How to Write a Manifesto

So, you want to write a manifesto, huh? Congratulations, you're about to join such distinguished company as Martin Luther, Karl Marx and Ted Kazinski, as well as dozens of other individuals who've gotten a bee in their bonnet over the years and felt the need to express it publicly.

The following is a brief outline of things to consider when writing your own manifesto. These guidelines are meant as little more than a framework for you to hang your ideas on, so don't worry if they don't cover everything. A manifesto is a highly personal thing; you may want to alter the framework to suit what you have to say.

Remember, above all else, this is your chance to express yourself, have at and have fun.

• 1. Have something you feel strongly about: Doesn't really matter what it is. It can be a political or social issue or cause, your opinions on a sport, a hobby, or other activity, or something else entirely. All you need is to have a strong opinion on it.
• 2. Have some points you want to make: I'd suggest at least five, since a two point manifesto seems kind of short to me, but really, have how ever many you need to get your feelings out.
• 3. Be clear and concise in your writing: Nobody's gonna care what you have to say if they can't understand how you say it. Know what you want to say and say it. Get someone you trust to proofread for you to make sure you're saying what you want to say. (And be prepared to defend your position, especially if they don't necessarily agree with you).
• 4. Spell check, spell check, spell check!: This is especially the case if you're writing on a political or social issue. Since the Internet is largely a text-based medium, spelling is has become a measure not so much of intelligence but of a person's ability to express him or herself articulately. If you're not a very good speller yourself, use a spellchecker or ask a friend who is a good speller to give you a hand.
• 5. Use slang and jargon carefully: Slang and jargon can be confusing to those who aren't "in the know." If you're writing about something that has a lot of slang and/or jargon associated with it, you might want to include a glossary or otherwise explain the terms so folks who aren't in the know can follow along.
• 6. Grammar: No, you're not writing this for a grade and yeah, you can be informal in addressing your audience, but you are writing for public consumption which means you'll be exposing yourself to an audience tougher than any English teacher you ever had. Believe me when I say there are folks more interested in HOW you said something than in WHAT was said.
• 7. Don't Be Wishy-Washy: A manifesto is a"public declaration of intentions, opinions or purposes." It's not a place to waffle or hem and haw. Speak your mind, state your beliefs and opinions clearly and loudly, but:
• 8. Remember, opinions are like assholes, everybody's got one: An opinion is, variously, "a belief based on grounds insufficient to produce certainty"; "a personal attitude or appraisal" or, "the formal expression of a professional judgment". Opinions, even educated ones, are not facts. Facts can be proven, opinions can't. Facts are verifiable, opinions aren't.
  
  • * Fact: Cheeseburgers are made by placing cheese on a cooked hamburger patty and allowing the cheese to melt into the burger some.
  • * Opinion (mine): Cheeseburgers are gross.
  State your opinions, but acknowledge, either in your manifesto itself or in a note of some kind, that other people's opinions may differ. It's my opinion that'll help make the world a better place.
• 9. Expect to be misunderstood: Once again, this is especially true for folks writing political or social manifestos. In a few cases, you may get email from people who've read your manifesto and either ignored or forgotten rule #8. Some may never have been made aware of the concept in their lives. A lot of people, many through no fault of their own, believe their opinions and life experiences are the only correct ones. This, they feel, means they know best how the world works and you're some ignorant fool who needs to be shown The Way. And you'd better be grateful that they're here to 'help.'
  Now, there's a tendency, particularly in the United States, to think that only the politically and/or religiously conservative can behave in this fashion. I'm here to tell you, that in my experience at least, no political or religious persuasion has the market cornered on being a jerk.
  On the other hand, what you'll probably run into most often are people who honestly disagree with your opinions or who, through no fault of their own, misunderstood what you said. I once received a letter from some people using my agnostic page for a school project who asked me what had made me come to dislike the church, even though my page specifically states that I don't dislike any church. Misunderstandings like these will happen, particularly if you're writing on a controversial issue. If you get honest questions, answer them honestly and politely. You may be the first person of your particular viewpoint this person has talked to and, rightly or wrongly, you will help create their opinion of others who hold your opinions. A little politeness can be very persuasive.
  As for those rude folks I talked about first, personally, I'd say ignore 'em, but then…I'm not always good at turning the other cheek when it comes to getting blasted. Politeness can help you out here, especially if you're talking on a message board or other public forum, since you at least, will come off as the mature adult in the conversation.
• 10. Don't hide yourself: This is a public declaration of your feelings, after all. Hiding behind anonymity, unless you have a justifiable reason for doing so, such as physical danger to yourself or loved ones, smacks of cowardice. It's one thing to disguise your identify because expressing your views may get you beat up or fired or cost you your home; it's another to do so because you don't want folks knowing you really do think Kirk is better than Picard.
  If you have to remain anonymous, use an alias at least, it'll help give the reader someone to identify with.

Some Other Things To Keep In Mind:

(or, a cheat so I can keep the points to ten…)

Don't lie or fabricate details to try and make your case look better. Let the evidence speak for itself. Otherwise, it's not really evidence.

Back up the facts you use; offer sources so your reader can see where you're drawing your conclusions from and make up their minds for themselves as to whether you're right or wrong.

Play nice: Expressing yourself does not mean stooping to insulting others. The Net has more than enough people who're trying to turn the Information Superhighway into the world's biggest kindergarten without you helping it along.

Different does not mean wrong. And Right does not mean "better than you."

Good luck with your manifesto and have fun expressing yourself!