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Creative Writing: The Techniques of Showing and Telling
By Dave Hood
If you dream of becoming a successful creative writer, meaning that you desire to have your writing work published, read, and talked about, then you must learn and master the techniques of creative writing. There are many techniques that you must learn and master. One of the most important is “showing and telling.” When writing creative nonfiction, such as a personal narrative essay, or fiction, or poetry, such as a narrative poem, you must both show and tell your readers what has happened. And you must either show or tell the inner worlds of characters and the outer world that they see. Showing and telling breathes life into a story and shifts its pace to slow or high gear.
The technique of “showing” means to create a scene, to expand time, and to dramatize the story, whether fiction or creative nonfiction.
You will stretch the details into a vivid description, or a larger scene. A scene includes the setting, dialogue, action from a particular character, imagery with word pictures. By showing your readers what happened or how a character is dressed or conducts himself or herself, you create significance to a story, whether fiction or nonfiction. You also make your readers believe the story and produce an entertaining read. And only work that is entertaining will get published and purchased.
The technique of “telling” your reader means that you summarize and compress description of character and events in the story, reducing or eliminating the concrete and specific details, reducing or eliminating sensory images, erasing the scene of a story. In other words, sometimes you will compress the details of a character or event into a summary. Summarizing enables you to speed up the pace of the story, explain inner thoughts of character or significance of events that cannot be explained in scenes, provide a backdrop, or write about exposition/background of the story.
In this post, I’ll explain how to use the techniques of ” showing and telling” when writing poetry, short fiction, or creative nonfiction.
Showing the Reader (Writing a Scene)
As an aspiring writer, you desire to create compelling, believable, entertaining, even memorable prose or poetry. By deploying the technique of “showing” your readers, writing in scenes, you are able to create a “felt experience” in the mind of the reader. This technique is used to evoke an emotional response. Moreover, showing the reader makes the story believable, as you are able to “recreate the scene with words.” If you are unable to entertain or make the story believable, readers will put down your piece of creative writing before finishing it.
Instead of summarizing or compressing details, the writer shows readers by constructing a scene for each important event that unfolds or to develop a character. The scene in prose or poetry is just like the scene in a movie, which has a beginning, middle, and end. Writing a scene instead of a summary brings the story to life, creates a dream in the mind of the reader, and entertains them, inspires them to turn the page, to discover what happens next. You can only create memorable prose or poetry with scenes. And all great poets, like Charles Simic, or memorable writers, like Edgar Allen Poe, write scenes for their fictional stories or poems. Here is an example from writer Edgar Allen Poe’s short story, The Fall of the House of Usher:
During the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens, I had been passing alone, on horseback, through a singularly dreary tract of country; and at length found myself, as the shades of the evening drew on, within view of the melancholy House of Usher. I know not how it was–but, with the first glimpse of the building, a sense of insufferable gloom pervaded my spirit. I say insufferable; for the feeling was unrelieved by any of that half-pleasurable, because poetic, sentiment, with which the mind usually receives even the sternest natural images of the desolate or terrible. I looked upon the scene before me–upon the mere house, and the simple landscape features of the domain–upon the bleak walls–upon the vacant eye-like windows–upon a few rank sedges–and upon a few white trunks of decayed trees–with an utter depression of soul which I can compare to no earthly sensation more properly than to the after-dream of the reveller upon opium–the bitter lapse into everyday life-the hideous dropping off of the reveller upon opium–the bitter lapse into everyday life–the hideous dropping off of the veil…
When should you show readers what happened ?
You ought to create a scene for any of the following situations:
- Conflict in the mind of the character or with another character or society
- Setbacks or obstacles that prevent the character from achieving his or her goal
- Turning point, such as an illness, marriage break up, job loss
- Crisis, such as when you or the character runs out of options and must make a painful and stressful decision.
As well, when developing a character, you construct the character sketch or profile with vivid details, concrete and particular description, describing the behaviour of a character within a scene. In fiction, you rely on the character sketch or profile to compose your imaginary character. In a personal essay, you share important details, such as personality traits, about yourself.
How can you show your readers a character or what happened?
There are many techniques. The most important are to write down important details, use concrete and particular descriptions, use sensory images that create word pictures in the mind of your readers. Here is a list of ways to show your reader:
- Sensory imagery-use language that appeals to the sense of sight, taste, smell, touch, hearing
- Vivid details that are concrete, specific, particular
- Concrete and specific descriptions
- Metaphor and simile
- Symbolism-something or some object that represents more than its literal meaning.
- Personification-using descriptions, traits, adjectives applied to human beings to describe things that are not human. Example: The rock growled at us as we walked past.
As well, remember to use the active voice. It performs the action of the verb. Example: Rocky, the boxer, closed his fist, “punched” his wife in the face.
How do you show your readers by constructing a scene?
You can craft a scene with the following characteristics:
- Setting-time and place and context.
- Dialogue-what is said by characters in the story, both the main character and supporting cast.
- Action-describing the conduct of the character with significant details.
