a good way to start a personal essay

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How to Start an Essay: 13 Engaging Strategies

ThoughtCo / Hugo Lin

• Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
• M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
• B.A., English, State University of New York

There are countless ways to start an essay effectively. A solid introductory paragraph both informs and motivates. It lets readers know what your piece is about and it encourages them to keep reading.

For folks new to learning how to start an essay, here are 13 introductory strategies accompanied by examples from a wide range of professional writers.

State Your Thesis Briefly and Directly

One straightforward way to begin is to get right to the point. But avoid making your thesis a bald announcement, such as "This essay is about...". 

"It is time, at last, to speak the truth about Thanksgiving, and the truth is this. Thanksgiving is really not such a terrific holiday...." (Michael J. Arlen, "Ode to Thanksgiving." The Camera Age: Essays on Television . Penguin, 1982)

Pose a Question Related to Your Subject

A thought-provoking way to start an essay is by asking a relevant question that needs to be unpacked. Follow up the question with an answer, or an invitation for your readers to answer the question.

"What is the charm of necklaces? Why would anyone put something extra around their neck and then invest it with special significance? A necklace doesn't afford warmth in cold weather, like a scarf, or protection in combat, like chain mail; it only decorates. We might say, it borrows meaning from what it surrounds and sets off, the head with its supremely important material contents, and the face, that register of the soul. When photographers discuss the way in which a photograph reduces the reality it represents, they mention not only the passage from three dimensions to two, but also the selection of a point de vue that favors the top of the body rather than the bottom, and the front rather than the back. The face is the jewel in the crown of the body, and so we give it a setting." (Emily R. Grosholz, "On Necklaces." Prairie Schooner , Summer 2007)

State an Interesting Fact About Your Subject

Leading with a fact that draws readers in immediately can grab their attention effectively.

" The peregrine falcon was brought back from the brink of extinction by a ban on DDT, but also by a peregrine falcon mating hat invented by an ornithologist at Cornell University. If you cannot buy this, Google it. Female falcons had grown dangerously scarce. A few wistful males nevertheless maintained a sort of sexual loitering ground. The hat was imagined, constructed, and then forthrightly worn by the ornithologist as he patrolled this loitering ground, singing, Chee-up! Chee-up! and bowing like an overpolite Japanese Buddhist trying to tell somebody goodbye...." (David James Duncan, "Cherish This Ecstasy." The Sun , July 2008)

Present Your Thesis as a Recent Discovery or Revelation

"I've finally figured out the difference between neat people and sloppy people. The distinction is, as always, moral. Neat people are lazier and meaner than sloppy people." (Suzanne Britt Jordan, "Neat People vs. Sloppy People." Show and Tell . Morning Owl Press, 1983)

Briefly Describe the Primary Setting of Your Essay

"It was in Burma, a sodden morning of the rains. A sickly light, like yellow tinfoil, was slanting over the high walls into the jail yard. We were waiting outside the condemned cells, a row of sheds fronted with double bars, like small animal cages. Each cell measured about ten feet by ten and was quite bare within except for a plank bed and a pot of drinking water. In some of them brown silent men were squatting at the inner bars, with their blankets draped round them. These were the condemned men, due to be hanged within the next week or two." (George Orwell, "A Hanging," 1931)

Recount an Incident That Dramatizes Your Subject

Sharing an incident from your life or history in general is an impactful way to start an essay.

"One October afternoon three years ago while I was visiting my parents, my mother made a request I dreaded and longed to fulfill. She had just poured me a cup of Earl Grey from her Japanese iron teapot, shaped like a little pumpkin; outside, two cardinals splashed in the birdbath in the weak Connecticut sunlight. Her white hair was gathered at the nape of her neck, and her voice was low. “Please help me get Jeff’s pacemaker turned off,” she said, using my father’s first name. I nodded, and my heart knocked." (Katy Butler, "What Broke My Father's Heart." The New York Times Magazine , June 18, 2010)

Use the Narrative Strategy of Delay

The narrative strategy of delay allows you to put off identifying your subject just long enough to pique your readers' interest without frustrating them. 

"They woof. Though I have photographed them before, I have never heard them speak, for they are mostly silent birds. Lacking a syrinx, the avian equivalent of the human larynx, they are incapable of song. According to field guides the only sounds they make are grunts and hisses, though the Hawk Conservancy in the United Kingdom reports that adults may utter a croaking coo and that young black vultures, when annoyed, emit a kind of immature snarl...." (Lee Zacharias, "Buzzards." Southern Humanities Review , 2007)

Use the Historical Present Tense

An effective way to start an essay is to use historical present tense to relate an incident from the past as if it were happening now. 

"Ben and I are sitting side by side in the very back of his mother’s station wagon. We face glowing white headlights of cars following us, our sneakers pressed against the back hatch door. This is our joy—his and mine—to sit turned away from our moms and dads in this place that feels like a secret, as though they are not even in the car with us. They have just taken us out to dinner, and now we are driving home. Years from this evening, I won’t actually be sure that this boy sitting beside me is named Ben. But that doesn’t matter tonight. What I know for certain right now is that I love him, and I need to tell him this fact before we return to our separate houses, next door to each other. We are both five." (Ryan Van Meter, "First." The Gettysburg Review , Winter 2008)

Briefly Describe a Process That Leads Into Your Subject

"I like to take my time when I pronounce someone dead. The bare-minimum requirement is one minute with a stethoscope pressed to someone’s chest, listening for a sound that is not there; with my fingers bearing down on the side of someone’s neck, feeling for an absent pulse; with a flashlight beamed into someone’s fixed and dilated pupils, waiting for the constriction that will not come. If I’m in a hurry, I can do all of these in sixty seconds, but when I have the time, I like to take a minute with each task." (Jane Churchon, "The Dead Book." The Sun , February 2009)

Reveal a Secret or Make a Candid Observation

"I spy on my patients. Ought not a doctor to observe his patients by any means and from any stance, that he might the more fully assemble evidence? So I stand in doorways of hospital rooms and gaze. Oh, it is not all that furtive an act. Those in bed need only look up to discover me. But they never do." ( Richard Selzer , "The Discus Thrower." Confessions of a Knife . Simon & Schuster, 1979)

Open with a Riddle, Joke, or Humorous Quotation

A fun way to start an essay is to use a riddle , joke, or humorous quotation that reveals something about your subject. 

