Confessions of a Pro Bono Copywriter

Full disclosure: I’m a professional TV writer who gets paid to encourage viewers to stick around, to stay right where they are, to keep watching the same program they’re already watching. It’s not easy. People have so many other things to do. In the end, I lean on a universal truth: people are interested in other people. In the business, they’re called “human interest stories.” And the truth is, every story is a human interest story – you only have to look a little deeper.

More disclosure: I’m like everybody else: I’m busy. But I’m also interested in other people, even if my interest in other people is only to learn more about myself. That’s not always true…I think. I also think the only way I can continue to grow, to develop as a writer, a husband, a friend is to do just that: grow.

Copywriting through Taproot

When I first discovered Taproot, I was anxious for some outlet by which I could challenge myself as a writer and at the same time find some sense of balance: I write for a living – how can my writing help me more truly live? Through my pro bono copywriting work with Taproot, I’ve met interesting, smart, passionate people, and I’ve pushed myself to find just the right voice for particular projects. Frankly, there’s something unique about helping nonprofit organizations – the urgency is real; the appreciation is genuine; the work can change lives.

Stop and think about this: as a writer, you have the ability to speak to people without saying a word; rather, people repeat your words silently to themselves in a voice you give them…like what I’m doing to you right now. That’s an incredible skill, and you should take advantage of it. Better yet, you should share it, share it with people who need it. Better still, join a team of experts who combine their complementary skills to manifest an even greater power, a power others can share with still others…and so on.

Who knows? You may end up discovering a really compelling human interest story: your own.

Rich Rhodes is a professional writer and producer in Los Angeles. He is also a pro bono copywriting consultant with Taproot Foundation.

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