- Sensory imagery-language that appeals to the sense of sight, smell, touch, taste, hearing.
- Details-significant and particular details; sensory images.
- Descriptions–Concrete and specific descriptions.
As well, remember that a scene has a beginning, middle, and end—just like a scene from a movie. And always use the active voice, which performs the action of the verb. Example: Eddie Ruth, the baseball player, smacked the pitch with the heavy bat, over the centerfield fence for a home run.
Telling Your Readers (Writing a Summary)
Sometimes, you’ll be required to tell your readers what happened by compressing time and leaving out many of the important, particular details. Essentially, you’ll summarize what happened. Here’s an example:
First, I purchased money from the ATM machine, then I bought groceries, then I cooked dinner, then I watched television…When the night descended, I drifted off to sleep.
This is a summary of how the person carried out their day. It is not detailed description or series of scenes.
When should you tell your readers what happened? There are many suggestions or guidelines that you can use to help you determine when to show and when to tell. You can tell your readers when you are writing:
- Backdrop of the story– setting of the story, such as time and place and context
- Exposition-The writer provides the reader with background details about plot, setting, character, theme.
- Interpret ting an experience or event. Sometimes you will need to explain the significance of a scene.
- Repeated experiences , such as daily rituals or events.
Jane Burroway in Writing Fiction suggests that there are two ways to write a summary:
- Sequential summary-The writer tells the reader what has happened with a condensed and compressed version of the story. Significant details are omitted. Instead, the story is summarized.
- Circumstantial summary-The writer uses summary to describe the circumstances for repeated details or what has happened, such as time, place, cause, effect, reasons for occurrence.
When writing a summary, the writer can also include vivid details–but not a scene. Writing a summary is most important in short fiction and narrative poetry.
As well, a summary can be used by the writer within a scene. Remember, a scene includes setting details, dialogue, action, imagery, concrete and specific description. Often this summary explains the significance of the scene.
Read any edition of the prestigious New Yorker magazine, and you will see that all writers use the techniques of showing and telling in poetry, short fiction, book reviews, film reviews, essays, profiles, literary journalistic essays, commentary.
Summary
Showing and telling are two of the most important techniques you can learn and apply in your creative writing, whether you desire to write prose or poetry. To “show” means to write in scenes, and to use vivid, concrete, particular, significant details. “To tell” means to compress and to summarize the character sketch and the events that have happened.
Showing and telling is a balancing act. Too much generalization leads to boredom. Too much detail also leads to boredom.
The successful poet, fiction writer, creative nonfiction writer both “shows and tells” his/her readers, and knows when to use each technique to compose a poem, short story, novel, personal narrative essay, memoir, or any other type of creative writing.
Resources
For additional explanation on showing and telling, you can read:
- Writing fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft by Janet Burroway
- Words Overflown by Stars: Creative Writing Instruction and Insight from the Vermont College of Fine Arts M.F.A Program, edited by David Jauss
- Showing and Telling: Learn How to Show & Tell for Powerful & Balanced Writing, by Laurie Alberts.
Opening the Door to Memory
By Dave Hood
How do you find material to write creatively about? You must open the door, peer into the basement, dust off long forgotten memories of childhood, turning points, achievements, and so forth. These memories of experience are the pillars of the personal narrative essay, the memoir, the autobiography, and biography. And when you think about it, memories plays a vital role in all creative writing, whether a poem, short story, creative nonfiction: When the present moment of time passes, it becomes a memory, a word picture.
In this article, I’ll explain how to tap into your memories and how to write about them in creative nonfiction.
What is the Importance of Memory?
“Memory has been called the ultimate mythmaker, continually seeking meaning in the random and often unfathomable events in our lives.” (Tell It Slant)
Memory also constructs the self– who you are. The writer defines his or her sense of self from memories of life-achievements, misfortunes, sad times, charming occasions, and much more. Every life experience becomes a memory, which molds and shapes the sense of self. And the creative writer writes about self through the forms of personal essay, memoir, and autobiography.
Memories become fragmented in our minds, which are often filled with many thoughts, images of word pictures, feelings, sensory experiences. We must make order out of this chaos of memory. Writing is a way to do this.
A significant memory can be dredged up from the bottom of the unconscious mind by countless things, such as music, a found object, photography, toy, quotation, name of a place, or bumping into a long forgotten friend while traveling. For instance, ask yourself the following: What was your favorite toy as a child? Instantly, you will call memories of your childhood? Perhaps you enjoyed playing with a Barbie doll, Hot Wheels, the Cabbage Patch doll. You can use your favorite toys, these objects, as writing prompts, to tap into memories filed away in your mind.
And so, your memories are the foundation of all creative writing.
The Five Senses
We experience memories through our five senses— sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing. Each of these senses can be used by the writer to evoke memories to write about.
Our sense of smell is automatic. Some smells we enjoy. Others smells are detestable. For instance, the scent of some perfume can be erotic, but the stench of rotting garbage can make a person want to vomit. To write about memories of smell, ask yourself: What smells do you enjoy? Why? Then write about them. What smells do you loath? Write about them.
