Creative Non-Fiction
The Personal Essay
What you need...
A Topic
Choose a subject that interests
you and one you enjoy--this will
make the writing process fun!
A Plan
A Reason
a.k.a. the dreaded thesis
The important part of your story...
WHY YOU ARE WRITING!
A carefully guided writing
process will help create the
perfect essay!
Establish the Moment
In creative non-fiction, the scene
in which the story takes place is
as important as the story itself.
The moment has to be engaging
enough for your reader to keep
reading and interesting enough
for you to keep writing.
Everyone has personal stories
that are significant, as a writer
you must establish WHY this
moment is important enough to
be shared with others.
elements of excellent essays
Find your voice, find
your story
• Using an authentic voice is
critical when writing a person
essay.
• Use the voice that comes mo
naturally to you.
voice • the distinctive tone or
style of a literary work or
author.
elements of excellent essays
Organized Paragraphs &
Good Transitions
add to readability
• Paragraphs have a beginning,
middle and end just as the entire
essay does--only on a smaller
level.
• Each new idea within your
essay should start a new
paragraph.
• Each paragraph should be a
logical progression from one
idea to the next.
• Tie your thoughts in new
Good transitions
paragraphs to ideas where
connect paragraphs and turn
the last paragraph left off.
disconnected writing into a unified
whole.
...The sea was right there, forty feet away and coming
closer. The sky hung above the sea as the orange sun
slowly fell down the sky. It was cold. It was also the high
point of my life.
I'd had high points before. Once at night while walking
in the park through the rain I found a hundred dollar bill
next to a garbage can. This lucky find didn't even come
close to the feelings I experienced on the water...
elements of excellent essays
Precise words make writing come alive.
watched in dis
We ate lunch.
OR
Joe attacked his sandwich
like he had never
eaten lunch before
as I watched in disgust.
Personal essays
should be written
in the 1st person
point of view
because they are
PERSONAL.
first person
point
of view
When you write in the first person,
you are speaking for yourself only-you can make observations of others,
but you can't speak for them or or
truly know what they are thinking.
• Personal essays are
written in the past tense.
• The tense of your essay
needs to be consistent,
otherwise your essay will
be confusing.
He had running into the woods by
the time I got there.
Brainstorm until you find the perfect topic that you care about
Organize the ideas and events of your story
Write your first essay draft
Edit your essay to make it better
Revise and revise again
Share your work
And finally, relax! It is just an essay. The personal essay, especially, is an
expression of you and your feelings and opinions. You're unique without
even trying. Write from your heart about what you know and like, and
you'll be just fine!