Chapter 3 Strategic Planning for Proposals and Grants

1. Subject: the “need-to-know” perspective vs. “want-to-tell” perspective

In this chapter, Johnson-Sheehan argued that writers should show things the audience has to know, instead providing any information collected. That is actually an important characteristic of the “reader centered” writing style. Filter all unnecessary information, and establish the arguments in the sequence appreciated by the audience.

It reminds me of a controversial question in journalism, that is, to provide “need-to-know” or “want-to-know” information to the audience. One side argues that media should give viewers things they are supposed to know, since media have the function of “educating.” The other side, who considers media more like an entertainment tool, contends that audience should get whatever they want to know through media. Here, it seems proposal writers granted themselves more privileges of choosing what to say than people working in media.

On the other hand, I’m wondering whether it is possible to create the exigency to make “want-to-tell” be “need-to-know” information. Except for those unrelated information, I think if the argument is properly developed, it is possible to advertise the “want-to-tell” in a pack appealing to the readers.

2. How to utilize readers’ emotions?

It says professional proposal writers should always take readers’ emotions into account. Take advantage of positive emotions, and avoid evoking negative emotions. But I’m not sure what that refers to. Can we find some specific examples of utilizing readers’ emotions to energize our proposals?

As I understand, it may include getting around the taboos in social custom. Or perhaps, most things related to Olympics will probably stimulate positive emotions among Chinese readers, since Beijing is holding Olympic Games in August.

3. Paying attention to the political context

I strongly agree that we should keep the political context in mind when constructing the proposal. I have a personal example of the loss caused by failing to consider the community political issues. When I was working in Beida TV Station, the college TV station of Peking University, my first TV program was postponed by the censorship.

It was about a novel named The Yin Yang Master, a work of Japanese fantasy literature, which had nothing to do with politics. However, there was a boycott parade for Japanese goods in Haidian district where the college was located. The gatekeepers, actually the station supervisors, thought everything related to Japan was too sensitive to bring on TV. So they asked me to hold up that program for more than 1 month to avoid having conflicts with the political atmosphere.

It took me 5 weeks to make the program plan, invite the guest speaker, videotape the interviews, and edit the films. I was so occupied by the program making that I paid no attention to the political issues going on in the community. I think it is really important to keep an eye on the political context when writing proposals, even the proposal has nothing to do with politics.