Home
>
Article Writing
>
Write Your Slice of Life: 6 Quick and Easy Steps to Writing a Personal Essay

Write Your Slice of Life: 6 Quick and Easy Steps to Writing a Personal Essay

Do you know why the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" series is so popular? Aside from terrific marketing and unequaled publicity, readers love the stories and personal essays. They are short, personal and teach a lesson or moral. If you would like to be a better writer of the personal essay, opinion pieces, reports and letters to the editor just follow the suggestions listed below:

1. Be brief. Many written reports or stories are 500 words or less. However, there is a general rule that an essay is between two and twenty typed, double-spaced pages. The most important criteria to remember is that a good piece needs to be an unbroken reading experience. The reader will lose interest if it is too long or wordy.

2. Tell a story. A personal essay is a story that has happened to you or that you know about firsthand. The reader assumes that it is nonfiction and that it will contain details and descriptions with which we are familiar. Structure your story around examples, using a pencil as your paintbrush to evoke images and paint a picture in the reader's mind.

3. Make a point. You will want to illustrate your point, teach a lesson, explain a specific topic, or even support or criticize an idea. Your goal is to win sympathy or agreement. Do not turn it into a sermon or a soapbox to present the superiority of your ideas by including "shoulds" or "musts" aimed at the reader.

4. Use your senses. Enliven your essay with sensuous detail like how it smelled, tasted, sounded or felt. Make the reader feel like they are seeing and experiencing it through your body.

5. Tell about the ordinary. Personal essays are often best when they describe a common but freely shared experience. It doesn't have to be about being a survivor of the Twin Towers. Talk about your reaction to 911. Or tell us about watching a sunset or baking bread. When you talk about walking your dog, take us along.

6. Make it engaging. An essay should arouse curiosity about life. Instead of preaching, invite us to consider your point of view by sharing the particular experience that brought you there, describe what happened, how you reacted, and why you interpret your experiences the way you do.

Think about your own interests and areas of special knowledge, activities, skills, attitudes, problems as well as typical obstacles faced in life. Teach us what you gained or lost in your life lesson. It is much easier to be convincing when you can draw from personal and firsthand information. Write it today. Submit it to Chicken Soup for the Soul or your local newspaper and become a published author. There are readers out there who want to share your slice of life.

? 2005 Judy H. Wright

This article has been prepared for your use by Judy H. Wright, author and life educator. You have permission to reprint it in your ezine or newsletter as long as the author and her web address is included http://www.artichokepress.com; 406-549-9813. Check out the website for upcoming workshops, tele-classes and books. You will also find FREE articles and be able to subscribe to the ezine The Artichoke-finding the heart of the story in the journey of life.

family-safe home cleaners Lincolnshire ..

In The News:

Chrome faces its sixth zero-day attack in 2025 as Google patches critical V8 engine flaw CVE-2025-10585 discovered by Threat Analysis Group.

The Hypershell X Ultra exoskeleton features 12 terrain modes and carbon fiber construction to enhance hiking, cycling and outdoor adventures.

Personal data from public records and data brokers helps scammers create tailored scam stories, making their calls and emails more believable to potential victims.

Uber Eats partners with drone delivery startup Flytrex to test autonomous food delivery services in U.S. markets, marking the company's first investment in drone technology.

OpenAI announces 120-day plan to strengthen ChatGPT safeguards for teens, including parental controls and expert council on AI wellbeing.

Spam emails can help improve security — if reported correctly. Learn how to report spam across major email services and get key tips to protect your inbox and personal data.

Harvard researcher Avi Loeb says comet 3I/ATLAS weighs 33 billion tons and spans 3.1 miles, making it far larger than previous interstellar visitors.

The Glassboro Public School District in New Jersey has partnered with ZeroEyes and InformaCast to detect visible firearms and alert staff and law enforcement within seconds.

Hackers use fake Google search results to trick users into downloading lookalike apps laced with malware that have been pushed to the top.

Generative A.I. has lowered barriers for sophisticated cyberattacks as hackers exploit ChatGPT and other tools to forge documents and identities.

IOS 26's new features include bigger lock screen clocks, dirty lens alerts, and improved spam detection for iPhones.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Sophisticated phishing scams now exploit Apple's iCloud Calendar invite system to bypass spam filters and trick users into calling fake support numbers.

Complete guide to medication tracking apps for iPhone and Android users, featuring built-in Health apps, MediSafe, MyTherapy, and smart pill dispensers.

Alef Aeronautics plans to begin production of its electric flying car Model A by late 2025, following FAA approval for limited testing at five airport locations.

Five common overpayment scams use fake checks and third-party payment requests to steal money from unsuspecting victims across various scenarios.

The Robeta Ananya luxury camper van features a full living room, ceiling bed, washer-dryer, and complete kitchen starting at $295,000 for the limited Founders' Edition.

Scammers exploit retirees' trust and assets through fake debt collection calls, but proper verification methods and reporting can stop these fraudulent schemes.

Social media scams are rising as fraudsters create fake accounts and buy verification badges to deceive users, but these simple safety steps can protect you.

The new groundbreaking Paris Solar-Battery Park in Wisconsin provides renewable energy day and night by capturing excess energy from its solar panels.

Travelers face increased risks from fake Wi-Fi networks at airports and on flights as attackers exploit growing reliance on in-flight internet for entertainment and services.

Older Android phones, tablets and car systems will lose access to new Waze features as the app drops support for Android versions below 10.

Research shows iPhone owners' overconfidence in Apple security makes them easier targets for cybercriminals compared to Android users who take more precautions.

Five key tech terms reshaping online shopping from mobile payments and instant delivery to social media commerce and inventory-free retail models.

AI browsers from Microsoft, OpenAI and Perplexity can fall for scams faster than humans, completing fraudulent purchases and clicking malicious links without verification.

Write Your Slice of Life: 6 Quick and Easy Steps to Writing a Personal Essay

Article Writing