" Q: What did Eve say to Adam on being expelled from the Garden of Eden? A: 'I think we're in a time of transition.' The irony of this joke is not lost as we begin a new century and anxieties about social change seem rife. The implication of this message, covering the first of many periods of transition, is that change is normal; there is, in fact, no era or society in which change is not a permanent feature of the social landscape...." (Betty G. Farrell, Family: The Making of an Idea, an Institution, and a Controversy in American Culture . Westview Press, 1999)

Offer a Contrast Between Past and Present

"As a child, I was made to look out the window of a moving car and appreciate the beautiful scenery, with the result that now I don't care much for nature. I prefer parks, ones with radios going chuckawaka chuckawaka and the delicious whiff of bratwurst and cigarette smoke." (Garrison Keillor, "Walking Down The Canyon." Time , July 31, 2000)

Offer a Contrast Between Image and Reality

A compelling way to start an essay is with a contrast between a common misconception and the opposing truth. 

"They aren’t what most people think they are. Human eyes, touted as ethereal objects by poets and novelists throughout history, are nothing more than white spheres, somewhat larger than your average marble, covered by a leather-like tissue known as sclera and filled with nature’s facsimile of Jell-O. Your beloved’s eyes may pierce your heart, but in all likelihood they closely resemble the eyes of every other person on the planet. At least I hope they do, for otherwise he or she suffers from severe myopia (near-sightedness), hyperopia (far-sightedness), or worse...." (John Gamel, "The Elegant Eye." Alaska Quarterly Review , 2009)

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How To Start a College Essay: 9 Effective Techniques

This post was co-written by me (Ethan) and Luci Jones (Brown University, CO ‘23).

How to start a college essay TABLE OF CONTENTS

The full hemingway, the mini hemingway, the philosophical question, the confession, the trailer thesis, the fascinating concept, the random personal fun fact, the shocking image.

In anything you do, there’s a special, pivotal moment. 

I don’t mean the moment when inspiration strikes or the last brushstroke is painted or the audience oohs and ahs over the final product. The point in time we’re talking about here is the Moment When You Do The Darn Thing (DTDT for short). It’s when you get off the couch, stop binging Netflix , and take action. It’s when you put pencil to paper, fingers to keyboard, or *insert whatever other analogy feels applicable here.* 

For many, getting started is the hardest part of anything. And that’s understandable. First, because it turns whatever you’re doing into a reality, which raises the stakes. Second, because where you start can easily dictate the quality of where you end up.

College essays have their own special brand of DTDT. Knowing how to begin a college essay is daunting. It can be hard to write an engaging, authentic opener. But without an interesting hook, you risk getting lost in a vast sea of applications. To this end, we’ve put together some techniques about how to start a college essay to make your DTDT moment a little smoother and a little less stressful.

I say “probably” because I’m about to share a few overused techniques that I don’t recommend. Having said that, it is possible to pull them off—they’re just really hard to do well.

The Overly Grand Ambiguous Statement: From a distance, it might seem nice to talk about why all of humankind has felt some type of way for as long as history has existed. (Examples: “Many great thinkers have existed in our nation’s history” or “The key to a successful endeavor is perseverance.”) But these kinds of overly generalized or impersonal grand statements get lost easily in the crowd because they don’t tell the reader much about you. And without a connection to you, there’s not much reason for them to continue reading.

Going Meta: As cool as it may seem to demonstrate to your audience that you are aware of how you’re writing your essay in the moment you’re writing it, it’s less cool to college admissions officers who read meta stuff like that all the time. There are other, more subtle ways to demonstrate self-awareness in your intro rather than to open your essay with some variation of, “I stare at the blank screen...” or, worse, “When I was asked to write this personal statement, at first I wasn’t sure how to begin.”  Note that the meta essay can sometimes work (you’ll see a couple examples below), but has a higher degree of difficulty.

The Quote: While quoting famous people who have said something cool in the past may seem like an appealing way to start your essay, remember that colleges want to hear YOUR thoughts. Don’t use the words of another person to stand in for your own opinions or insights. You have cool things to say. It may just take a little while to discover what those things are.

The Too-Obvious Thesis That Spoils the Ending of the Movie (i.e. Your Essay): What if Avengers: Infinity War had opened with a voiceover from the director saying, “This is a film about how Thanos collects all the infinity stones and destroys half the population.” (Aaaaaand this is your too-late spoiler alert. Sorry. But don’t worry, they go back in time and undo it in Endgame . Oh, also spoiler.) That would’ve sucked. That’s what it feels like, though, if you start your essay with something like, “I want to be a veterinarian because I care about animals and the environment.” I read a sentence like that and I go, “Cool, thanks, now I can save myself the three minutes it would’ve taken to read the essay. Thank you, next.” While you may want to have that sentence in mind so you know what you’re trying to get across (this is called a logline), just don’t give away the whole thing. Instead, start your essay with something to pique our interest. How? We’re about to share 9 ways. 

