So feel free, write long, be complex, use four dollar word, adjectives and more adjectives. And next time someone whines in a meeting, “It’s too long! No one will read that!” tell them they’re wrong. Respectfully of course.
At one point I was writing some TV scripts and while talking about them to one of my mentors, mentioned that it seemed like it really got going in episode four. Her response was, “Well why don’t you start there?”
She was right. Not to say that those first three episodes weren’t important–they were where I discovered and built the characters–but it infinitely improved it to dive in at the high point.
Difficult though it is, it’s worth it. In every phase of the development process, it is so important to stop talking and start listening. For instance, what happens in the morning when the mail is being opened? Each check that arrives often is a great window on the collective knowledge of the staff. If you listen carefully you can often find out a complete giving history for that donor, when the last check arrived, who should write the thank you.
Questions don’t count as talking. Ask tons of questions and find out what is important to the people you serve, your donors, your boss, your staff, your colleagues. The answers you get will make every next step easier.
