Right Before You Write: The Groundbreaking Planning Process Used to Win More Than $385 Million in Competitive Grant Awards

by Jonathan O'Brien

For the first time anywhere, this groundbreaking process is described in a fun to read, easy-to-follow, step-by-step process. RIGHT BEFORE YOU WRITE describes key planning strategies essential before the actual grant writing begins. Used to win more than $385 million in competitive grant awards, this groundbreaking process has proven successful when used by novices and veterans on grant proposals of all sizes and types. Based on JON'S ALMOST WORLD FAMOUS SEVEN CS!, O'Brien incorporates his experiences as a screenwriter and madcap teaching style to better your writing by bettering your thinking and better your ability to win grants. O Brien shows you how FUNdamental screenwriting principles found in popular movies can better your writing by bettering your thinking and better your ability to win grants. Because of his innovative approach, one of O'Brien's educational program designs is now in the Smithsonian Institution. What's exciting about RIGHT BEFORE YOU WRITE, says author Jonathan O'Brien, is that this new book helps good-hearted people who have great causes they support with their time, talent and hard-earned money untangle a mystery that only highly specialized professional grant writers have been able to solve until now. That is, how to get a piece of the annual $500 billion a year that's out there in local, state and federal grant funds. You don't need to be a professional grant writer. You don't need to hire a professional grant writer. You just need to get it RIGHT BEFORE YOU WRITE.

Genres: Nonfiction

315 pages, Paperback

First published December 15, 2008

Reviews

[Jason Koivu · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love that subtitle. It harkens back to an earlier day, a time and trend when titles were very specific and looooooong.

A while back I took up a grant writing position for a few months to help out a friend while she was on maternity leave. This is what she suggested I read to bone up on the subject. I had no prior training, nothing more specific than having a general writing degree. The book helped. I don't think I screwed up too bad. Well, the building didn't burn down at least...

Even though it's aimed at grant writers, Right Before You Write is not a bad book for writers in general, especially screenplay writers. That was where O'Brien cut his teeth and he continually returns to that medium for examples, applying them to grant writing with mostly good success, only occasionally forcing the issue.

[Maya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting perspective on program development