Want to read a few more college essay tips? Check out this huge list from admissions experts. 

9 WAYS TO START A COLLEGE ESSAY:

An image-based description that focuses on a particular moment and doesn’t explain much—at least not right away. This technique lets dialogue, actions, or details speak for themselves.

(Note that there are many other authors that do this — it’s part of great writing — but my little brother suggested Hemingway and I kinda’ liked the sound of it.)

Example: 

Every Saturday morning, I’d awaken to the smell of crushed garlic and piquant pepper. I would stumble into the kitchen to find my grandma squatting over a large silver bowl, mixing fat lips of fresh cabbages with garlic, salt, and red pepper.

Why It Works: In this intro, the author paints a very visceral picture of waking up in the morning to the smell of her grandmother’s traditional Korean cooking. Through the careful word choice (“piquant pepper,” “fat lips of fresh cabbages,” etc.), we get a sense that something important is happening, even if we don’t know what it is yet. But this one can be difficult to pull off if you don’t help the reader understand why you’ve described what you’ve described. Read the rest of the essay here .

Which brings us to...

An image-based description, perhaps 1-3 sentences in length, that focuses on a particular moment and then follows up with a sentence that explains, comments on, or somehow provides context for what is being described.

Take a look at how this can happen by just adding one sentence to the example above (see bolded line below):

Every Saturday morning, I’d awaken to the smell of crushed garlic and piquant pepper. I would stumble into the kitchen to find my grandma squatting over a large silver bowl, mixing fat lips of fresh cabbages with garlic, salt, and red pepper. That was how the delectable Korean dish, kimchi, was born every weekend at my home.  

Why it Works: This single sentence hints at some of the author’s core values—culture, ritual, family—without giving too much away about where the essay is headed. Like any good intro, this one creates more questions that answers. (Read the rest of the essay here .)

Another example:

They covered the precious mahogany coffin with a brown amalgam of rocks, decomposed organisms, and weeds. It was my turn to take the shovel, but I felt too ashamed to dutifully send her off when I had not properly said goodbye. I refused to throw dirt on her. I refused to let go of my grandmother, to accept a death I had not seen coming, to believe that an illness could not only interrupt, but steal a beloved life.

Why It Works: The author drops us right into the middle of something we know nothing about, yet it invites us to care. How? The specifics. The details she notices and the resistance she’s feeling help to put us in her shoes. This means we don’t just feel sympathy, we feel empathy . And that empathetic connection heightens the stakes for us by raising questions: How did her grandmother die? Why can’t the author let her go? Why is she angry? (Spoiler: It turns out she’s more angry at herself than anyone else. Read the rest of the essay here .)

The author begins with information that creates certain expectations about them before taking us in a surprising direction. 

Growing up, my world was basketball. My summers were spent between the two solid black lines. My skin was consistently tan in splotches and ridden with random scratches. My wardrobe consisted mainly of track shorts, Nike shoes, and tournament t-shirts. Gatorade and Fun Dip were my pre-game snacks. The cacophony of rowdy crowds, ref whistles, squeaky shoes, and scoreboard buzzers was a familiar sound. I was the team captain of almost every team I played on—familiar with the Xs and Os of plays, commander of the court, and the coach’s right hand girl. But that was only me on the surface. Deep down I was an East-Asian influenced bibliophile and a Young Adult fiction writer.

Why It Works: We’re introduced to the author as a basketball superstar, the queen of the court, a sports fanatic—and at this point the reader may even be making assumptions about this author’s identity based on her initial description of herself. However, in one sentence, the writer takes us in a completely unexpected direction. This plays with audience expectations and demonstrates that she has a good degree of self awareness about the layers of her identity. After having our expectations thrown for a loop, we can’t help but wonder more about who exactly this person is (and if you want to know like I did, read the rest of this essay here ).

Another example: 

I am on Oxford Academy’s Speech and Debate Team, in both the Parliamentary Debate division and the Lincoln-Douglass debate division. I write screenplays, short stories, and opinionated blogs and am a regular contributor to my school literary magazine, The Gluestick. I have accumulated over 300 community service hours that includes work at homeless shelters, libraries, and special education youth camps. I have been evaluated by the College Board and have placed within the top percentile. But I am not any of these things. I am not a test score, nor a debater, nor a writer. I am an anti-nihilist punk rock philosopher. And I became so when I realized three things:

Why It Works: He basically tears up his (impressive) resume in the first few sentences and says, “That’s not me! Here’s the real me…” and as a result we wonder, “How does one become an anti-nihilist punk rock philosopher? And what are the three things??” (Read the rest here .)

Ask a question that you won’t (and probably can’t) answer in your essay. This gives you a chance to show how your brilliant brain works, plus keeps us hooked as you explore possible answers/solutions. 

Does every life matter? Because it seems like certain lives matter more than others, especially when it comes to money.

Why it Works: It raises a complex, interesting question and poses a controversial idea: that we treat some lives as though they matter more than others. We wonder: “Is that true? Could it be? Say more…” Heads-up: This one can veer into the “Overly Grand Ambiguous Statement” opening if you’re not careful. Click here to read the rest of the essay mentioned above, which by the way took him a long time to refine—as this approach is not easy to pull off.

Begin by admitting something you might be judged (or judge yourself) for. 

Example:  

I have been pooped on many times. I mean this in the most literal sense possible. I have been pooped on by pigeons and possums, house finches and hawks, egrets and eastern grays. (Read the rest here .)

Why it Works: Shows vulnerability, but also in many cases intrigues us to learn more. 

