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

Right Before You Write: The Groundbreaking Planning Process Used to Win More Than $385 Million in Competitive Grant Awards by O'Brien, Jonathan. paperback edition. ISBN: 9780981621609.

Author Jonathan OBrien contends that the majority of grant proposals are lost before the actual writing begins. While most grant writing books launch right into the details of filling in the blanks, wording specific responses to specific questions, finding grant money and creating budgets, OBrien first takes the reader through the process of "retooling your gray matter;" that is, reverse engineering the way one thinks about a grant proposal before the writing begins. What makes this book unique is how OBrien mixes his 30+ years of creative experiences with his madcap teaching style to demonstrate how FUNdamental storytelling principles used by Hollywood’s top screenwriters help better applicants writing by bettering their thinking—and better their ability to win grants for worthy causes. Because of his innovative approach, one of OBriens educational program designs is permanently enshrined in the Smithsonian Institution.