Our sense of taste is often acquired. Food provides immediate gratification, fills our stomachs when we’re hungry, meets a need for comfort. The taste of food evokes all sorts of memories. To write about taste, ask yourself: What foods do I enjoy: Why? Write about them. Then ask yourself : what tastes awful? Write about it.
The sense of sound is a powerful tool for mining your memory. For instance, hearing a love song on the car radio as you drive to work can conjure up memories of a love that died, or a childhood memory, or a happy occasion. We hear sounds everywhere: Strolling along the street, we hear honking horns, roadside construction, the roar of the public bus. At home, with the window open, we hear the birds singing, the leaves rustling, the rain drumming on the concrete tiles on the porch. To write about sound, ask yourself , what sounds do you enjoy? Why. Write about them.
The sense of touch also evokes memories. We all desire touch. It is a human need. That is why sex is so important to humanity–as it expresses love and the desire to be touched in erotic ways. The sense of touch also allows us to do everything we take for granted, like walking, picking something up, lying down. Without our sense of touch, we would become disoriented in our surroundings. Sometimes touch can cause pain. Other times, it can arouse sensual desires. To write about touch, ask yourself: What are the most painful memories of physical pain, then write about them. Ask yourself, what are your most pleasant memories? Write about them.
The sense of sight is the most powerful of our senses. We see memories in our mind. They are word pictures, which we play over and over. Some are painful, sad, distressing. Others are pleasant. The mind stores these short film clips of memory in the unconscious mind. To write about them, you must get in touch with them. Sometimes an old photograph can stir your memory. Other times, an old show on television can evoke memories. There are countless things that can trigger memories of sight. To write about memory, ask yourself, What is the worst thing you have ever seen? Then write about it. Then ask yourself, what is the most beautiful thing you have seen? Write about it.
What Memories to Write About?
Author Louis Daniel, who has written a wonderful book called “How to Write Your Own Life Story”, explains how to dive into the deep-sea of your memory, find treasures to write about. Here are a few suggestions from her book that you can use as writing prompts to craft a personal essay or a memoir:
- First experiences, like your first love, first car, first sex, first job. Write about first experiences that were memorable.
- Achievement, such as graduation, awards, running a marathon. Write about those things you are proud of.
- Turning points, like the death of a parent, job loss, illness, break up of a marriage. Write about experiences that changed you forever.
- Inventions, like the iPod, computer, Internet, dishwasher, VCR player. Write about technologies had an impact on your life.
- Family traditions, such as birthdays, holidays, vacations, anniversaries. Write about those experiences that had an impact.
Tools for Mining Your Memories?
There are many ways to mine your memory. I will discuss a few.
The easiest way to tap into your memory is to use a writing prompt. There are many. For instance, find an old photograph of someone important in your life, then begin writing about that person, asking yourself, what memories pop into your mind.
Other writing prompts include brief encounters, favorite books and movies and music, diaries, newspaper articles, old toys, a diary, a wedding dress, or any other object that has been part of your life.
Author Judy Reeves has written a splendid book that will enable you to mine your memory. The book is called “A Writer’s Book of Days: A Spirited Companion & Living Muse for the Writing Life. This book provides countless ways to tap into your memory–writing prompts, exercises, ways to find images and inspiration. For instance, she suggests writing about “what makes you laugh?” To write about laughter and humour, ask yourself: What are the funniest moments in your life? Who are the funniest people in your life? Who are those who have no humour? Write about them.
Another way to get in touch with your memories is by freewriting. Here’s how: Opening your notebook and write down the details of significant memories that pass into your mind. Write about anything that passes into your conscious mind. That is why it’s called freewriting. Freewriting will open the door to your unconscious mind, bringing forth memories long forgotten. As you remember these details, other memories will appear in your mind. Freewriting is like knocking over the dominos: After the first domino falls, others fall over.
Another tool is to create a map of your neighborhood–the school, shape of the street, neighbor’s houses, the park. Then fill in the details of your friend’s, your neighbors, the place you played football or soccer or baseball as a kid. As you fill in the map of the neighborhood with details, write about them in detail.
A powerful tool for mining your memory is the time line. Essentially, you take a date, perhaps 1969, and then ask yourself, what important events happened that year? Where were you? What were you doing? How did you feel when you heard or saw the important events of history? For instance, where were you when you heard the news that John Lennon died or that terrorists had crashed a plane into the twin towers?
Tools for Writing About Memory
Your memory provides material for writing creative nonfiction, such as a personal narrative essay or a memoir. When you write about memories, you must share the details of the experience with your reader . You could simply tell your reader what happened. But this is dull. Readers want to be entertained. To write about memories, you want to create order from chaos, and so there must be some significance in the memory, such as a lesson learned, and a universal truth that appeals to or is experienced by all of humanity.
When writing about memory, you put into use the tools of fiction and poetry. Here are a few ways to delight your readers with your memories expressed as personal narratives:
- Show, don’t tell your reader. The best way to show your reader a memory is to make it vivid with details and concrete and specific descriptions.
