Personal essays are autobiographical stories that have a friendly, intimate touch to them. The tone of such an essay is usually conversational and reflects the character of the writer. It should also examine certain emotions you have experienced as a result of particular events that have happened to you.
- Your motivation for success
- A special person in your life
- The biggest disappointment you have experienced
- The happiest moment of your life
- A time you were betrayed
- Someone who annoys you
- A time when you lost someone
- How you overcame your worst fear
- A moment you were very brave
- A time when you felt very alone
- A place that is special to your heart
- Your favorite time of the year
- Your bucket list of wishes
- The time you lost a tournament
- An inspirational person you have met
- The biggest act of kindness you have done
- A moment when you learned a life lesson
- A time you got hurt by someone you love
- A place you would like to visit
- A time when you made the wrong choice
A well written personal essay can inspire readers to act (for example, to change something in their lives). It can be defined as a nonfiction narrative story in which authors share their personal experiences, incidents, insightful information or lessons learned from finding themselves in a predicament. In order to write a compelling piece, the first step is to understand the personal essay format and its implicit structure. Then, it is best to explore multiple personal essay topics by coming with basic outlines allowing one to examine which one would be the most compelling.
Proper Format
Like most academic tasks, the personal essay format can be easily outlined in five paragraphs. Start with an introductory paragraph. It gives your reader a clear understanding of what the story will be about. Then, catch their attention and motivate them to read the rest of the paper with an awesome title. As you can see learning how to write a personal essay doesn’t have to be a pain when the process is clearly explained.
The following step requires students to include a thesis statement to the introduction and all the points you would like to discuss.
After creating an introduction, you must then formulate three body paragraphs that support your thesis statement. Each new point should contain its own body paragraph. Don’t forget to make transitions from one paragraph to another to make sure that everything flows smoothly.
In the end, it will be essential to wrap everything up and give your audience a sense of completeness by writing a proper conclusion. Restate your thesis, summarize the main points that you have stated in body paragraphs and leave your reader with a specific emotion, depending on the subject of your paper.
Before looking at some prominent personal essay examples, let us discover what criteria can be used to select the most suitable topic for oneself.
Personal Essay Topics
If you have got a lot of exciting stories to tell, your personal essay can shine brightly by interactively engaging the reader. Put in a little extra effort and dig deeper to find a unique or interesting experience or an unusual moment in your life.
Looking at a life lesson from another angle can turn into a deep and purposeful subject matter. If you decide to pick a topic from a huge list of personal essay topics that you found in the internet, be precise and careful because not all of them can meet the requirements of your professor.
Personal Narrative Essay Topics
In this type of writing, try to explore a unique experience that created a sense of conflict in your life. Explore how and why you were confused, annoyed, or hurt by the experience. Imagine your piece of paper as a place where you can freely express your emotions, discuss significant moments, & reflect their impact on your life. This tip can help you to create a bunch of really good essay topics, but if you need a motivation, you can find some examples below.
Examples:
- “One small step that helped me skyrocket in my career!”
- “Why controlling urges teaches you master self-control.”
- “People only learn from their own mistakes.”
- “Life is not a one-dimensional path: it is curvier than a snake!”
- “What I learned about conquering my fears.”
- “A moment when you should have made a better choice.”
Write about Specific Emotions
You may also talk about a specific event in your life that left a long-lasting impression on you. Usually, this type of essay acts as a reflection of an incident that took place in your life and shifted it in some way. Dive deeper into your mind and find an event that is unique and personal to you. The weirder the occurrence, the more likely the essay will be engaging to read.
- “Moment when your life changed forever.”
- “A disappointment you’ve experienced.”
- “An accident that changed everything.”
- “A near death experience.”
- “Most terrifying thing you’ve witnessed.”
- “An event that changed your life.”
If you have not noticed, each of these titles can bring a fascinating vibe to the table. The names grab your attention, but you can only honestly know what they are about when you start reading them. That is the secret to a provocative title! Check out “write my essay online” service