1. AuthorAID Workshop on Proposal Writing Rwanda June 2011

2. Effective Writing Style: Advice for Preparing Proposals Ravi Murugesan, MS, ELS AuthorAID Training Coordinator rmurugesan@inasp.info

3. Importance of Writing Style A written proposal is your only medium for communicating what you want to do. –Granting bodies may not have time to discuss your proposal with you. –They usually make a decision after reading your proposal. Winning proposals have good ideas that are communicated well.

4. Key Elements of Writing Style Your writing in a proposal should be: –Clear –Concise –Persuasive –Well-formatted

5. Writing Clearly When you write your proposal, assume that the reader (grant reviewer): –Does not know the context or situation in which you are working. –Will not immediately understand the importance of your project.

6. Writing Clearly (cont) Keep the grant reviewer in mind when you write. Follow basic principles to maintain clarity: –Provide overviews before details. –If tables and figures are used, design them for easy understanding. –Expand abbreviations / acronyms. –Explain difficult terminology or concepts.

7. Writing Clearly (cont) Check whether your writing is clear by showing your proposal to a colleague or friend. Ask if he/she can –Spot any unclear parts. –Understand the results you hope to achieve. –Understand the importance of your project.

8. Writing Concisely Two useful guidelines by George Orwell, a British writer: –Never use a long word where a short one will do. –If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.

9. Writing Concisely: A Brief Exercise Using simple, common words –attempt→fundamental→ Deleting needless words –red in color→totally destroyed→ Condensing wordy phrases –at this point in time→in the event that→ Using verbs, not nouns made from them –produce relief of→ provide an explanation→

10. Writing Concisely (cont) Keep sentences short and complete. If you use paragraphs in your proposal, keep them short too. Preview or summarize main points, for example, in the abstract, but avoid unnecessary repetition. Follow length or word-count limitations given in the proposal instructions.

11. Writing to Persuade A proposal seeks to convince or persuade the grant reviewer. The tone of writing can play a big role in persuading the reviewer. Using the right tone can be tricky. –It should be persuasive. –It should not be impassive (dry) or arrogant (overconfident).

12. Writing to Persuade (cont) Consider these sentences: X This project may improve the operational processes of this library. (Impassive/dry) This project will lead to a substantial improvement in the operational processes of this library. (Persuasive/convincing) X There is absolutely no doubt that this project will lead to an unprecedented improvement in this library. (Arrogant/overconfident)

13. Writing to Persuade (cont) Where to use a persuasive tone: –Introduction: to establish that your project is needed –Conclusion: to explain that your project is likely to be successful and effective In the other parts of your proposal (for example, background study and methods), a persuasive tone may not be appropriate.

14. Formatted Writing Bad handwriting makes the text hard to read or gives the reader a negative impression. Badly formatted documents have a similar effect on the reader. Granting bodies often provide templates for writing proposals, but it’s still important to format your writing.

15. Formatted Writing (cont) Some techniques to improve format: –Consider inserting subheadings if a section of text is long. –Use fonts consistently (for example, all headings should have the same font). –To emphasize words or phrases, use bold, underline, or italics; don’t use CAPITAL LETTERS.

16. Formatted Writing (cont) Some techniques to improve format: –Don’t use numbering or bullets excessively. –If the numbered or bulleted points are lengthy, order them vertically instead of horizontally. –Consider breaking a long list into more than one list. –Closely follow any instructions regarding the format of your proposal.

17. A Final Check Proofread your proposal before you finalize and send it. Check for errors in spelling and grammar. A manual spell check is useful for catching wrong words (for example, aboard instead of abroad).

18. Some Resources The Elements of Style (www.bartleby.com/141/)www.bartleby.com/141/ Getting the Most out of Words (www.authoraid.info/resource- library/Editing%20and%20Publication- Chapter%202.pdf/view)www.authoraid.info/resource- library/Editing%20and%20Publication- Chapter%202.pdf/view Academic Phrasebank (www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk)www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk Grammar Girl (grammar.quickanddirtytips.com)grammar.quickanddirtytips.com

19. Thank You!