- When writing about memories use associations, such as the old man smelled like an open can of beer. The best way is to use similes and metaphors to make the abstract concrete.
- Use sensory images–word pictures that describe memories of sight, taste, touch, smell, hearing.
- Write vivid descriptions.
Along with knowing how to write creatively, the ability to mine your memories for significant materials is one of the most important tools you have for constructing memorable prose. And if you are going to write a personal narrative essay or memoir, being able to open the door to the basement of your memory and turning on the light to see what’s stored away is paramount.
In summary, creative nonfiction is based on memory, and so you are required to dust off memories and then write about them in a way that is entertaining. That is why you must apply similes and metaphors and vivid descriptions to your memories. Don’t tell the reader about a memory! Show your reader by using these poetic and fiction techniques, especially by painting your writing with vivid details and concrete and specific descriptions.
Freewriting, using writing prompts, reading ” How to Write Your Life Story”, using a time line—these are useful techniques to find material in your mind to craft creative nonfiction.
Resources
To find out more about the tools for mining your memories and writing about these memories, I suggest you read the following:
- How to Write About Your Own Life Story by Louis Daniel
- A Writer’s Book of Days by Judy Reeves
- Writing Life Stories by Bill Roorbach
- Tell It Slant by Brenda Miller and Suzanne Paola
The Meditative/Contemplative Essay
By Dave Hood
What is a meditative or contemplative essay? It is a subgenre of the personal essay, which is one of the pillars of creative nonfiction. A short meditative essay is typically 500 to 1200 words. For many who teach creative writing, the writer of a contemplative or meditative essay asks or poses a question and then answers it in the form of an essay.
For others, the writer can build a meditative essay by examining an idea or emotion— by referring to objects that embody that emotion or idea. Or the writing can explore a particular object, uncovering what is inside the particular object, uncovering the symbolic meaning, uncovering the associations of the object. It’s like opening a present to discover what’s inside, often a surprise, something unexpected.
In this article, I’ll discuss how to write a meditative or contemplative essay. The following will be covered:
- Definition of a meditative essay
- Approaches to writing a meditative essay
- Creative writing techniques to use
Definition of a Meditative Essay
For many, a meditative essay explores an idea or topic. Typically, the writer asks an open-ended question—and then attempts to answer it in the body of the essay. There is no definite answer to the question. Instead, the writer thinks out loud, pondering the question, writing down possible answers.
For others, a meditative essay requires that the writer examine an object or emotion, seeking understanding through similes, metaphors, associations. The intent of the writer is to turn the abstract idea or the generalization of an emotion into an essay of concrete details that readers will understand and relate to.
The meditative essay is not a narrative, and so there is no true or fictional story shared with the reader. Nor does the meditation focus on the self. And so it is not a personal narrative essay, which is based on a personal experience that results in an epiphany, and a universal truth. Instead the writer focuses outward on some idea, emotion, object—exploring possible answers. But there is no single, definitive answer.
The aspiring writer can write about any topic. For instance:
- What is cruel and unusual punishment? Why do you support the death penalty?
- Is war ever just? Is killing ever justified?
- Why or why don’t you believe in abortion?
- Does God exist?
- Does life have meaning and purpose? Or do we live existential lives?
- Should a citizen have the legal right to carry a gun?
- Is stem cell research ethical?
This topic is developed organically, and so there is no single structure on how to write a meditative essay. Each meditation can unfold in a different way. The key points to remember are to 1)Select a topic and then 2) pose a question.
The writer adds details from observation, learning, personal experience, personal reflections—- to answer the question, explore an idea or object.
Often writers move from particular facts, observations, experiences to a general answer. In other words, the writer applies the tools of inductive reasoning to discover the possible answers to the question. Facts, observations, life experiences provide the support for a general conclusion. For instance, does life have meaning ? A writer might identify several sources of meaning–a rewarding career, stimulating reading, uplifting music, pop culture, a significant other who is a kindred spirit, supportive and loyal friendships, loving children, faith in God—and then expand on each of these points. And so the question is turned into a meditative essay or contemplative essay, writing based on the musings or contemplations of the writer. Every writer might have a different answer to the question. That is why there`s no single right answer to a meditative essay.
Not only does the writer include factual evidence based on personal experience or observation or learning, the writer also engages in personal reflection, then writes down his or her thoughts on paper or types them out on the keyboard.
Approaches for Writing the Meditative Essay
There is no single way to write a meditative essay. Many writers select a question related to a topic that they are curious about. Here are three approaches:
Write down a Question and then Answer It
A popular approach to writing a meditative essay is to pose a question and then answer it. Here’s how:
- Find a topic, and then select an open ended question.
- Jot down a list of possible answers that pop into your mind.
- Take some time to ponder the question. Jot down any additional points to explore.
- For each possible answer, write out an explanation. Be sure to use the elements of fiction, such as scene building and the poetic devices of simile, metaphor, alliteration and assonance.
- Take a break from writing for a few days. This will give you time to reflect and develop a new perspective on your essay.
