Tell a personal story that explores a larger theme
Purpose:
To show, not tell, your story and how it made you
feel. To connect with the reader on an emotional leve
and offer compassion and insight.
Audience:
College-educated or college-level students.
Procedure:
• Write in a clear and concise style, using
varied sentence length and structure.
• Focus on a single main character or
place.
• Develop your character(s) and setting
through action, dialogue, and sensory
imagery.
• Explore a larger theme through the
lens of your personal experience.
Consider the role your essay could play
for a person who lived through similar
experiences, as well as the role that it
could play for someone who is
completely unfamiliar with such
experiences.
• Balance scene and exposition.
• Use concrete words and show, don’t
tell