Writing Center Archives Vol. 1, Issue 5 at
Please note that this is an archival copy. It has not been changed from the original; as such, not all links will work properly! For the most up-to-date information, check out the Writing Center web site or associated Evergreen web sites.
Write On
Weekly writing information and resources from the Evergreen Writing Center
Vol. 1, Issue 5 [View Other Issues]
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This week’s theme: Grant Writing
Quotation of the Week
"Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it."
-- Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)
Tip of the Week: Working Together
Because of the community-oriented nature of many grants, grant writing can often transcend the individual writer and become a group endeavor. However, as anyone who has attempted it knows, group writing can be quite a challenge. Here are some tips for making your collaborative grant writing experience (or any other collaborative writing experience) successful:
- Use the particular talents of the individual members of your group.
If one person is a good organizer, let that person pull the project
together and assign tasks. If one person is a computer person, let that
person take care of discs, formats, etc.
- Appreciate each other’s writing styles. Some write in short,
choppy sentences. Others use a more flowing style. Ask yourselves: What
style would best fit this piece of writing? Academic? Personal? Go with
that. Be aware of your style, and always try to fit it to the task at
hand.
- Realize that you can’t all work together all the time. Four
people trying to write something on the same computer rarely works.
When you write, break up into individuals or pairs -- you’ll get
more done that way.
- Take negative feedback and use it in a positive way. Don’t be afraid to get it, or give it, as long as it's respectful. Constructive criticism is one of the best ways to improve your writing.
For more information on collaborative writing, as well as on many other writing topics, visit the Handouts section of our Web site.
Web Site Review – www.megrants.org/grantwriting.html
Non-profit organizations abound in the world today, and, although the causes they advocate range from supporting the homeless to protecting watersheds, they all have one thing in common: money. Specifically, many rely on grant money.
But non-profits aren’t the only ones eligible for pieces of the grant pie; plenty of grants for individuals exist as well. Whether you are writing for a non-profit group or pursuing funds for individual projects, grant writing is an essential skill to have if you want to accomplish your goals.
To get started on your dream of receiving the big grants, we suggest you visit "GRANTWRITING BASICS: Fundamentals of grant writing success" at www.megrants.org/grantwriting.html. It's a great place to start if you are new to the grant writing process.
The Maine Philanthropy Center, which maintains the site, provides valuable information on the essentials you must know if you want to even be considered for funding. The insider tips are especially useful because they help you understand the resources you’ll be relying on for money. The site also has a "Top 45 Grant Writing Tips and Strategies" list, as well as an extensive collection of highly useful links.
This is a solid place to start in your search for funding. Check it out, because sloppy writing will not convince anyone to fund you, no matter how worthy the cause.
www.megrants.org/grantwriting.html
Writing Center News
**Avoiding Plagiarism Workshop**
Wednesday, May 7th, 4:30-6:00pm, Library 3500
Whether intentional or accidental, plagiarism is common in academic writing. In this workshop we will define plagiarism and discuss ways to avoid it. We also will practice paraphrasing and summarizing.
This spring the Writing Center will present an entire series of open workshops, from "Avoiding Plagiarism" to "Writing Evaluations." For a complete list of workshops, check out the Workshop section of our Web site.
Stump the Tutors
Each week in this section we'll answer questions on various writing-related issues submitted by our readers. This week's question:
Q: I've been wondering about semicolons; what is the correct way to use a semicolon?
A: Semicolons have two major purposes. They
can be used to connect two independent clauses within a single sentence,
and they can help clean up a complicated series that contains internal
commas.
Used sparingly, semicolons can help your writing flow smoothly between
two inextricably linked ideas. While a period is final, a semicolon lets
the reader know that another closely related idea is on the way.
Examples of correct usage:
I don't have to study much to succeed in my German class; I've always been good with languages.
I went out for a walk alone; my sister stayed home because she was tired.
"Innocence of heart and violence of feeling are necessary in any kind of superior achievement; the arts cannot exist without them." -poet Louise Bogan
The key to correctly using the semicolon in this way is to make sure that you have a complete, functioning sentence on each side of the semicolon.
You can also use semicolons between list items when you are writing complicated lists that contain internal commas. Here are some examples of sentences that could be improved by adding semicolons:
On my summer vacation I visited Springfield, Illinois, Washington, DC, Arlington, Virginia, and Paris, Texas.
My favorite classes in college were Latin, Molecular, Developmental, and Cellular Biology, and Contemporary Moral Issues.
These sentences can be made much clearer by separating the list items with semicolons as follows:
On my summer vacation I visited Springfield, Illinois; Washington, DC; Arlington, Virginia; and Paris, Texas.
My favorite classes in college were Latin; Molecular, Developmental, and Cellular Biology; and Contemporary Moral Issues.
Addendum to last week's "Stump the Tutors":
This week, one of our many astute readers wrote in and pointed out that affect can also function as a noun, meaning "feeling or emotion". This form of affect is used rather infrequently in relation to its verb cousin, but here is an example:
He was really bringing us all down with his negative affect.