- After your break, reread and revise your meditative essay. Delete any redundant or irrelevant details. Add any other details that you feel are important.
Write about an Emotion or Idea with Objects
Other writers examine an idea or emotion by writing about particular objects that embody the emotion or idea. For instance, suppose you want to write about sadness, you would explore the abstract topic by writing about particular objects that embody sadness, such as job loss, death, marriage breakdown, mental illness. Essentially, you are explaining an abstract idea with particular details, concrete and specific descriptions, similes, and metaphors.
Write about a Particular Object Itself
The second way to approach a meditative essay is to begin with the object itself. But to consider a physical object you must uncover hidden attributes or associations of the object. It’s like opening a present to see what’s inside. For instance, suppose you want to explore a found object, such as a wallet. You could begin by describing the outside of the wallet. Then you could describe its contents. Then you could describe something suggested by the wallet. Then you could expand further, describe something existential, social, cultural, political about the wallet.
Keep in mind that there is no single answer. It all depends on how use your imagination to uncover possible answers. It is all about creative thinking–brainstorming, mind-mapping, asking “what if questions”, changing your perspective, seeking the alternatives, asking “why?”
If you are interested in reading meditative essays, read “The Art of the Personal Essay“, edited by Phillip Lopate. This text contains several examples along with many other types of personal essays.
Creative Writing Techniques to Deploy
What techniques should the writer take from his or her tool box of creative writing to construct a meditative essay? The writer applies the techniques of writing short fiction, a personal essay, and poetry, such as showing and telling, use of metaphor and simile, rhythm, assonance, alliteration.
Here are a few techniques to help you write a meditative essay:
- Find a topic you are curious about, and then ask an open-ended question. For instance, you could respond to the statement: ” The only bad job is no job” by posing the following question: Are there any jobs that a person should not have to do, if they lose their job? Another questions to consider, “What is the meaning of life?”, Do we have free will?
- Explore the question by freewriting. Begin by asking a question, then jot down the thoughts that pop into your mind, and begin to write your essay.
- Show the reader, don’t tell them. You can do this by writing down significant details and vivid descriptions.
- Use similes and metaphors to explain abstract ideas.
- Write in the first person point of view “I” or the third person “he/she.”
- Seek out symbolic meaning, which is meaning other than literal meaning.
- Seek out associations, related ideas. For instance, when you think of studying , what associations come to mind? When you think of learning, what associations pop into your thought process?
- Include your personal opinion and personal reflections.
In summary, the purpose of the meditative essay is to explore a question about an idea, topic, object, or emotion. The writer puts to use vivid descriptions, significant details, simile, metaphor to answer the question. There is no single answer to the question, and the meditative essay is developed organically, without a particular structure. The writer can write from the first person or third person perspective. The writer jots down his/her thoughts on paper or types them out as they arrive in the mind. Writing is subjective, based on personal experience, personal reflections. the writer can construct a meditative essay by answering a philosophical question or by writing about ideas that embody the emotion or idea. Revision is important. In short, the writer records his or her thoughts or meditations using the devices and tools of creative nonfiction in the form of an essay. That is why it’s called a meditative or contemplative essay.
Resources
- The Art of the Personal Essay, selected and with introduction by Phillip Lopate
- Creative Nonfiction: A Guide to Form, Content, and Style, with Readings by Eileen Pollack
Creative Nonfiction: |Writing the Personal Narrative Essay
By Dave Hood
There are several types of personal essays in creative nonfiction. The most popular is the personal narrative essay or memoir essay. It focuses on a personal experience that is a turning point, a change in direction, an event that has significant meaning, and also shares a universal truth with readers. You can read the personal essay in magazines, literary journals, and the newspaper. For examples of excellent personal narratives, you can read Brevity, a popular online journal that publishes short personal narrative essays of 750 words or less.
In this article, I’ll cover the following aspects of the personal narrative essay:
- Definition of the personal essay or memoir essay
- Techniques that you can deploy
- Structure of the personal narrative essay
- Resources for writing a personal narrative
What is the Personal Narrative Essay?
It is based on memory of an event or experience or moment in time that had significant meaning to you. Your task is tell a true story about a turning point in your life. This true story could be about an illness, disease, death, journey, quest, pilgrimage, first encounter, and so forth. In other words, the event or experience actually happened to you. To unearth the details of this story, you must mine your memory. Your goal is to look back into your memory, to an earlier time in your life, and unearth true stories that had significant meaning to you. That is why the personal narrative is also called a memoir essay–which implies that you are writing a true story about a slice of your life. It is based on a brief span of time–not your entire life.
To find examples of good personal essays, read the book, ‘The Art of the Personal Essay’, edited by Phillip Lopate. It includes a variety of personal essays written by many of the best writers.
Finding Material to Write Personal Narrative
“Every man has within himself the entire human condition,” wrote Michel De Montaigne. In other words, you have life experiences that everyone else has also experienced, experiences or moments in time that reveal the state of the human condition, life experiences that have universal meaning.
