Dusty Chunks of Plaster Lit by a Bare Light Bulb
2. Show, don’t tell
Don’t simply outline events. Paint a picture. It’s not enough to say, “Hanna lived in a rundown apartment.” If you ask, Hanna will give you a lot more than that. How did she grow up? What was the turning point that led her to her present situation? What did the apartment look like? What shape were the walls in? Did the plumbing work right? Look for bare light bulbs, peeling paint, splintery floors, broken refrigerators. Find out how she felt by asking what she did (see No. 5).
Willis Turner believes great writing has the power to change minds, save lives, and make people want to dance and sing. Willis is the creative director at Huntsinger & Jeffer. He worked as a lead writer and creative director in the traditional advertising world for more than 15 years before making the switch to fundraising 20 years ago. In his work with nonprofit organizations and associations, he has written thousands of appeals, renewals and acquisition communications for every medium. He creates direct-response campaigns, and collateral communications materials that get attention, tell powerful stories and persuade people to take action or make a donation.
