How to write a manifesto.

A manifesto is a statement where you can share your…

– Intentions (what you intend to do)
– Opinions (what you believe, your stance on a particular topic)
– Vision (the type of world that you dream about and wish to create)

What should go into your manifesto? Answer: anything you want! There aren’t any firm rules. You can write whatever you want, however you want, and it can be as long (or short) as you want.

After reading your manifesto, ideally, your reader should feel like, “I understand this person better” or “I get what this project is all about and why it matters” or “Oh, I can see the type of world that this person is trying to create — me too! I want to join the revolution!”

Your primary goal is to make your reader “feel” something. Hope. Excitement. Amusement. Curiosity. Whatever “feeling” you want to convey.

Here’s a very simple manifesto template that you can play with…

Start by filling out the following three statements:

I love…
 
I believe…
 
I am committed to…

Or, if you’re using a collective voice:

We love…
 
We believe…
 
We are committed to…

Here is a sample manifesto that I wrote for HunnyMilk, my sweetheart’s restaurant.

We love… butter, sugar, salt, eggs, and bacon and we’re not ashamed to say it.
 
We believe… that food should be made fresh with the best possible ingredients and that life should be full of simple pleasures and small indulgences, every day.
 
We are committed to… serving brunch items & sweets that make you feel like a kid again.
 
Join us every weekend for brunch. We want your HunnyMilk visit to be the best part of your day!

Notice how at the bottom of the HunnyMilk manifesto, I put a specific “invitation” for the reader: “Join us every weekend for brunch…”

If you’re writing a manifesto for your business, wrapping up your manifesto with a specific invitation is often a smart move. That way, you’re not leaving your reader “hanging,” wondering what to do next. You’re spelling it out, loud and clear!

If you’ve never written a manifesto before, I encourage you to try it!

Regardless of whether you work for a company, or if you’re self-employed, or job-hunting, or a full-time parent, writing a manifesto is a beautiful writing exercise that can help you figure out what you stand for. Or at least, what you stand for — for now.

Happy writing!