Manifesto - AJ

Writing is personal. It is not something to be shared when told. Why I write is also personal. Again, something I am not comfortable sharing because I’m told. Not all writing is the same, and not all rules must be challenged. There is no shame in writing something that I wouldn’t be embarrassed to show my family. Sex in respectable writing is fine, if it’s not written like a middle-school boy. Sex with the name of one of your classmates in it – is not cool. There is power in writing, and one should be wise, and considerate, about how they use that power. Respect. The more you read, the better you write. Listen to what others have to say, but pick and choose what to hold on to. No one is going to be in your head. Some will, however, get closer than others. Not everything I write will be happy or fun to read, but it will be honest. I won’t make things up, I won’t lie to fit my agenda. In my twenties, I didn’t know enough, I didn’t understand enough, to feel I had something to tell the world. In my thirties, I feel I have something to say, but I am trying to figure out how to do that. It takes confidence to write, but humbleness to write with honesty, and in a way that someone wants to listen to you other than yourself. I write from experience and reflection, not orchestrated inspiration. I believe in living life first, and if something comes from it that I need to write about, that’s wonderful. But I don’t go about my life with pen and paper in hand. That’s not the way to live, to truly experience. I will try to present both sides. I understand that there are at least two sides to every story. I try hard not to present only one angle, without being a Millenial who doesn’t know how to have an opinion. I won’t write about things I don’t know and I didn’t experience. I am not interested in telling someone else’s story. At the same time, I am not comfortable giving out personal details, or featuring myself as the main character in a story. I believe the camera should be looking out into the world. I will write with respect. I will try to write about things that matter. I will not write just to indulge my own ego. Keep a journal. Write everything down. Pen to paper. Never get out of practice of putting pen to paper. Even writing a letter is still writing. It’s still putting words together, telling a story, thinking about audience. And as Yusef Kamanyaka said, and I am beginning to realize, We usually write past the most provocative ending. Usually, we have told, a little too much.