Here is a secret that no one in my family knows: I shot my brother when I was six. Luckily, it was a BB gun. But to this day, my older brother Jonathan does not know who shot him. And I have finally promised myself to confess this eleven year old secret to him after I write this essay.

Why It Works: This is a super vulnerable to admit and raises all sorts of questions for us: Why did he shoot his brother? Why hasn’t he confessed it to him? What will his brother say once he tells him? (Fun fact: This essay actually breaks the “don’t start with a quote” rule. Here’s the rest if you wanna’ read it.)

A contextualizing 1-2-sentences (often at the end of the first paragraph) to ground the essay by giving us a sneak peek at what’s to come in the essay—but that do NOT give away the ending.

Example (I’ve marked it in bold below at the end of the first paragraph): 

Six years ago, a scrawny twelve year old kid took his first steps into Home Depot: the epitome of manliness. As he marched through the wood section, his eyes scrolled past the options. Red Oak? No, too ubiquitous. Pine? No, too banal. Mahogany? Perfect, it would nicely complement his walls. As days went on, the final product was almost ready. 91 degree angles had been perfected to 90. Drawer slides had been lubricated ten times over. Finally, the masterpiece was finished, and the little boy couldn’t help but smile. A scrawny 12-year-old kid had become a scrawny 12-year-old man. This desk I sit at has not only seen me through the last six years, but its story and the story of the objects I keep on it provide a foundation for my future pursuits.

Why It Works: As we read the first few sentences of this paragraph we might wonder, “Where is this going?” But this sentence sets us at ease and—again, without giving too much away—gives us a sense of what’s to come. We know that we’re going to learn about the author and his future through the objects on his desk. Great! It also signals to the reader “Don’t worry, you’re in good hands. I’m still aware of the task at hand.” 

Begin with a concept that’s unusual, paradoxical, and/or marked a turning point in your thinking. This is often followed up with context explaining where the concept came from and why the author is considering it. 

Crayfish can turn their red blood cells into precursor neuronal cells, I read in shock. The scientific paper, published in Cell 2014, outlined the process where crayfish could regenerate lost eyestalks or olfactory (smell and odor) nerves with their blood – they could see and smell again! It seemed unfair from an evolutionary standpoint. Humans, who were so much larger than a 7-ounce crayfish, couldn’t use their abundant blood to fix their brain damage.

Why It Works: This opening signals to the reader that the author is: a) someone who has read quite a bit, b) curious, and c) knows, as I like to say, “some stuff about some stuff.” In this case, she knows some science stuff.

Do you know some stuff about some stuff? If so, a little geeky language can help signal this to the reader. Don’t overdo it, though, or it can seem showy.

FYI: I see this more often at the start of great essays than personal statements, as this can often lead to an essay that’s more heady/intellectual and less vulnerable/personal. A variation on this that’s a bit more personal is the...

Begin with a strange fact about yourself to grab our attention. Then go on to say why it’s meaningful. Example: 

I subscribe to what the New York Times dubs “the most welcomed piece of daily e-mail in cyberspace.” Cat pictures? Kardashian updates? Nope: A Word A Day.

(Read the rest here .)

Why It Works: It pulls us in by making us think, “Oh, that’s cool!” and then wondering, “Okay, where is this going?”

Grab our attention with an incredibly specific and arresting image or sentence. Then tell us why it matters.

Smeared blood, shredded feathers. Clearly, the bird was dead. But wait, the slight fluctuation of its chest, the slow blinking of its shiny black eyes. No, it was alive.

Why It Works: This style subtly highlights the writing talent of the author without drawing attention away from the content of the story. In this example, the staccatoed sentence fragments convey a sense of halting anxiety and also mimic the movement of the bird’s chest as it struggles to breathe. All sorts of questions come up: What happened to the bird? What will the author do? (Read the rest of the essay here .)

February 2011– My brothers and I were showing off our soccer dribbling skills in my grandfather’s yard when we heard gunshots and screaming in the distance. We paused and listened, confused by sounds we had only ever heard on the news or in movies. My mother rushed out of the house and ordered us inside. The Arab Spring had come to Bahrain.  

(Read the rest of the essay here .)

Bowing down to the porcelain god, I emptied the contents of my stomach. Foaming at the mouth, I was ready to pass out. My body couldn’t stop shaking as I gasped for air, and the room started spinning. (Read the rest of the essay here .)

There are, of course, many more kinds of openings—and I’ll add to this post as I discover new ones. 

We get it, writing a standout introduction is easier said than done. Hopefully though, after seeing some examples of dynamic and thoughtful intros that used our techniques, you’re inspired to brainstorm some of your own . You’ve got this. DTDT has never looked so good.

Have a great college essay opening or a new type of opening you’d like to suggest? Share it in the comments below!

This post was co-written by me (Ethan) and Luci Jones (Brown University, CO ‘23).  Luci took my How to Write a Personal Statement course last year. The essay that she produced was so good and her writing was so beautiful, I’ve asked her to help me co-write this blog post with me, create a few techniques for writing a great introduction, and analyze why they work so well.

7 Helpful Tips on How to Write A Memorable Personal Essay

Everyone has a story to tell and a message to share. The challenge lies in getting that story and message out of your head and into print in a way that resonates with your audience.

Starting somewhere in the late 2000s, a certain type of personal essay experienced a popularity boom. These essays were ultra-personal and confessional in nature, often in a TMI sort of way. Their headlines were clickable, not to mention shareable, for their shock value alone.

