Written for:  Imaginary Gardens With Real Toads – “Meet 2018 With A Manifesto
(posted by Bjorn)

“Through history change has been driven through movements, through inspired actions and through art, and at the core of change there is often a declaration or a manifesto.

Today I want you to write a manifesto, for yourself, for a group (real or imaginary), for your writing or for any cause you find important.

Analyzing manifestos we find some common themes:

Name your manifesto to make it clear what you want to achieve. (e.g. Declaration of independence, the Communist Manifesto)
Write it in first person (singular or plural
State the problem but do not dwell too much on what is wrong but focus on what you think is right and what should happen
Use strong language. Use verbs. Start sentences with a pronomen (I will…, we believe…, I have a dream …
If you use metaphors make them clear and not ambiguous. In a manifesto you can (and should) use cliches that are easily understandable
Focus on rhythm and cadence. A manifesto should be written to be spoken.
Use repetitions and rephrase the main points of what you want to change.
Identify any threats and tell us how to deal with them.
You might even quote famous passages from other works and manifestos, like Martin Luther King reminded us of the declaration of independence.
But primarily: try to win me over to your views.”

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Here are some positive quotes:

“Be a fountain, not a drain.” ~Rex Hudler

“No one ever built a statue of a critic.” ~David Nicolls

“Seeing the mud around a lotus is pessimism,
seeing a lotus in the mud is optimism. ~Amit Kalantri

If you begin a day
with certainty of having
a terrible time, you set
yourself up to fulfill
your own prophecy.

If you begin a day
as a new blackboard
that has never been chalked,
let yourself be the chalk.

Write a list of things
that make you happy.
The list will contain
people, animals, places
or scents.

Write your list; keep it
in a handy place
where you will read
your own happy words.

If you begin a day,
you are partway there.

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