Writers Anonymous Manifesto – A Collaboration

12 Steps to Never Recovering from our “Writing Addiction”

Step 1:

Admit we are powerless to fight

Against the need to write

Step 2 :

Admit that we are together not to cure this affliction,

But to continue with this addiction

Step 3 :

Vehemently believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity

Why we swear upon a thesaurus and/or a dictionary

Step 4 :

Keep the fire to write burning bright

stoking it with humour, insights and candour alright!

Step 5:

Admit that writing is in our blood

It has always been our first love.

Family and work, we  take care of you

But writing is the thing we prefer to do.

Step 6 :

Let all our characters have many virtues and some flaws

Alphabets in inky soup are our allies for moments when inspiration withdraws.

Step 7:

And if that ever happens to anyone of us,

The others will rally around without any fuss.

Step 8:

If we go a day without rhyme or meter

It doesn’t mean our voices have petered.

We commit to finding inspiration

Even if it takes all our perspiration.

Step 9:

When you don’t hear me, see me or smell me,

I am still here,

Just hidden under a pile of words,

Beneath an avalanche of poetry and prose.

Worry not, fear not I will emerge….when?

Nobody knows.

Step 10 :

For reading is what keeps me sane

Free from fears, holy and profane!

And then gradually as I inch towards writing

I can hear your cheers, warm and inviting.

Step 11:

My words break free and release my soul

If I don’t let it go, it will exact a toll

So join me in this wonderful condition

Allow life’s dilemmas to bring words to fruition.

Step 12:

We strive to live by these principles.

We commit to carry this message to all who hold sacred the trysts of paper and pen.

Let this love affair never end!

Yesterday was Thanksgiving in the USA, a time for remembering and appreciating all the wonderful people, experiences and material blessings that we have in our lives. This year, I am especially appreciative of the connections I have made through this blog in the WordPress Universe – the other bloggers and my readers! You have all made me a better writer and poet! Thank you!

This post is a collaboration with Gina and Punam, two talented poets who have greatly enriched my life with their inspired writings. We had a conversation on the comments section of one of our blogs (I’m forgetting which one it is now!) about how writing is like an addiction for us – something we can’t live without, that (at times) takes us away or takes precedence over our families/work, that occupies our minds when we are not writing – but how we wouldn’t want to be cured from this addiction, but would want others to join us.

This piece is not intended to take away from the gravity of substance abuse or other behavioral addictions such as gambling. Addictive thinking can center around many activities. Even if the activity starts of healthy or benign, the addictive intention can turn it into something unhealthy.

Cutting through the denial, I really enjoyed working with Punam and Gina on our manifesto! They are profound and prolific poets and really pushed the quality of my work. As women wearing many hats (mother, worker, lover, friend), writing allows us to let down our hair. So let us write to our hearts content…because, really, we can’t stop!