you with that, if you aren’t fond of reading. A sign of being well spoken is having great vocabulary.

Start by looking up the synonyms of everyday words.

“I’m upset”

- how many different words can you find for upset?

“I had a crazy day today”

- one can easily use “hectic”, “chaotic” “lively” instead

10. Idioms

Idioms, phrases, sayings - look up common idioms in your language of choice. Aim to use at least 3 new idioms on 3 separate occasions in a week while you speak. You need to understand when and where you can use the idioms in your vocabulary.

11. Knowing when to switch

You can’t talk like a 50 year old heiress to a 10 year old child; you need to get down to their level.

If someone is clearly not a native speaker and is struggling to put words together, don’t use difficult words around them.

If you’re meeting with someone high profile, refrain from using slang.

The best speakers know when to switch their level of language.

Characters who stutter even when they’re NOT nervous

Characters who don’t just stutter as a way to show the audience how much of a smol bean they are

Characters who keep their stutter even after they went through their mental-health-therapy-I’m-enough-whatever-arc

Characters who get listed to,even when the words take a minute to get out

Characters whose stutter isn’t their whole personality

Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush in The King's Speech (2010)

Dir.Tom Hooper

The story of King George VI, his unexpected ascension to the throne of the British Empire in 1936, and the speech therapist who helped the unsure monarch overcome his stammer.