My Writing Manifesto by Jennifer Laffin

On Monday, Michelle shared her Writing Manifesto with our #TeachWrite Chat audience and inspired me to write my own.

It's interesting to stop and think about what we believe about a topic. It's hard to do, but worth it.

So with that thought, I share My Writing Manifesto:

I believe that the more I write, the better I get at writing.  I may not make it to the page every day (despite my best intentions), but writing as often as I can brings about the best growth.

I believe in really horrible first drafts. A wise person (who I can't remember right now) once reminded me that you can't edit a blank page. Just get the words down.

I believe that revision is where the magic happens. Author Melissa Stewart reminded us in our Twitter chat on Monday night that first drafts are like an old house. Sure, the house is fine and does its job, but sometimes we want it better. As we remodel the house to make it what we want, we are in essence doing the same thing to our writing when we revise. I love that idea!

I believe in the power of a good pen! Right now, my favorite pens are InkJoy Gel. I mean, who can resist these colors? (I can also thank Michelle for this love affair.) They make me happy when I write.

I believe that teachers who write make the best teachers of writing. I could write pages and pages about this, but if you are a teacher-writer, you know what I mean. If you're not, please start.

I believe that sometimes writers have to give their ideas time to percolate. Ideas that I love usually don't just pop into my head fully formed. Sometimes, they are just a whisper that I need to let rest until its ready to fully reveal itself.

I believe that ideas for writing are all around us, we just have to notice them. Writers notice things -- whether it's a conversation between two people at the grocery store or the way your little dog snores when she's having a good dream.

I believe a writer can never have too many notebooks, even if they go unused.  This may be another addiction I have, but one I can't blame Michelle for.

What would you include in your Writing Manifesto? Leave us a comment and share! We'd love to hear from you!

This month, the #TeachWrite chat contributors and a few special guests will be sharing their thoughts about being a teacher who writes. Check back every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday to join in the conversation or sign up on the sidebar to have our posts delivered directly to your inbox.

We are inviting our #TeachWrite Chat community to add their voice to our theme for January and to have their thoughts published on the #TeachWrite Chat blog page.  Are you interested in writing for us? Fill out this Google form and we will be in touch with a date for you to submit your post.