How To Write A Manifesto (with Pictures) - WikiHow

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How to Make a Manifesto from Start to Finish Download Article What is a manifesto and how do you organize it? Co-authored by Megan Callaghan, PhD and Sophie Burkholder, BA

Last Updated: August 29, 2025 Fact Checked

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This article was co-authored by Megan Callaghan, PhD and by wikiHow staff writer, Sophie Burkholder, BA. Megan Morgan is an Academic Advising and Writing expert based in Augusta, Georgia. She has over 7 years of university teaching experience and more than 15 years of professional editing experience. She works as an intern for the Law Library of Congress, and is also a Professional Writing Center Consultant at Augusta University. Her key academic interests involve reference and subject librarianship, government information, and information organization. She provides personalized writing instruction, workshops, and support for AU students, faculty, and staff. Previously, she worked as a Graduate Program Administrator at the University of Georgia’s School of Public and International Affairs. She was a Graduate Advisor for three degrees in the departments of Political Science and International Affairs at the University of Georgia College of Arts and Sciences. She earned her Master’s in Library and Information Science from Valdosta State University. She also received both a PhD and MA in English from The University of Georgia, and a BA in English and Creative Writing from the Mississippi University for Women. She wrote her PhD dissertation on narrative structure and social change in novels by 18th-century British women writers. There are 12 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 521,909 times.

You may have heard talk of political manifestos, personal manifestos, and religious manifestos…but what is a manifesto, and what purpose does it serve? A manifesto is a written statement where the author publicly declares their intentions, motivations, or beliefs. Etymologically, “manifesto” comes from the Latin word meaning "to make something public." Similarly, the modern manifesto makes public someone’s internal ideas and how they plan to put them into action. In this step-by-step guide, you’ll learn how to write your own manifesto and manifest the outcome you want.

Things You Should Know

• Describe your core values and the life experiences that shaped them. Help your audience understand you and your beliefs.
• Brainstorm ideas and develop an outline. Identify your manifesto's core message and develop it into a thesis statement.
• Explain your perspective to your reader and outline an action plan to achieve your goals. Ensure that your plan is specific and realistic.

Steps

Part 1 Part 1 of 4:

Getting Started with Your Manifesto

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1. 1 Start with a meaningful question. Your question should inspire you and help focus your writing. You may address multiple questions while writing your manifesto or focus on topics surrounding a single question. Try sample manifesto questions like:[1]
   • What do you want your legacy (as an individual, group, or organization) to be?
   • What gives your life purpose and meaning?
   • What types of actions are aligned with your values?
   • How do you want to show up in the world?
   • What do you want to accomplish in your life?
   • What are you willing to do to achieve those accomplishments?
2. 2 Brainstorm your ideas. When you're first starting a manifesto, don't feel like you have to know exactly what you'll say. Just write down your ideas in little brainstorming sessions. There are lots of ways to go about brainstorming. Choose one that suits you best and lets you jot down your ideas most freely.[2]
   • Mind maps can help connect many different ideas. Add as many supporting details as possible when writing your mind map.
   • Lists are a great way to get many ideas down quickly. Make a list for each section of your manifesto and title them appropriately.
   • Writing stream-of-consciousness can help you get all your ideas out without worrying about grammar and spelling conventions. Set a time limit and see how much you can write in that time.
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3. 3 Research your topic. Doing research will strengthen your ideas and the evidence you have to support them. Find sources to back up your argument. Read other manifestos to see if anyone has written something similar that can provide you with a model.[3]
   • Familiarize yourself with the theory surrounding your topic. Go to your local library or bookstore and ask a librarian or clerk to help you find similar writers.
   • Read other manifestos on a similar topic for useful tools and arguments. Famous manifestos include The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx, I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King, and John F Kennedy's Man on the Moon.[4]
   • Strengthen your arguments by reading the opponents of your views online and developing counter arguments.
4. 4 Write an outline. Writing an outline will help you to arrange your ideas once you write. Put them into a logical order. Make sure to include an introduction and a conclusion in your outline. You don't need to write full sentences here. At this point, you're just trying to figure out the flow of your writing.
   • Use Roman numerals to number the major sections.[5]
   • Use uppercase letters to list details about the major sections.
   • Use Arabic numerals (1,2,3) to give specifics or examples about the details of your major sections.
5. 5 Think about your audience. To whom are you writing the manifesto? Will your work be read by your colleagues, the general public, or clients? This may change how you choose to use language.[6]
   • A theological manifesto might have a lot of academic terminology if your audience is academics, but it might use very plain speech if directed at a wider audience.
   • Avoid using overly complicated language unless you’re writing for an academic audience.
   • Long or complex words may alienate people who would otherwise appreciate your message.
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Part 2 Part 2 of 4:

