You don’t become a writer ‘some day’. You don’t become a writer when someone agrees to publish your work.

You become a writer when you show up.

Nice sentiment, huh? But how do you tame the brain gremlins into letting you show up?

You create a strong identity as a writer.

Create Your Writer’s Manifesto

A manifesto is more than an identity: it’s a statement of your values, your place in the world, and the actions you will take to support that place and those values.

• Start by listing your literary (and other artistic) heroes–I call them your Fairy Art Parents
• Make a list of what it is about them/their work that you admire
• Circle/highlight the features they have in common (you may be surprised)
• The things you admire likely align with your own values and represent artistic experiences that you would like to create for others.
• Write your manifesto, beginning with “In my writing I will be…”

Want the fancy, downloadable PDF with a more full description of the process? Go here.

Discussion

Who were your fairy art parents? What ended up in your manifesto? Share if you dare…If not, just tell us: how was the exercise?