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Although the confessional shock essay’s star seems to be fading, the personal essay itself is still standing strong. Essay collections by late greats like James Baldwin ( The Fire Next Time ) and David Foster Wallace ( Consider the Lobster ) still top Amazon’s Best Sellers in essays. Jenny Lawson (aka The Bloggess) launched a career with her darkly funny and self-effacing essays about her health and mental illness challenges ( Let’s Pretend This Never Happened ). Celebrities like Mindy Kaling ( Why Not Me? ) and Tina Fey ( Bossypants ) blended personal essays into memoir-esque collections that became best sellers. We head for the nearest bookseller when essay titans like David Sedaris or Anne Lamott have a new release.

We’re looking for real stories and musings from people who are able to share their foibles, lessons, and truths in a way we can relate to. Here are seven tips to help you craft a personal essay that will connect with readers.

1 Understand what a personal essay is

Ask three different experts what a personal essay is and you’ll likely get three different answers. Are they structured? Must they address a certain type of subject? Here’s a definition we like:

A personal essay is a short work of autobiographical nonfiction characterized by a sense of intimacy and a conversational manner. Also called a personal statement. A type of creative nonfiction, the personal essay is ‘all over the map,’ according to Annie Dillard. ‘There’s nothing you can’t do with it. No subject matter is forbidden, no structure is prescribed. You get to make up your own form every time.’

Personal essays relate the author’s intimate thoughts and experiences to universal truths. They aren’t simply a retelling of events, though—that falls more in the realm of memoir or autobiography. They conclude with the author having learned, changed, or grown in some way and often present some truth or insight that challenges the reader to draw their own conclusions.

2 Find a compelling topic

The best essay topics are often deeply relatable. Although the story itself is unique to the author’s experience, there’s some universal truth that speaks to us from just below the surface. Topics like facing a fear, falling in love, overcoming an obstacle, discovering something new, or making a difficult choice tackle feelings and events that happen in everyone’s life.

3 Start with a strong hook

As with any type of writing, it’s essential to draw the reader in from the very first paragraph , or even the first sentence. Here are a few examples.

Aside from Peter, who supposedly guards the gates of heaven and is a pivotal figure in any number of jokes, the only saint who’s ever remotely interested me is Francis of Assisi, who was friends with the animals.

When I was young, my family didn’t go on outings to the circus or trips to Disneyland. We couldn’t afford them. Instead, we stayed in our small rural West Texas town, and my parents took us to cemeteries.

I underwent, during the summer that I became fourteen, a prolonged religious crisis.

Alone, we are doomed. By the same token, we’ve learned that people are impossible, even the ones we love most— especially the ones we love most.

Your hook and opening paragraph should establish the topic of your essay (or at least allude to it) and set the scene and tone.

4 Create an outline

All it takes to understand the importance of an outline is listening to someone who struggled to tell a personal story. Often, the story will seem to have no real point. The switchbacks where the teller says “But wait, I have to tell you about this part, first!” are maddening and disruptive. An outline will help you organize your thoughts before committing them to text.

Consider your opening hook and the statement it makes, then map out the sequence of events or main points that support it. Just like a good fictional story, your essay should have rising action. Raise the stakes with each paragraph until you reach a climax or turning point. Plan to add a conclusion that will evoke an emotional response in your reader.

5 Narrow your focus

Don’t try to write to a general topic. Your essay may well be about sexism, but you need to illustrate it through the lens of a defining incident that’s deeply personal to you. What did your experiences teach you about sexism? What does it mean to you as an individual?

6 Show, don’t tell

Close your eyes. Think of the scene you’re about to write down. What were you experiencing with your five senses? How did you feel?

Your challenge is to evoke those senses and feelings without flatly stating them. Don’t say “I felt cold.” Say “I exhaled and my breath turned to vapor that hung in the air. I shivered and pulled the blanket tight around my shoulders in a vain attempt to trap my body heat.” Your description should help the reader experience the cold with you. Stephen King describes it as making the reader “prickle with recognition.”

7 Craft a thought-provoking conclusion

Your essay should end with your own reflection and analysis. What did you learn? How have the events and thoughts you described changed your life or your understanding of life? It’s not enough to say “And that’s what happened.” You have to describe how whatever happened shaped you.

Just as a good lead hooks readers and draws them along for the ride, a good conclusion releases them from your essay’s thrall with a frisson of pleasure, agreement, passion or some other sense of completion. Circling back to your lead in your conclusion is one way to give readers that full-circle sense. Try to restate your thesis in a way that reflects the journey the essay has taken.

There is so much outside the false cloister of private experience; and when you write, you do the work of connecting that terrible privacy to everything beyond it.

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Writing Guides  /  How to Write a Personal Essay: A Step-by-Step Guide

How to Write a Personal Essay: A Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction

A personal essay is a short piece of writing that reflects the author’s personal experiences, thoughts, feelings, memories or sensations—usually with a unifying or deeper theme or purpose. It is like personal narrative in which the writer is given the freedom to explore his own inner world while also connecting with readers on a meaningful level. Personal essays are most frequently used for college applications, where applicants share their life stories to illustrate a finer point. They are often seen in creative writing courses, where writers allow their voice to shine.

Understanding the personal essay genre is beneficial because of how it can improve self-expression and develop one’s ability to communicate. Mastering the art of personal essay writing can empower you to articulate your stories and experiences, your thoughts and feelings, in a way that will resonate with others. Ever heard of Dale Carnegie or How to Win Friends and Influence People ? Well, therein is a perfect example of how far one can get when mastering the personal essay. All in all, personal essay writing is a great way for self-discovery and self-development.

What is a Personal Essay? (Definition & Purpose)

The definition of a personal essay.

A personal essay is a short, non-fiction narrative essay that is entirely written from the writer’s point of view. That means it’s okay to use the “I” or first-person perspective. It is the one type of essay writing in which the author can simply use his own thoughts and experiences as reference point.

