Where Have All the Glowers Gone?
The message used plenty of angry words, but where was the fury behind them? What was missing? Where was the real motivation to give? That sense of hollowness, in turn, brought to mind that quote by Robert Frost, “No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader.”
One of the most challenging parts of copywriting is that, to be truly effective, you have to be a bona fide advocate for your client or organization. That means, as Frost points out, you have to genuinely feel what you want your readers to feel.
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.