Where do you find material to write a personal narrative or memoir essay? In “Tell IT Slant”, Brenda Miller explains how to find material. She writes about:
- Memory. Mining your memory for turning points in your life. Turning points, such as a job loss, illness, disease, death, first encounters.
- Family life. Reflecting on family-What family events had significant meaning? What do you remember about family life?
- Spiritual journey. Write about your spiritual journey.
- Place. Write about home. What is home? Travel experiences. The natural world, such as hiking, biking, camping, exploring the wilderness.
- Popular culture. Write about film, music, fiction, poetry, photography, art—and how it has impacted you. What memories do you have?
- The global village. Write about the world in which you live, such as the environment.
Writer Eileen Pollack, in ” Creative Nonfiction”, suggests that you write about:
- Journey, quest, pilgrimage
- Mysteries and investigations
- Rituals, games, performances, events
She also suggests that you select a topic and then pose a question. For instance, your topic might be about job loss, and your question might be ” How I survived 12 months of unemployment?”
For other ways to unearth material for writing personal narratives, I recommend that you read “How to Write Your Life Storey” by Lois Daniel. In the text, she suggests ways to dig up memories about a myriad of topics–from toys to technology , to milestones to accomplishments, things that have significantly affected you.
Creative Writing Techniques
There are several fiction techniques and poetic devices that you can use to tell your story:
Fiction Devices
Whe you write a personal narrative essay, you put to use many of the following fiction techniques:
- Setting/scene. It is the time and place and context of your story. Use it to provide a backdrop to your story.
- Character and characterization. View yourself as the central character in the story. Use the fictional techniques, such as dialogue, description of behavior to show the reader who you are.
- Dialogue-words spoken by characters, including yourself.
- Point of View-Write in the first person “I”.
- Voice and tone-Use a friendly, informal voice, as though you are having a conversation with a friend.
- Style-Use language the reader will understand, avoiding jargon, clichés, hackneyed expressions. Also, use sentence variety, including simple, compound, complex sentences, sentence fragments, and periodic and loose sentences. Use items in a series and appositives.
- Writing in scenes. A scene includes setting details, action, dialogue, vivid description.
- Components of a story (inciting incident, obstacles, climax/turning point, resolution)
- Showing and telling. You tell your reader by summarizing and condensing the passage of time. You show your reader by using vivid descriptions, and by writing in scenes–which includes setting, dialogue, action, vivid descriptions.
Poetic Devices
When a writer uses poetic devices to convey information, his or her writing becomes entertaining to read. The best writers use them to create memorable prose and story. Use the following:
- Simile
- Metaphor
- Symbolism
- Sensory imagery-language that stirs the senses–sight, smell, taste, touch, hearing
- Personification
- Metonymy
- synecdoche
Other Techniques
You are to show and tell the reader what happened by providing concrete and specific details and vivid descriptions. These details and descriptions should be based on significant elements in the story, such as the climax. You can also use metaphor , simile, and sensory imagery to create word pictures in the mind of the reader.
Your story needs an angle or way to tell the story. This angle lets you know what to include. You can create an angle in many ways, such as using a quotation or posing a question such as what if.
To tell your story, you use three modes of expression:
- Scenes– For the important events, such as the climax, you write in scenes. A scene includes the setting, action, dialogue, vivid description.
- Summary– Use summary to compress time and to summarize what happened. You tell the reader certain things that are not significant, such as background information.
- Personal Reflection– You include your thoughts, feelings, opinions, personal perspective about the event that resulted in a turning point.
Structure of the Personal Narrative Essay
How should you structure your personal narrative essay. Adair Lara, who has written countless personal essays and taught creative writing, and who is the author of the bestselling text, “Naked, Drunk, and Writing”, suggests that the structure of a personal narrative essay or memoir essay include the following:
- Problem– Your goal is to describe a problem in vivid details. What is the significant event that lead to a problem?
- Struggle-This problem creates conflict, which can be external (the outside world) and internal ( within your mind or psyche) obstacles or setbacks.
- Epiphany– Your problem and struggle results in an epiphany or flood of new understanding. The epiphany transforms your story from merely an anecdote to a personal narrative that has significant meaning to you, and shared meaning with others.
- Resolution– What you have done differently since you had the epiphany.
In Creative Nonfiction, Eileen Pollack writes that “creative nonfiction is creative precisely because it encourages its practitioners to choose—-or invent—the form that seems best suited to exploring the material they wish to explore.” And so, for her, creative nonfiction, whether a meditative essay or personal narrative has no predefined form. It all depends on what you are writing. That is what makes the writing creative.
According to Pollack , you need to select the best form or structure for telling your story. She writes: “The first-person narrative is by far the most common; the writer describes a life-changing event that happened to him or her as that story unfolds in time.”
This could mean that you tell the story without a predefined structure. And so your essay is crafted organically, without structure. Or you could use a chronological structure like a short story or novel, presenting events in a casual order, as they unfold with the passage of time. For Pollack, there is no predefined structure for writing a personal narrative or memoir essay.