Unlike academic or technical essays, personal essays are very flexible in terms of structure and tone. They may take a storytelling approach—or they may be even more creative by adopting a poetic tone and dreamlike structure. There is really no right or wrong way to do it. The defining characteristic of a personal essay is simply its intimate, conversational voice, which lets the reader glimpse into the writer’s mind and personal life. It is like a sit-down with the author.

Thus, at its core, a personal essay is a platform for self-expression. The writer gets to reflect on and explore memories, challenges, defining moments, or comment on anything by looking at it from his own personal POV. Usually, the writer can give insights or lessons learned along the way—and good essayists like Stephen King do this well . That is why personal essays have the power to transcend mere storytelling; they can be a way to experience personal growth indirectly or vicariously. The essay can be a humorous anecdote or a heartfelt reflection, or a strong and visceral condemnation. It can be anything—so long as it is an authentic representation of the writer’s own mind and heart.

Why Personal Essays Matter

Personal essays are used in a range of situations. You will write them for college applications. You will find them on blogs. People publish their memoirs, which are basically like long personal essays. They are common in creative writing workshops. They are great because they get the writing and critical thinking juices flowing.

In college applications, for example, applicants are often asked to write short personal essays that demonstrate some aspect of their personalities, voice, values, perspective, or experiences. A good personal essay could even end up being the difference between acceptance and rejection.

On blogs, personal essays are ways for authors to share relatable stories and anecdotes that connect to other readers’ lives somehow—and, thus, bloggers win followers and fans.

In creative writing, personal essays are valued for their ability to blend narrative with introspection. It is a form that encourages experimentation with voice and form.

Memoirs often consist of interconnected personal essays, stitched together to form a kind of patchwork quilt of personal reflections.

Overall, the emotional impact of a personal essay lies in its authenticity. The more authentic it is, the more cathartic it can be.

When authors make themselves vulnerable by sharing honest thoughts and perspectives, they invite readers into their soul to see the world through the writer’s eyes. It is unlike any other type of connectivity—nothing matches it: not drama, not technical writing, not even familiar correspondence. This connection created by the personal essay (because it is structured and refined) can spark empathy, understanding, inspiration and change.

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How to Structure a Personal Essay

Typical personal essay format.

The structure of a personal essay is open and flexible. That means it can be set up almost any which way. However, a traditional approach offers the most compelling structure, as it consists of an introduction, body, and conclusion. The essay introduction sets the tone and presents the main theme, the body develops the narrative with ample reflections, and the conclusion wraps up the essay with a final reflection or takeaway. It’s a good, solid approach.

Crafting an Engaging Introduction

The introduction of a personal essay should capture the reader’s attention. Use a strong hook (a good intriguing anecdote usually does the trick) to draw readers in. Effective personal essay introduction tips include keeping it concise, setting the tone, conveying your voice accurately, and presenting the main theme or purpose of the essay. This way, the reader gets a sense of what to expect and is more inclined to read on. The perfect phrasing of the first sentence or two can be a great personal essay opening.

Developing the Body of the Essay

The body of a personal essay is where the writer gets into the personal experiences and considerations that he wishes to share. The body should be organized logically, but the writer is free to use anecdotes and vivid reflections as he sees fit to create an engaging narrative.

The pacing of the essay is important: it should be balanced between reflection and storytelling. You want the essay to emotionally resonate while also speaking to the mind with insight and learning. Each section should focus on an aspect or moment of the story until, gradually, the essay’s deeper meaning is revealed.

If you can foreshadow the full meaning or point in your introduction, even better.

Writing a Strong Conclusion

A well-crafted conclusion leaves a lasting impression. You can summarize the main points, but it’s also a good place to reflect more broadly on the deeper meaning of what you’ve written about. So, instead of restating what has already been said, go for a conclusion that goes deeper still, to reveal an impressive final thought that ties everything together. Personal essays often end on a note of ultimate reflection.

Personal Essay Writing Tips

Be authentic and vulnerable.

One of the most important aspects of a personal essay is its authenticity. Readers connect with genuine, honest experiences, which is why you have to be truthful in your writing. Sharing personal thoughts, emotions, real experiences, worries, concerns, and even insecurities—all of it makes it easier for the reader to relate to you. Writing with vulnerability means being open about your feelings and reflections, even if they make you uncomfortable.

Here’s a tip: balance vulnerability with intention, so that the shared details serve the essay’s ultimate purpose. To be more authentic, avoid trying to impress the reader; instead, focus on simply being sincere and true. No need to apologize—just convey.

Use Descriptive Language and Sensory Details

To create a vivid and engaging personal essay, use descriptive language and sensory details that bring your experiences to life. Show, don’t just tell—describe how things looked, smelled, felt, and sounded. This is how your reader gets absorbed into the writing.

For example, instead of saying “I was nervous,” actually describe the sensation of nervousness: “My hands trembled, my flesh tingled, a cold sweat broke out all over me, and my heart flopped twice in my chest.”

But remember: try to strike a balance between detail and clarity. Overloading your essay with excessive descriptions can bog it down. Too little detail can leave the reader disengaged. Focus on using precise, exciting imagery to improve the narrative when it is most needed.

Editing and Revising Your Personal Essay

Editing and revising are always going to be helpful when it comes to improving your personal essay. After writing the first draft, step away for a bit and come back later with fresh eyes. Read it again and note any areas that could use clarification or expansion. Next, check for common mistakes like awkward phrasing or over repetition.

Be careful, too, not to lose your unique personal voice during the editing process. Avoid the temptation to over-edit, as this can make the essay sound forced or mechanical. When in doubt, have someone else read your essay to offer feedback.