Writing the Introduction to Your Manifesto

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1. 1 Identify yourself and your aims. State who you are and what your background is. Include information about where you’re from as well as your academic and professional history. Explain your personal beliefs, worldview, and the experiences you’ve had that brought you to this manifesto.
   • By introducing yourself, your readers will better understand your life course.
   • Make sure that you share life details related to your ideas.
   • Relate important experiences from work, school, or life that help readers see you as an authority.
   • Mentioning your degree in art might be useful in an artist's manifesto, just as civil service would be worth mentioning in a political manifesto.
2. 2 Include a thesis. Identify your core values or message. When writing your thesis statement, you want to clearly convey your manifesto's most important points or principles. The thesis should pose a compelling argument that connects all the other ideas that appear in the body of the manifesto.[7]
   • In The Communist Manifesto, for instance, the thesis centered around the authors’ belief that communism would make for a better system than capitalism.[8]
   • From this core thesis, authors Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels developed the rest of their supporting arguments and evidence.
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Part 3 Part 3 of 4:

Writing the Body of Your Manifesto

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1. 1 Elaborate on your ideas individually. Devote a section to each of your main points, even in a short manifesto. This organization will make your points more concrete and understandable for readers. It will also address any questions your readers might have.
   • Give each precept its own paragraph.
   • For longer sections, use a subheading.
2. 2 Present an action plan. Offer a direction for change in addition to sharing your ideas and beliefs. Take a current problem and re-imagine it changed through your ideology. Make sure that your goals are realistic and achievable. You should be able to name the actionable steps to achieve your mission.[9]
   • Use concrete details, avoiding words like "thing" and "something:" e.g. "Something in our political system disturbs me" –> "Negligence in our political system disturbs me."
   • Focus on verbs to evoke a sense of action, avoiding verbs like "am/is/are” and “have/has:" "Every artist manifests Art itself" → "Every artist is Art itself."
   • Manifestos are revolutionary by nature. Though not all revolutions are equal in scale, they all share a desire for change.
3. 3 Be concise and engaging. Stick to the points that are most relevant to your thesis. Avoid adding unnecessary details or including all your ideas for improving the target of your manifesto. Keep the reader’s interest by using metaphors, alliteration, and relevant analogies.
4. 4 Finish with a conclusion. By writing an effective conclusion, you can remind your readers about what they've read and the main point of your manifesto. Restate your thesis at some point during your conclusion. Give your readers a sense of closure and hope for a path forward—if they follow your action plan and ideologies.[10]
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Part 4 Part 4 of 4:

Revising Your Manifesto

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1. 1 Revise the overall structure of your manifesto. Rethink the structure and make sure the paragraph order is logical and flows nicely. Elaborate in any areas where your ideas could be clearer. Cut out anything that’s unnecessary or doesn’t contribute to your main point.[11]
   • By revising your work, you take your rough draft and turn it into something that is better developed and tailored to its purpose.
   • Don't worry about all the little things in this phase. What you want to do is to make big-picture changes.
2. 2 Edit your manifesto for language, flow, and accuracy. Make sure each sentence connects smoothly to the following one, and restructure sentences as needed. Double-check the accuracy of all the factual information you share.
   • Use stronger language and rewrite sentences in the active voice.
   • Read your manifesto out loud to catch more awkward phrasing or unclear ideas.
   • When you read your work out loud, you're more likely to catch some of these errors you missed.
3. 3 Ask someone you trust or respect to read your manifesto. A second opinion can give you a new perspective on how you present your ideas. Discussing your manifesto with someone else can also help you to develop stronger ideas and more specific articulations of your aims.
4. 4 Proofread your manifesto. Look for grammatical and spelling errors you made while writing. Errors can make your work look less credible. Perform this final revision once you're sure you won't be making any more big changes. Proofreading will be the last stage of your editing process.[12]
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Sample Manifesto

