Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested.
The Scribbler Manifesto
Foreword
The Scribbler has been a very real part of my life for ten years. As a Policeman, whilst there are many things I consider myself truly fortunate to have experienced, there are also a great many others I wouldn’t wish on anyone; so Scribbler began as a useful tool to understand some of my thoughts, feelings and raw emotions - an alter ego that didn’t just bottle up or repress negativity, but rather explored it and found a constructive (rather than destructive) release.
As the years passed though, I realised I was enjoying the process, which, whilst still very therapeutic, had clearly grown into a hobby. I joined the Allpoetry web community in 2016 and began sharing some of my writing from the comfortable cover of relative anonymity, and then, as my hunger grew, took the plunge in 2019 - enrolling for a creative writing master’s with Teesside University.
Taking the master’s was a huge, but incredibly important, step in my growth as a writer. As well as delivering a structured programme of study to develop understanding and specific skillsets, Dr Sophie Nicholls and her team also provided me and my fellow students with a fantastic, nurturing environment to ‘try on’ different writing styles and explore ourselves as writers.
Creating a manifesto was among the first exercises Sophie had us do – and I have to say, initially, I was not a fan. I didn’t get it; why write down a bunch of daft ideals, pledges or other claptrap? Well, that is exactly why one needs to have faith in their educators … the process was epiphanous! Not only did it teach me a great deal about how I viewed writing and the values I hold dear within it, but it also helped me, Marcus Whitnell, come to terms with and develop the courage to say openly and publicly … yeah, that’s right, I write stuff!
Having just retired from the Police, I’m now half-way through writing my first novel, and feel that both The Scribbler and Teesside (in the form of Sophie and her team) deserve a little recognition – so publishing that manifesto seems fitting.
A playful nod to the genius of Dr Seuss, this short piece describes my journey to date, and those ‘oughts’ that, as a writer, The Scribbler has taught me to live by.
