An Extensive Guide on How to Write a Personal Essay

What Is a Personal Essay?

A personal essay functions as a written exploration of a significant lesson derived from the author's life experiences. Often narrating a noteworthy event from a first-person perspective, it can adopt diverse writing styles, such as formal compositions or creative nonfiction, and typically maintains a conversational tone to establish a connection with the reader. Personal essays have the potential to inspire and uplift, share valuable insights, or serve as cautionary tales, advising others to learn from the author's mistakes.

Covering a wide range of subjects, essay topics may include experiences like the first high school test failure, encounters with estranged family members, moral turning points in adolescence, overseas war atrocities, survival from abuse, or the impact of a transformative professor on one's perception of literature. Any moment in life that catalyzed individual growth or brought about meaningful change can be the focus of a personal composition, offering a rich exploration enriched by the author's unique perspective. Given the fact that such essays are assigned to students applying for colleges, you might want to consider a college admission essay writing service to increase your odds of success.

Personal Essay Structure

An effective personal essay comprises an introductory paragraph, a body paragraph, and a conclusion. While the standard length typically consists of about five paragraphs, the essay's overall length can vary, provided it includes all three fundamental sections:

Introduction

Commence your writing with initial sentences featuring a captivating hook to engage the reader. Present a key statement you intend to substantiate in the body of your essay. Avoid commonplace clichés, such as opening with a famous quote (particularly in the context of a college paper), and endeavor to establish a distinctive connection with your audience.

Body

The substance of your essay lies in its body, which should incorporate key points and convincing evidence supporting the thesis statement of your writing. Here, as a writer, elucidate how your own experiences have influenced your perspective and reflect on the knowledge acquired.

Conclusion

Conclude your essay by reiterating the thesis and encapsulating the moral of your writing or unveiling a deeper truth. Recapitulate why the text holds significance and succinctly summarize the key takeaways you wish the reader to glean from this particular piece. Should you use our college essay service, the final draft will be structured up to the mark. 

Personal Essay Format

To grasp the essence of a personal essay writing, begin by understanding its formatting specifics. Don't worry; we're not trying to overwhelm you. The format for a personal essay shares similarities with most academic tasks, with a few distinct aspects. Let's delve into the details:

Font

• Unless a Harvard format is specified, feel free to use readable fonts like Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri in size 12.

Margins

• Set your margins to one inch on all sides, following the standard practice in most writings.

Spacing

• Embrace the classic double-spacing, including between paragraphs.

Indentation

• Indent the first line of each paragraph by 0.5 inches or use the tab key – a tried-and-true method that adds clarity to your writing.

Page numbers

• While not mandatory, placing page numbers in the top right corner of each page can add a professional touch to your paper.

Title

• Craft a title that mirrors the theme or subject, positioning it at the center of the page. No need to elaborate further on this straightforward guideline.

Header

• Ensure each page features a header with your last name and the page number in the top right corner, as this is your intimate story – don't miss the chance to include your name.

Length

• Personal essays typically range from 500 to 2,000 words unless you're delving into topics like healing from generational trauma, which may require a few extra pages.

Tone

• Maintain a conversational, reflective, and sincere tone. This recommendation aims to prevent the narrative from sounding dull and to keep the spotlight on you, the true hero of the story, using first-person pronouns such as 'I,' 'me,' and 'my.'

Students who buy college essays online always have their papers formatted flawlessly – from fonts and margins to spacing and indentation. 

Personal Essay Key Components

Successful personal essays incorporate key elements: a compelling hook, an engaging story, interesting characters, an immersive setting, and a meaningful point.

A compelling hook is essential to captivate readers and sustain their interest throughout the essay. This can be an intriguing opening line, a thought-provoking paragraph, or a cliffhanger from a pivotal moment later.

As a personal essay essentially unfolds as a story, the need for an engaging plot is paramount. A well-crafted story, even if concise, should evoke a range of emotions, be it joy, sadness, horror, or another impactful response. If the story leaves a person with a lukewarm reaction, it is less likely to achieve success.

Interesting characters, including the author in the case of first-person narratives, play a crucial role. There are instances when authors step aside, allowing their characters to take center stage. Thus, carefully considering how real characters are portrayed adds depth to the narrative.

Given that personal essays revolve around real events, the setting should authentically reflect the locations where the events occurred. However, successful compositions go beyond mere description, immersing readers in the settings by incorporating intriguing details related to sights, sounds, smells, and other sensory elements.

Many top personal essays convey a theme or message. The major point, or central message, adds depth and resonance. For example, a personal essay on dating might convey the message that "friends shouldn't set up friends with other friends" to avoid potential awkwardness in future social situations. Similarly, a personal take on parenting might emphasize the message "let children figure out their own way of accomplishing something," as they inevitably will.

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How to Write a Personal Essay Step-by-Step

If you still lack time to do the assignment or anything urgent came up, feel free to buy college papers from our experts, who will prepare a composition following the guide presented below. While individual writing processes vary, consider these general guidelines when crafting your essay:

STEP 1 – Develop an outline: Create a preliminary outline to structure the main points and convey the intended tone of your message. This step helps you assess whether the chosen moment holds enough emotional weight or imparts a valuable lesson.

STEP 2 – Craft the introduction: Begin with an attention-grabbing hook, articulate your thesis, and establish an emotional connection with the reader. Set the stage for your essay's theme and offer a glimpse of what's to come.

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STEP 3 – Construct body paragraphs: Utilize sensory details to narrate the sequence of events tied to your thesis, guiding the reader through your personal narration. Develop your personal story to build toward the main point.

STEP 4 – Emphasize specificity: Make your content more engaging by providing descriptive details about a pivotal moment in your life, avoiding a broad overview. Offer necessary information about real-life characters and express specific feelings experienced.

STEP 5 – Conclude thoughtfully: Summarize the lessons learned from your experience and convey the message you wish to impart to the reader. While the revelation may be challenging, concluding on a generally positive or hopeful note can imbue the writing with a sense of aspiration or uplift.

STEP 6 – Proofread thoroughly: Beyond checking for spelling and grammar, ensure the clarity of your intent and the coherence of your writing. Regardless of your writing proficiency, revisiting your work and confirming the solidity of your story is always beneficial.

Personal Essay Example

Our paper writing service team prepared this personal essay example to inspire you to write a brilliant paper on your own. 

Rainy Day

Rainy Day