Resources for Writers & Artists |  |
Five tips for writing your next grant
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Write in your own voice. (This is why getting a friend or colleague to interview you helps. You will talk using words and phrases you might never write down.)
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Use concrete nouns and active verbs. (Be as specific and colorful as possible.)
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The fewer adverbs and adjectives, the better. One right word is more powerful than three right words.
Use sensory details whenever possible. (Taste, smell, sight, sound, touch.) You are making images with words.
Write to your (real or imagined) perfect audience member.
Five more tips: When all else fails
Ask yourself: Did I answer who, what, why, when, where and how?
Read your grant application answers out loud.
Simplicity always trumps long, confusing sentences. If your writing isn't making sense or sounds full of words that have no meaning, write about yourself and your project as if you were describing it to a smart sixth grader.
Save your initial drafts; you may need to refer to them if you end up murdering your writing in the editing phase. You can revive it by referring to earlier drafts.
Remember: there are two major phases to the writing – in the first phase you are writing a lot and gathering materials and are open to accepting everything. In the second phase, you are ruthless -- cutting everything unnecessary. These phases should have as much time as possible between them (overnight is a minimum).
Five tips for presenting your work to an audience
Two weeks before: Give the talk to one or more friends.
The week before: Time your talk.
The morning of: Physically warm up.
When you start: Don't be afraid to ask: “Can you hear me?"
During your talk: When in doubt, speak slower and louder.
Recommended Reading for Grant Writers
Essentials
The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White
The Synonym Finder by J.I. Rodale (or a good online thesaurus)
For Overachievers
Writing with Power by Peter Elbow
Woe is I: The grammarphobe's guide to better English in plain English by Patricia T. O'Conner
Writing the Natural Way by Gabriele Rico
Wild Mind by Natalie Goldberg
Other Good Books
Shaking the Money Tree by Morrie Warshawski
Demystifying Grant Seeking by Larissa Golden Brown and Martin John Brown
Supporting Yourself as an Artist by Deborah Hoover
How to Survive and Prosper as an Artist by Caroll Michels
Guide to Getting Arts Grants by Ellen Liberatori
Taking the Leap: Building a Career as a Visual Artist by Cay Lang (see Artist Statements section)
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Grant Writing by Waddy Thompson
Recommended Websites
Websites on Artist Statements
Grantwriting/Funding Resources
Publishing Resources
Bacon's Magazine Directory (available at your local library)
Poets & Writers Magazine (available by subscription or on the newsstand)
Recommended Websites/Blogs
Linera Lucas
Fiction, poetry, the craft of writing, and the literary life in Portland