One of my favorite books as a child was "Oh Say Can You Say" by Dr. Suess. Without any doubt, Dr. Suess is still teaching me lessons today--especially in proposal writing.
When writing a complicated proposal with heavy research elements or detailed evaluation processes, I sometimes find myself getting tongue-tied around scientific terms, jargon and extra long words that sound smarter (but really aren't) than shorter ones. Dr. Suess reminds me to think carefully about the words I use and how they can help me say what I really want to say.
The truth is that writing a great proposal doesn't require jargon or Scrabble-winning word scrambles. It just requires good words. Early in my grant writing adventures, I didn't mind using big, fancy words and in fact, I gravitated towards some phrases as my "safety words" because they sounded strong and confident. Today, I don't love those big words in the same way. I use my best words to create magic and use big words more sparingly in order to make the real heart of the proposal jump off the page.
Since I've been writing grants professionally, I've learned 2 important things:
1. "Never use a long word where a short one will do." George Orwell
2. Cut out words that aren't doing any work. (Why should they get a free ride?)
The key to success? Avoid a proposal full of tongue twisters and complicated jargon. Get it right with the right words!
~Cheers!
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