Personal Essay Topics & Essay Prompts

Finding inspiration for your personal essay.

When writing a personal essay, finding the right topic will help you to more easily create a compelling narrative. Common themes often revolve around pivotal life-changing moments that shaped who you are. It will be different for everyone—but just think about who you are and why—what made you that way?

You can look at life-changing moments, relationships, personal growth, achieving personal milestones, difficult decisions you made. Think about family, friends, mentors—how they’ve influenced your development. Think about how experiences have helped strengthen you, or moments of self-discovery that led to deeper understanding of your identity and beliefs.

Personal Essay Topics

High school topics.

• A Challenge I Overcame Reflect on a difficult situation in your life and how you grew from it.
• My Most Memorable High School Experience Write about a specific event during high school that had a significant impact on you.
• How a Teacher Changed My Perspective Discuss how a teacher or mentor influenced your views on education or life.
• The Impact of Extracurricular Activities Share how involvement in a sport, club, or activity has shaped your high school experience.
• A Time I Failed and What I Learned Write about a failure that taught you an important lesson about perseverance.
• How My Friends Have Shaped Who I Am Explore how your friendships during high school have influenced your character.
• The Importance of Balancing Academics and Personal Life Discuss the challenges of managing schoolwork with social and personal activities.
• A Time I Stood Up for What I Believe In Share a story about standing up for your values or beliefs in a difficult situation.
• My Biggest High School Regret Reflect on something you wish you had done differently during high school.
• How I Prepare for Life After High School Write about how you are preparing for the transition from high school to college or the workforce.

College Topics

• The First Time I Felt Independent Describe the moment you first experienced real independence, such as moving to college or making an important life decision.
• A College Course That Changed My Life Write about a class that expanded your worldview or shaped your future goals.
• Balancing School and Life Reflect on how you’ve managed the responsibilities of academics and personal life in college.
• A Time I Took a Risk and Succeeded Share a story about a time you took a big risk and what the outcome taught you.
• How My College Major Has Shaped My Identity Explore how your chosen field of study has influenced who you are becoming.
• The Best Advice I Ever Received in College Write about a piece of advice that helped you navigate college life.
• How My Hometown Shaped Who I Am Today Reflect on how your upbringing or hometown influenced your college experience.
• A College Internship That Changed My Perspective Describe how a work experience or internship impacted your career goals.
• Dealing with Homesickness in College Share your experience of missing home and how you overcame it.
• How College Friendships Have Helped Me Grow Write about how friendships in college have helped you grow personally or academically.

Middle School Topics

• My First Best Friend Share a story about your first close friendship and what it taught you about relationships.
• A Time I Helped Someone Describe a moment when you lent a helping hand to someone, and how it made you feel.
• The Most Exciting Day of My Life Write about a day that stands out in your memory as one of the happiest or most thrilling experiences.
• My Favorite Hobby and Why I Love It Write about a hobby or activity you enjoy and why it’s important to you.
• What I Want to Be When I Grow Up Describe your dream job or future career and why it appeals to you.
• A Family Tradition That Means a Lot to Me Write about a special family tradition and why it’s important to you.
• How I Felt on My First Day of Middle School Reflect on the emotions and experiences of your first day in middle school.
• A Time I Made a New Friend Share a story about how you made a new friend and what it taught you about building relationships.
• My Favorite School Subject Write about the subject you enjoy the most in school and why.
• How I Overcame My Biggest Fear Describe a time when you faced a fear and how it helped you grow.

Unique Topics

• A Mistake That Turned Into a Valuable Lesson Share a story where you made a mistake, and how it led to unexpected growth or insight.
• A Conversation That Changed My Perspective Write about a meaningful conversation that caused you to think differently about an important topic.
• The Time I Experienced a Culture Shock Describe a moment when you were exposed to a different culture or way of life and how it impacted you.
• A Time I Broke the Rules Share a story about when you broke a rule and what the consequences taught you.
• My Favorite Place in the World Write about a place that holds special meaning for you and why it’s significant.
• How a Book or Movie Changed My Life Discuss how a specific book or film impacted your way of thinking or inspired you.
• A Time I Got Lost Share a story about getting physically or emotionally lost and what you learned from finding your way.
• If I Could Live in Another Time Period Write about which historical time period you would want to live in and why.
• A Skill I Taught Myself Describe a time when you learned something on your own and how it shaped your confidence or abilities.
• The Most Unexpected Lesson I Learned from a Stranger Share a story about learning something valuable from someone you didn’t know well.

Sample Prompts for Personal Essays

If you’re struggling to come up with an idea, here are some personal essay topic ideas and essay prompts for personal writing to get you started:

• Write about a moment when you had to make a difficult decision. What was at stake, and how did it change you?
• Describe a time when you experienced failure. How did you respond, and what did you learn from the experience?
• Reflect on a relationship that has deeply impacted your life. What did it teach you about life, yourself, or others?
• Share a story about a time when you stepped outside of your comfort zone. What fears did you overcome, and what did you gain?
• Write about a personal achievement that made you feel proud. What steps did you take to get there, and why does it matter to you?
• Discuss a moment of self-discovery that changed the way you view the world or yourself.
• Describe a significant challenge or hardship you’ve faced and how it shaped your character.
• Reflect on a cultural or family tradition that holds personal meaning for you.
• Write about a time when you had to stand up for something you believed in. What motivated you, and what was the outcome?
• Share a memory that brings you joy and explain why it’s important to you.
• Write about a moment when you learned a hard truth about yourself or someone else.
• Reflect on a time when you felt out of place or misunderstood. How did you cope, and what did it teach you?
• Share a story about a person or event that inspired you to pursue a particular path or goal.
• Discuss how a personal hobby or interest has shaped your identity.
• Write about a time when you faced a moral dilemma. How did you resolve it, and what did you learn?

