If you’ve decided to compose a compelling personal essay but are unsure of how to go about writing your first personal essay, simply continue reading to discover 5 tips on writing an engaging, well written personal essay.
5 Tips on writing a personal essay:
Select a significant event in your life to write about
The key to writing a compelling personal essay is to select a memorable event in your life, to write about. As an example, you may want to write about an experience which challenged you personally such as the death of a loved one or an experience which made a lasting impression on you, such as the first time which you traveled overseas or your experience studying abroad.
Decide whether or not your experience relates to wider events
A great way to write a phenomenal personal essay is to be able to relate a personal experience to wider events. As an example, if you choose to write about your experience, growing up as the child of immigrants, you may want to relate your experience, to the plight of modern-day immigrants.
Make sure that your opening paragraph hooks your readers
Instead of beginning your opening paragraph by stating the topic of your personal essay, such as your relationship with your mother, it’s well worth describing a specific memory, which you’ll elaborate on in the main text of your essay. As an example, if your personal essay focuses on a difficult relationship with your mother, you may want to start your introduction off by vividly describing the first time you can recall clashing with your mother.
Regardless of what story you plan on telling, it’s well worth mentioning each of your story’s key characters in your opening paragraph.
Make sure that your writing “voice” is personable and engaging
When it comes to writing a personal essay, there’s no need to use the tone of a serious academic. As your readers will relate to your story better if they feel a personal connection to you. So don’t be afraid to use a conversational tone of writing, that mimics the way you’d speak to a close friend or family member.
Also, ensure to write your essay in first person. As an example, instead of referring to yourself by your given name, feel free to use the term “I”.
Describe the events in your essay vividly
When it comes to describing past events in your personal essay, make sure to vividly describe each event, so that your readers can imagine themselves being in your shoes. As an example, if your essay talks about a difficult relationship with your mother, you may want to begin a segment about a clash you remember by commenting that is was an unusually hot day or that it was the morning of your 8th birthday. These extra details will help your readers become invested in your story. So what are you waiting for? It’s time to open up a new document or put pen to paper, in order to start crafting your first personal essay!
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