Declaration of Independence

Community Q&A

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• Question What's the key difference between a mission statement and a manifesto Tom De Backer Top Answerer A manifesto is a declaration of someone's intentions, motives or ideas. It usually proposes some changes that the group or individual thinks should be made to the current system of government. A mission statement is what a company sets itself as its intended goal. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 9 Helpful 43
• Question How am I going to write my manifesto at home? It's an activity they gave us at school. Community Answer Go to a space where you won't get distracted - no electronics, just the items you will need for your assignments. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 36 Helpful 50
• Question How do I write a manifesto to be a prefect in my school? Community Answer Engage with your colleagues to know what they like or dislike in the school and how they want to see it in the future.After that you can now follow these simple steps to write your manifesto. Introduce yourself: Hi, my name is Fonty M Kabbah. I am ____. Show them why you are suitable for the position.(achievement). Objectives (what you will want to achieve) at least three and at most four objectives. Conclusion. Note: It is usual to use metaphor, hyperbole and alliteration to write a manifesto and it should be brief (about 200--300 words). Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 16 Helpful 40

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Tips

• Review your manifesto often and make changes when necessary. Most people's values and goals change as time passes. Thanks Helpful 9 Not Helpful 1
• There are four main types of manifestos: a goal manifesto, a list manifesto, a rules-based manifesto, and a world manifesto. Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 0
• You may sometimes hear “creed” or “mission statement” used interchangeably with “manifesto.” Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0

Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Name Please provide your name and last initial Submit Thanks for submitting a tip for review! Advertisement

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References

1. ↑ https://www.teachwriting.org/612th/manifesto
2. ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/brainstorming/
3. ↑ https://www.qmsu.org/elections/candidateshub/manifesto/
4. ↑ https://geoffmcdonald.com/famous-manifestos/
5. ↑ https://www.iup.edu/writingcenter/writing-resources/organization-and-structure/creating-an-outline.html
6. ↑ https://www.bucksstudentsunion.org/news/article/6013/Write-a-good-manifesto/
7. ↑ https://writing.wisc.edu/handbook/thesis_or_purpose/
8. ↑ https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Communist-Manifesto
9. ↑ https://extension.psu.edu/the-seven-steps-of-action-planning

More References (3)

10. ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/conclusions/
11. ↑ https://crk.umn.edu/writing-center/how-revise-drafts
12. ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/editing-and-proofreading/

About This Article

Co-authored by: Megan Callaghan, PhD Academic Advisor This article was co-authored by Megan Callaghan, PhD and by wikiHow staff writer, Sophie Burkholder, BA. Megan Morgan is an Academic Advising and Writing expert based in Augusta, Georgia. She has over 7 years of university teaching experience and more than 15 years of professional editing experience. She works as an intern for the Law Library of Congress, and is also a Professional Writing Center Consultant at Augusta University. Her key academic interests involve reference and subject librarianship, government information, and information organization. She provides personalized writing instruction, workshops, and support for AU students, faculty, and staff. Previously, she worked as a Graduate Program Administrator at the University of Georgia’s School of Public and International Affairs. She was a Graduate Advisor for three degrees in the departments of Political Science and International Affairs at the University of Georgia College of Arts and Sciences. She earned her Master’s in Library and Information Science from Valdosta State University. She also received both a PhD and MA in English from The University of Georgia, and a BA in English and Creative Writing from the Mississippi University for Women. She wrote her PhD dissertation on narrative structure and social change in novels by 18th-century British women writers. This article has been viewed 521,909 times. 18 votes - 85% Co-authors: 38 Updated: August 29, 2025 Views: 521,909 Categories: Official Writing Article SummaryX

To write a manifesto, start by introducing yourself and your goals. Try to include personal beliefs or experiences that can give your readers a strong sense of who you are. Then, share your thesis, or overall message. Follow this with a list of your precepts, which can be actionable ideals or instructions on how to regulate behavior or thought in support of your thesis. Next, use the bulk of your manifesto to explain these precepts one-by-one, elaborating on each and outlining specific plans to see them to fruition. Finally, close by restating your thesis. For tips from our English reviewer on how to start with a meaningful question to come up with a thesis for your manifesto, read on! Did this summary help you?YesNo

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Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Co-authored by: Megan Callaghan, PhD Academic Advisor Co-authors: 38 Updated: August 29, 2025 Views: 521,909 85% of readers found this article helpful. 18 votes - 85% Click a star to add your vote

Meenakshi Jain

Jan 11, 2017

"I liked the way it is thorough and can be manifested in any form of creative as well as formal writing. I felt it..." more

Michelle

Nov 30, 2016

"It was very helpful with me trying to help a friend out for a false charge he is facing in court soon. I needed to..." more

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"I really wanted to make a dank manifesto, but I didn't know how to tell people about seizing the means of..." more

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"It's good to have a lead on how to go about writing a manifesto, a document that many institutions lack, if..." more

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"Amazing. I couldn't write a manifesto for my school election, it took me 3 hours to just write the starting..." more Share yours! More success stories Hide success stories

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