How To Master the Art of Personal Narratives A User-Friendly Guide

What Do Awesome P.N.s Have in Common? VISIBLE SIGNS of PLANNING Building out from a narrow, concrete focus Knowing how to tell a story STELLAR EXECUTION A killer first sentence A lively, individual voice Technical correctness What Do Awesome P.N.s Have in Common? This stuff --------->

What Do Awesome P.N.s Have in Common? Every story is unique and special in it’s own way, but awesome narratives all have this in common: Visible Signs of Planning Building out from a narrow, concrete focus: The author starts with a very detailed story of an event or description of a person or place. After this sense-heavy imagery, the essay expands out to make a broader point about the author, and connects this very memorable experience to the author’s present situation, state of mind, newfound understanding, or maturity level. Knowing how to tell a story. Some of the experiences in these essays are one-of-a-kind. But most deal with the stuff of everyday life. What sets them apart is the way the author approaches the topic: analyzing it for drama and humor, for its moving qualities, for what it says about the author’s world, and for how it connects to the author’s emotional life.

What Do Awesome P.N.s Have in Common? 2. Stellar Execution A killer first sentence: you have to suck the reader in, and the best place to do that is the first sentence. Great first sentences are punchy. They are like cliffhangers, setting up an exciting scene or an unusual situation with an unclear conclusion, in order to make the reader want to know more. A lively, individual voice: your reader is an admissions officer who has read thousands of essays before yours, and will read thousands after. Your goal? Don’t bore your reader. Use interesting description, stay away from clichés, include your own offbeat observations—anything that makes this essay sounds like you and not like anyone else. Technical correctness: No spelling mistakes, no grammar weirdness, no syntax issues, no punctuation snafus. Your essay must be your own work, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with getting help polishing it.

EXAMPLE #1: "A Better Farmer” What are your thoughts on the way she opened the essay? How does she turn personal experiences into deeper insights? How does she use concrete examples to relate to abstract themes? What are your thoughts on the way she ended the essay? What could this essay have done even better (tweaks, changes, improvements?

Example #2: Peanuts What are your thoughts on the way the author opened the essay? How does she structure her essay, and how is this effective? How does she use metaphors and figurative language to convey her ideas? How does she make her individual voice come through in the essay? Give examples. What could she have done even better?

Four Steps To Surviving A Brainstorm 1. Read the essay prompt. Understand what the prompt is really asking for. Focus on key words, like “contribution” or “accomplishment”, “challenge” or “diversity.” 2. Write down what comes into your head. The ideas will come thick and fast, and your job is to jot everything – everything – down. Don't second-guess yourself. 3. Detach yourself from the writing utensil of your choice. Once the ideas are no longer pinging around your brain, once your mind is empty, you need to stand up and go do something else. Let those ideas marinate like a good steak. Don't return to your page full of ideas for at least a day. 4. Revisit what you wrote down. Some of your ideas are going to leap out at you because they are beautiful and fabulous and essay gold. Hold them close: you've survived the brainstorm.

Outlining your Essay You've gotta start somewhere and when you're writing an essay, that somewhere is typically an outline. Now that you've selected your essay topic and prompt, you may be raring to go, but starting with an outline will save you time in the long run. An outline is an important first step in the process. It helps you focus in on the best details to include and forces you to think about how each section connects with the next. Writing an essay without an outline can result in rambling, unfocused paragraphs. Don't go there. Start by breaking your essay down into four or five parts: an intro, two to three supporting paragraphs, and a conclusion. But don't worry—no one will be checking for thesis statements or asking for an annotated bibliography. This is just an easy way to organize your ideas, and to keep your essay at a good length.