Some simple guidelines to improve your chances.
Do not wait until the last minute to review the application questions and think about your answers. For larger grants and opportunities, give yourself at least four to six weeks lead time, in case there are letters to request, work samples to refine, or new ideas to flesh out that need breathing room.
Arrange your backup — ensure that you have someone you trust looking at the materials you plan to submit for at least one round of feedback. Sometimes it feels hard to ask for help. But it's crucial. This is because we are all too close to our work to see it with perspective. Even though proposal writing/editing is my profession, I also ask for help with my applications. I have several artist-peer friends with whom I practice reciprocity, offering each other feedback. And sometimes, when it is a high-stakes opportunity and I desire expert, in-depth feedback, I hire someone!
As a counterpoint to #1, do not waste time on this application. By wasting time I mean all that strife and struggle we go through trying to produce what we think the the panel wants to see — spinning wheels and getting deeper in the weeds, feeling a sense of panic and chaos. If you do the above and give yourself lead time to think about the questions and your plan, flesh it out in chunks over time, and share it with your backup to see what is working and where you have blind spots, you will arrive at an application you feel proud to submit, knowing you did your best, that you may have even enjoyed the process, even found it productive to your work in general!
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