My Creed: Argue Your Belief
Definition: A personal creed is a belief, philosophy, or set of rules that in some way
guides your thoughts, and actions in daily life.
Prompt: (excluding religious belief) In 400 to 500 words write
about an important belief you follow in your life. Your goal is not
only to present this belief, but also to argue its importance, and get
your audience to consider putting it into practice in their own lives.
Day One – Plan your essay. Brainstorm, free write, find a focus, organize your ideas, and
plan the structure of your essay.
Day Two – Write your essay following your plan. Work on the essay for homework.
Day Three – Write your essay following your plan. Work on the essay for homework.
Day Four – Finalize and revise. Finish your final draft for homework.
Day Five – (reach activity) Present your essay as a speech.
Helpful Hints 
Tell a story: Be specific. Give specific examples and stories. This is your life, your
experiences, your creed. How do you follow it every day? How does it shape the way you
act and interact in the world? Has it ever been difficult to follow? Give the best examples
of how it works.
Name your creed: If you can’t name your creed in a sentence or two you probably aren’t
focused enough. Take and step back and ask yourself if this is really something I think
about and practice throughout my life.
Be positive: This is not what you don’t believe, or an attack on someone else’s beliefs.
Be Yourself: This is of course more formal than just talking with friends, but we should
be able to hear your voice in this piece. Use words and phrases you are comfortable with,
and sound like the best version of you. This is the voice of your best self.