Point of View and Personal Perspective
Writing the personal narrative is about being subjective and sharing a personal point of view about a significant event, personal experience, or moment in time. And so, readers expect you to share:
- Your thoughts
- Your feelings
- Your opinions
- Personal Reflections
Revising Your Personal Narrative
The most important part of writing a personal narrative is revision. Rarely does a writer get the story correct the first time. And so, you will need to revise your personal narrative to make it the best you can.
The Revision Process includes three steps:
- First Draft-Get your story down on paper. Don`t worry about logic or structure. Your goal is to write down the details.
- Second draft-Revise for point of view, tone, imagery, simile, metaphor, showing and telling. Revise for language and sentence style. Revise grammar and punctuation.
- Third and final write-Polish it. No typos. No spelling mistakes. Make it perfect to publish.
Resources
For addition resources to assist you in learning to write the personal narrative essay, read the following:
- Tell It Slant: Creating, Refining, and Publishing Creative Nonfiction by Miller and Paola
- The Truth of the Matter by Dinty Moore
- Creative Nonfiction: A Guide to Form, Content, Style by Eileen Pollack
- How to Write Your Own Stories by Lois Daniel
- Writing Life Stories by Bill Roorbach
- On Writing by William Zinsser
- Naked, Drunk, and Writing by Adair Lara
- Brevity, an online journal of personal narrative essays. Click www.creativenonfiction.org/brevity/ to see these well-written, creative expressions of the personal narrative essay.
- The Art of the Personal Essay, edited by Phillip Lopate
In summary, a personal narrative or memoir essay is a true story about a turning point in your life, a life-altering event that resulted in an epiphany, and that has universal meaning for others. To tell this story, you put to use the literary techniques of fiction and the devices of poetry. To structure your story,include the components of a story–the main event or problem, setbacks and obstacles, climax, epiphany, resolution. If y0u prefer, create your own structure. As well, use the first- person point of view (‘I’), a conversational voice, and personal reflection.
In the next post, I’ll explain how to write a lyrical essay.
Creative Nonfiction: Writing about Place
By Dave Hood
Why write about place or include setting in a piece of creative nonfiction writing? There are several reasons: Setting or place creates a backdrop for your true story. It can also create a mood or atmosphere for the story. Sometimes, place can be an antagonist for the story. It provides context—-telling the reader where the story takes place.
As well, one of the most important techniques for creative writing is to write in scenes. A scene in creative nonfiction is like a scene from a film. The scene includes vivid descriptions, dialogue, action, and a setting. The setting identifies the place where the scene and true story takes place.
Place is also part of our genetic code. Most people seek the comfort and familiarity of a safe place.
And yet, according to Brenda Miller and Susanne Paola, who are the authors of the marvelous text ‘ Tell It Slant: Creating, Refining, and Publishing Creative Nonfiction’, those who write writer creative nonfiction often overlook writing about the place where the story takes place.
In this article, I’ll explain what types of places you can write about and how to write about them.
Ask the Right Questions
So, let’s get started. How do you begin to write about place? You begin by to asking a few important questions, and then you answering them. Here are the questions you can writea about:
- What does the place represent?
- What is the symbolism of the place?
- What is the significance for you?
- What are the physical characteristics of the place? What does it look like? Describe the place?
- What memories are evoked by a particular place?
- How do you feel about the place? Do you like it? Why or why not?
You can begin by look around you. Describe the interior and exterior of the place that is your home, your neighborhood, your town, or city. In other words, write about the physical attributes or characteristics of the place. What are the associations? For instance, the house where I am smells disgusting like an ash tray filled with cigarettes…Or I live in a house that’s like a prison where my spouse gives orders as if she’s the warden. My elderly mother sits in her chair sadly reminiscing about the past like a person grieving the death of a loved one.
Showing Readers the Place
When writing about place, you must show the reader. What does this mean? Showing the reader requires you to write vivid descriptions, use sensory imagery, deploy memorable similes and metaphors to describe a particular place. It is not about telling the reader about the place, which is nothing more than a summary of the facts as you see them.
So, you show readers a place by including concrete and specific details. You can also include vivid descriptions that are of significance . You don’t have to include all the details or descriptions–only those that have significance to yourself and your readers. To write descriptions of place, you can also use sensory imagery, language that appeal to the sense of smell, taste, sight, touch, and hearing.
Writing with similes and metaphor will also create an entertaining description of place. For instance, the house looked like the city dump…. the shadows of the skyscrapers ….
Places to Write About
What places can you write about? There are several.
Home
Write about Home, the place called home. What is home to you? What are your memories of home? Life as a child growing up. Your life now. What did you celebrate? What holidays you took? What milestones or turning points were experienced in a particular place? Describe the physical characteristics, the mental associations, significance, meaning, and your feelings about place.
City Life or Rural Life
Write about city life. What do you like about living in the city? What do you dislike? Describe using simile, metaphor, vivid descriptions.
Write about rural life, such as a small town. What do you like about living in a small town? What do you dislike? Describe using simile, metaphor, vivid descriptions. Include the significant physical attributes of the place.
