There are numerous reasons to create a personal narrative essay. Some people need it for college admission, while others just want to share personal experiences with a broad audience. Irrespective of the purpose, the content of the essay remains the same, personal. Reading the article, you will find more information about the essay type, its format, specifications, and tips that will help you come up with a consistent and well-structured paper.
What is a personal essay
A personal essay is a type of academic writing that is aimed at a description of the writer’s personal experience. Writing a personal essay, you have maximum freedom and flexibility, enlightening the most different events and talking about various events. At the same time, the style, structure, and format of the paper should comply with the requirements. Irrespective of the difference in the length, goal, and tone that can be used in the text, the structure of the paper remains classical.
Personal essay vs personal statement: key discrepancies
Talking about personal essays, it is indispensable to discuss another type of writing, known as a personal statement. While the personal essay gives a chance to describe various events and experiences that have had a critical impact on the person, the personal statement format is a bit different. It is more specific and narrow, as this type of work is aimed at highlighting your strong points inevitable for a particular job.
Personal essay format: basics to consider
Are you ready to start working on the personal essay? First, learn how to write a personal essay that will be informative, appealing, interesting, and well-structured. Formatting is also an aspect to be taken into account. Irrespective of the promised flexibility of the paper type, there are still a few rules to follow.
| Font | Readable fonts, size 12 |
| Margins | 1 inch on all sides |
| Spacing | double-spacing |
| Page numbers | Top right corner |
| Length | 400-600 words on average |
Personal essay topics: how to make the right choice
The choice of personal essay topics is immense, but finding the right one may be a real challenge. If you take your time to browse the web and find a few ideas, you risk spending hours reading the most extraordinary ideas. However, you will surely be inspired and filled with unique and authentic concepts. When you are ready to come up with a custom theme, make sure you stick to simple tips:
- Choose a relevant and appealing topic
- Avoid too broad themes
- Do not discuss trivial events, actions, or experiences
- Opt for concise but meaningful themes to discuss
| Valuable experience that helped you become a real professional |
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| Lessons you have learned at college |
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| Combining studying and work |
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| People that have influenced you the most |
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| Events and activities that contributed to your vision |
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Personal essay outline
If you are convinced that telling a personal story is easy, chances are you are mistaken. Creating a well-structured and coherent paper sharing your experience can take a lot of time and effort. Creating an outline is one of the simplest and most effective ways to keep all the ideas organized. It is the exact element that will guide you through the basic concepts and will keep your narration short, meaningful, and appealing.
Reading a few personal essay examples, you will understand the real value of the outline. It keeps the sequence of the actions and events, links paragraphs, and guides the students through the writing process.
Example:
1. Introduction
- Hook/opening sentence
- Interesting details and background information
- Thesis statement
2. Main Body
2.1 First body paragraph
- Start telling the story
- Mention your attitude towards specific events
2.2 Second body paragraph
- Proceed with more details
- Keep the story logical
- Answer the most common questions
2.3 Third body paragraph
- Conclude the story
- Emphasize the feelings at the end of the story
3. Conclusion
- Reiterate the core points of the story
- Come up with the lesson you have learned
- Encourage readers to reflect on the topic
Infographics
Check out a sample personal essay outline that will help you succeed with your custom project:
1. Introduction
- Hook
- Background information
- Thesis statement
2. Main Body
First paragraph
Second paragraph
Third paragraph
3. Conclusion
- Reiteration of the thesis statement
- Reflection on the basic points
- Call to action
Step-by-step guide to writing a flawless personal essay
A personal essay is a type of academic writing that features flawless structure and excellence in detail. The main goal of this paper type is to emphasize the students’ experience and mention some strong points that will keep them competitive. Therefore, both the form and the content are indispensable during the work on the assignment.
If you have never been working on a similar project, you should start with a few most critical prompts for creative writing. Stick to the guidelines, skipping none of the steps to thrive with the undertaking.
Research
Personal essay writing is about sharing your experience and highlighting your skills, knowledge, and competence. However, striving to create an influential and powerful paper, you will have to do a little research. Take your time to surf the web and detect a few sample papers, analyze them, and single out critical instruments and ideas that will help you make your custom paper stand out.
Choose the topic
The title of the personal essay can play a decisive role, as it will predetermine the further desire of the audience to read the whole piece. Browse the web for ideas and inspiration, focusing on the topics that seem the most effective. Follow the samples to create a concise, appealing, and interesting topic that will hardly leave someone indifferent.
Create an outline
Here comes the most interesting part that will take the most of your time and effort. Excellent structure and perfect content can be achieved as a result of hard work at this stage. Outlining the personal essay, you should stay consistent, dividing the text into the most important and meaningful constituents. Once you succeed with the outline, you will only have to enrich your paper with facts, examples, and similar elements.
Follow the structure
An appealing introduction, informative body, and concise conclusion are the fundamental elements of any academic paper, with a personal essay not being an exception. Divide the body part into a few paragraphs, using transition phrases and sentences to keep them linked.
Proofread and edit
Are you done with the first draft? There is still another step to take, as it will help you advance the quality of your writing and keep the paper more scholarly. Proofread and edit the paper, eliminating any typos, data inaccuracies, grammar or punctuation errors, and similar issues that can affect the quality of the writing.
Infographics:
Personal essay writing can be a comparatively easy task if you stick to the rules and guidelines. Check out a few steps to take in order to get closer to the desired result.
- Do topical research.
- Analyze the field and come up with an interesting topic.
- Create a comprehensive outline.
- Structure the paper.
- Edit and proofread the paper.
Personal essay writing tips
Being aware of the personal essay format, structure, and similar specifications may not be enough for the creation of a flawless paper. At this point, it is critical to mention a few little details that can make a huge difference. Focus on the following aspects while you draft an essay so that it looks more professional.
- Start the process with an essay outline.
- An appealing introduction is halfway to success.
- Be specific to keep the story interesting.
- Proofread and edit the paper to avoid trivial mistakes.
- Write an essay in an active voice.
- Take advantage of online writing tools.
- Ask your fellow students to read the text and leave feedback.
Conclusion
Writing a personal essay is much easier when you follow a comprehensive guide. Stick to the rules to keep the paper well-structured and consistent. Additionally, mind little tips and tricks that will contribute to the quality of your writing. Search for inspiration and motivation before you start working on the paper so that you are always filled with unique ideas and authentic concepts.
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FAQ
How to structure a personal essay?
A good personal essay features excellent content and flawless structure. An appealing introductory part, meaningful body paragraphs, and a reasonable conclusion are a must. Follow guidelines to keep each part concise and informative, avoiding the most common mistakes.
How to start a personal essay?
The key goal of the introductory part is to attract readers and make them anticipate the development of events. Therefore, an enticing hook is one of the elements to be included. Start with a quote, an interesting story, or a joke that will help you reveal the topic of the paper.
Where to find ideas for a personal essay?
Reading sample personal essays is always a good idea, as such experience will enrich you with information, new concepts, valuable writing tools, and inevitable inspiration. Take your time to surf the web and analyze a few examples of personal essays before you proceed to your custom project.
How long should a personal essay be?
The length of the personal essay may vary a bit, depending on the educational institution and its requirements. In most cases, it is around 400-600 words.
How to end a personal essay?
A short summary that will reiterate the thesis statement and emphasize the most critical aspects of the writing may help you end an essay. Talk about the future, encouraging students to set certain goals and work on their achievements.
