Writing that drives sales and increases funding.

David Tandet

» Currently browsing: Writing Tips


Ann Wylie . . . Again . . .

December 12th, 2011 at 7:15 pm

by David Tandet Ann Wylie gives great advice. (As usual.) Her most recent? Graphic storytelling teaches better than text. >Some of what she talks about:  Photos Graphic design images Cartoons They all fit the category. Well I got to thinking. Punctuation (. . . ! ” ” : etc.)  works in part because of its [...]



Ann Wylie Teaches Writers How

May 31st, 2011 at 5:36 pm

by David Tandet Wylie’s writing is like a terrific dresser: consistently great from top to bottom, always with something new that you can’t wait to see. – David Tandet Wylie Provides “Dos” Writers Can Use The June 2011 issue of “Wylie’s Writing Tips” is an example of communications consultant Ann Wylie’s great writing and clear [...]



Jon O’Brien’s Advanced Storytelling for Advancing Nonprofits (Adapted from “Parallel Turns”)

March 29th, 2011 at 8:36 pm

by David Tandet “See ya,” Ziggy Void hopped off the ski lift chair he was sharing with Marcia Tomberlin as he continued blabbing away, “at the bottom, slowpoke.” Ziggy veered to the left and began skiing down the trail without waiting for his partner. Even for Void, it seemed like obnoxiousness to the nth degree. [...]



The Greatest Sales Letter Ever

October 14th, 2010 at 7:40 pm

by David Tandet The greatest sales letter is “I”- from a “you” perspective. Thinking about a product’s benefits to consumers is a start. It simply doesn’t go far enough. Say the corner bakery wants to compete in the convenience breakfast market selling donuts and coffee curbside. You’ve been hired to write the first ad. What [...]



10 Reasons To Use Lists In Healthcare Writing

August 6th, 2010 at 9:22 pm

by David Tandet Did you see US News and World Report‘s list of Best Hospitals? How about the Wall Street Journal‘s list of the Best Health Books? Lists are always an efficient marketing tool to position your company in front of the rest. When it comes to healthcare, pharmacology and bioscience, the following reasons demand [...]



Know Your Job

June 27th, 2010 at 6:44 pm

by David Tandet Know your job. Sounds obvious, right? But apparently it’s not so clear to some people. A friend of mine told me about a new writer her firm had hired. The writer had boundless energy when criticizing the current structure of my friend’s office. More significantly, the new person asked for a couple [...]



“G” is for Grafton’s Methodology

May 20th, 2010 at 10:54 pm

by David Tandet If you’ve been around a library, bookstore, coffeehouse, or airline seat in the last few decades, you know who Sue Grafton is — “A” is for Alibi . . . “U” is for Undertow. I saw an interview with Ms. Grafton and she said she took classes to learn about police procedural [...]



How to Write in the Zone

April 14th, 2010 at 12:14 am

by David Tandet Come over here. Yeah, you. This is our secret. Want to write copy that sparkles? Have great clients say, “This is what I was looking for?” Well, it’s like Steve Martin’s old routine about becoming a millionaire. “Okay, first you start with a million dollars . . .” But seriously, if you’ve [...]



10 Reasons Grant Writers Should Use Spell Check

February 12th, 2010 at 8:50 pm

 by David Tandet The real scoop on getting your grant proposal seriously considered? Use spell check. That’s not my opinion. It’s straight from the lips of Holly Cole, Verizon’s Director, Government & External Affairs, Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties. Ms. Cole gave that advice during a recent presentation at the Ventura County Community Foundation. It [...]



Specialize and Energize

January 2nd, 2010 at 6:53 pm

by David Tandet When you specialize in a particular type of writing, you’re saying to people, “This is my turf. Hire me for a white paper, a marketing piece, or blog in this particular field and, (1) I won’t have to get up to speed about the basics, (2) I may be able to add [...]