Basic Guidelines on How to Write a Good Personal Essay
There is no easier way to express yourself in writing than through writing a personal essay. In this article, you'll find out how to write and complete a unique personal essay.
What is a Personal Essay?
The personal essay definition is not an entirely difficult one because it is evident in its name. This is an essay that you write from your point of view. There are different ways that a personal essay may be written. While some people prefer to write a first-hand experience in the form of an autobiography, some others would rather write about a general subject matter in the form of a personal narrative essay. Either way, the general theme of writing from one's perspective is constant.
How to Write a Personal Essay
To write a personal essay, you must have a broad knowledge of the topic you're writing on. Here are general tips to help you write your personal essay.
- Decide on a Subject Matter
This is part of the preparatory aspect of writing your essay because it is where your interest lies. The more you find interest in the subject matter, the more unique your essay turns out to be. A personal essay is often not a fictional work. For instance, you may choose a subject matter based on memories or experiences that you encountered. In the same vein, you may settle on a general topic about politics or an issue that occurred in society.
- Pick a Topic
Once you have decided on the subject matter for your essay, you can decide on a topic to write on. The topic narrows down your essay so that it isn't too bulky for you and your reader. Your topic should be specific and factual. Remember that it isn't a work of fiction and it is more informative or analytical. For instance, you can decide to write a what makes you unique essay
- Read Other Personal Essays
If you have never written a personal essay, you may encounter difficulty getting it right even when you have the proper guidelines. You may know how to start off a personal essay without knowing how to complete it. To eliminate this kind of problem, you should source and read other examples of personal essays available for you.
- Write Your Personal Essay
The most critical part of knowing how to write a personal essay is writing a personal essay. First, as you write, ensure that you use active rather than passive voice. You should also write conversationally. Further, you must write in first-person pronouns. It is not personal if you're not personal about it. You must also know the right structure or outline for writing your personal essay.
The Personal Essay Outline
Like every other kind of essay, your personal essay is often divided into the introduction, body, and conclusion of the work.
Introduction
The introduction to your work is very important because it has the power to captivate your reader or help them lose interest. Here, you must hook your reader by giving details of your writeup as creatively as possible. You also have your thesis statement in your introductory paragraph.
How to Write a Thesis Statement for a Personal essay
Your thesis statement is usually one or two sentences, but a single statement. It summarizes everything you wish to address in your work and also includes a conclusion. To write the best personal essay thesis statement, outline the body of your work. From here, you may include the topic and conclusion of your work. That is: topic + body + conclusion
Body
The body of your personal essay is where you write out your ideas and properly address the topic of discussion. In three or more paragraphs, you can tell your reader what opinions or experiences you're trying to share with them. Usually, the body of your essay is a proper expansion of the thesis statement you have mentioned in your introduction.
Conclusion
The concluding paragraph of your personal essay rounds off the essay. Here, you may tell your reader what your personal experience has taught you or why you have a certain opinion. Your conclusion would depend to a large extent on the subject matter and topic you have chosen to write on.
At the end of your essay, do not forget to read through. You may ask someone else to read for you or read it aloud to fish out errors.
Conclusively
The tips here are a basic guide on how to write the best personal essay and following them will get you started easily.