Examples of Well-Written Personal Essays

Analysis of famous personal essays.

One of the most well-known personal essays is Joan Didion’s “Goodbye to All That,” where she reflects on her time in New York City. Didion’s essay is effective because of its emotional depth and objective storytelling. She blends personal reflection with sharp, sensory details. The reader lives through her experience. Didion’s honesty and vulnerability in discussing her fading love for the city help create the sensation of disenchantment—and the reader feels it completely.

Another excellent example is “The Death of a Moth” by Virginia Woolf. In this essay, Woolf transforms a seemingly mundane event—the death of a moth—into a profound reflection on life and mortality. Woolf’s ability to take a small, ordinary moment and imbue it with universal meaning is what makes her essay stand out. The essay is less about her own life and more about life in general, but it is all her in the sense of perspective. Her prose and insights, and use of symbolism, gives the reader some big themes to chew on.

Key Takeaways from Successful Personal Essays

To make a personal essay impactful, here are a few techniques to follow:

• Authenticity : Share personal stories and emotions honestly and openly.
• Vivid descriptions : Use sensory details to make the narrative come alive for the reader.
• Emotional depth : Convey your inner thoughts and feelings to create a connection with the audience.
• Universal themes : Relate personal experiences to broader, more relatable human experiences.
• Reflection : Go beyond storytelling by offering insights or lessons learned.
• Symbolism and imagery : Elevate ordinary moments into meaningful reflections by using literary devices.

How to Get Feedback on Your Personal Essay

The importance of peer review.

Receiving feedback can help with refining your personal essay. Peer review can give you new perspectives on your writing, help identify unclear sections, and allow you to see what you didn’t see before. Constructive criticism from others can give you an idea of what your audience might be thinking. When seeking feedback, be open-minded and accept critiques as opportunities for growth. Not every suggestion needs to be followed—after all, it’s your essay. But focus on the suggestions that improve clarity, emotional impact, and narrative flow, and don’t be afraid to make revisions.

Online Tools & Writing Communities

There are numerous online platforms where you can share your work and receive valuable feedback. Writing forums like Reddit’s r/writing or Scribophile are spaces where writers can exchange critiques. Social media groups dedicated to writing are also great places to get input from fellow writers. So are structured writing workshops, like those offered by Writer’s Digest or The Write Life. These platforms help you to connect with a community of writers. With them you’ll have a chance to get personalized peer review for essays and online writing feedback.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Personal Essays

Overloading with unnecessary details.

One common mistake in personal essays is including too many irrelevant or trivial details that detract from the core message. Descriptions are important, but don’t overload the essay with unnecessary information. Describe what needs to be described to communicate the themes. Don’t overwhelm the reader and dilute the emotional impact by focusing on insignificant details. Give, instead, details that add to the story and contribute to the overall idea. Every sentence should serve a purpose—if it doesn’t add value or further the narrative, it’s best to leave it out.

Lack of Focus or Clear Theme

Another mistake is writing without a clear theme or losing focus as the essay progresses. A personal essay should revolve around a specific idea, experience, reflection, or lesson. When the essay lacks focus, it just ends up feeling disjointed and confused. To avoid this, establish a central theme early in the essay and stick to it; make sure every detail somehow relates back to it so as to deepen its meaning or enlarge it somehow. Every story, anecdote, reflection, and detail should tie back to that theme. A strong narrative thread will make the essay more engaging and meaningful.

Over-Editing or Losing Personal Voice

Be careful to avoid over-editing, which can result in an essay that feels too polished and impersonal. In an effort to perfect grammar or structure, writers sometimes lose their own unique voice and emotional authenticity. Avoid editing to the point where the essay becomes mechanical—try to keep the raw, honest tone that makes personal essays compelling. Trust your voice and trust your gut and let it shine through.

Final Checklist Before Submitting Your Personal Essay

Editing and proofreading tips.

Before submitting your personal essay, run through this quick checklist:

• Grammar and spelling : Correct any grammatical errors and typos to ensure professionalism.
• Flow and structure : Ensure that your essay follows a clear, logical progression, with smooth transitions between paragraphs.
• Clarity : Make sure your main points are easily understood and that your theme remains focused throughout.
• Emotional impact : Review whether the essay evokes the intended emotions and resonates with readers.
• Personal voice : Ensure that your unique voice and perspective shine through without sounding overly polished or formal.

Confidence in Sharing Your Story

As you prepare to submit your essay, remember that your story is uniquely yours. Embrace your experiences and insights with pride. Your personal essay is a reflection of you. Don’t apologize for it. Confidence in your writing comes from understanding that no one else can tell your story the way you can. Trust your voice and be proud of your work!

Writing a personal essay is a powerful way to express your experiences, thoughts, insights, lessons learned, feelings, and memories. You can structure it however you want—but be consistent. The traditional way is to start with an engaging introduction, followed up by a well-organized body, and finished off with a reflective conclusion. Use that approach and you have the backbone for a compelling narrative.

Remember to maintain authenticity by writing with honesty. Let yourself be vulnerable—it’s okay and expected in a personal essay. Use descriptive language to bring your story to life—but don’t overdo it. Take time to revise carefully. Polish your essay, but don’t kill it with too much care. Let your personal voice live and shine in your words and ideas. This is, after all, a reflection of you and who you are and what you’ve seen and where you’ve been!

Need additional help?  Download our personal essay writing worksheet to help get you started!

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