Nature
Write about nature, such as the wild life, woods, rivers, mountains, birds, animals,fish, insects, other mammals of the habitat. Describe the physical characteristics, the mental associations, significance, meaning, and your feelings about place. Observe nature, react to it, write about it. Does it transform you in any way? Write using personification to make the nonhuman personal, recognizable, understandable.
Place of Work
Write about the place where you work. Describe its physical characteristics. Describe it in terms of sensory imagery, simile, metaphor, and particular and significant details. What are your feelings about the workplace? What do you like or dislike about your workplace? What does it represent? A paycheque, your purpose in life, your meaning to live. Or is the place of work just a means to an end, the end being leisure time or the time to follow your bliss.
Travel
Write about travel, such as a trip, quest, pilgrimage, or journey. What places have you travelled to? Describe the physical characteristics, the mental associations, significance, meaning, and your feelings about place. Don’t write as though you are creating a travel brochure, transcribing your trip. This is cliché. Include specific details and the significance to you. According to Tell IT Slant, “Successful travel writing mediates between two poles: the individual physical things it describes, on the other hand, the larger theme “about” on the other. That is the particular and the universal.”
The Environment
Write about the environment, which is a popular topic–air and water pollution, global warming, overpopulation, desertification, destruction of the natural habitat. How does the environment in which you live impact your mind, body, soul? Write about the issues or topics making news. Write about green peace . Write about the role of an environmentalist. Write about the how the government protects a particular place, such as the forest, sea, historic place. Write about how industrialization continues to erode place.
Witness to the World
You are a human being, living in a particular place within the larger global village. Look out to the world, beyond the world in which you live. What do you see, hear, smell, taste about the world? What is making news in the world related to place? Write about it. What are the topics on the minds of the collective consciousness related to place? Write about them. How has the place called the global village been changed or transformed? Write about technology and its impact on place–the smart phone, Internet, tablet, and so forth.
Other Things to Consider
You can also write about place in terms of its culture, language, cuisine, people, customs and traditions, religion, superstitions, norms, rituals, taboos, moral values, and the history of place.
To conclude, there are many places to write about. When you write about place, show the reader with vivid descriptions, physical details, imagery, simile, metaphors. Also include your own perspective of place–your thoughts feelings, likes and dislikes. Always ask important questions about a particular place: What is the meaning of place? What is the significance? What does the place represent to you? Share your answers with the reader. And remember: we all seek places of meaning, comfort, familiarity. But many of us are also curious–and want to explore the world beyond.
Resources
- Tell it Slant: Creating, Refining, and Publishing Creative Nonfiction by Brenda Miller and Suzanne Paola
- Telling True Stories, edited by Mark Kramer and Wendy Call
- Creative Nonfiction: A Guide to Form, Content, and Style by Eileen Pollack
The Voice and Style of a Fiction Writer
All great writers, such as Faulkner, Chekhov, Hemingway, Cormac McCarthy, Vladimir Nabokov, wrote their fiction with a unique voice and writing style.
Hemingway, for instance, wrote stories using a minimalist style. He used short sentences, nouns and verbs, short paragraphs, and vigorous language to tell his stories.
Cormac McCarthy also wrote “The Road” with a minimalist writing style. He often used short sentences, sentence fragments, and fancy vocabulary. As well, he did not use quotation marks to indicate that characters were speaking.
Vladimir Nabokov wrote the novel,” Lolita”, a tragic comedy using a creative style of long sentences and fancy words, irony and wordplay, such as verbal puns and anagrams.
Each of these writers narrated the story with a distinct voice and unique writing style.
In this article, I’ll discuss voice and style as it relates to novels or short stories. The following will be covered:
- Definition of voice in the story
- Writer’s voice versus narrator’s voice
- Definition of the writer’s writing style
- How an aspiring writer can develop his/her voice and style
Voice of the Story
What is voice in fiction? Voice is one of the elements for analyzing fiction and a technique for writing a short story or novel. Voice is what the reader hears when reading the story. Voice is the narrator of the story.
Writers use several types of voices to narrate their stories. The important thing to remember is to keep the voice of the story consistent. Here some of the more common voices that writers use:
- Conversational voice. As you read the story, you feel like the narrator is engaged in a conversation with the reader. The story is told using the POV of first person. J.D. Salinger uses this voice to tell the story of “Catcher in the Rye.”
- Informal voice. It’s not as conversational. The narrator of the story uses everyday language. The story is told using first person or third person POV. Raymond told the story of “Cathedral” with an informal voice.
- Formal voice. The narrator is detached from the main character as the story is told. The narration uses fancy prose and language. Both the stories of “Lolita” and “The Great Gatsby” were told using the formal voice.
- Other voices. Writers have put into use many other voices to tell short stories or novels. For instance, Virginia Woolf used stream of consciousness. Other writers have used a lyrical voice like as though writing poetry.
Writer’s Voice versus Narrator’s Voice
The narrator of the story is not the author or writer of the story. Yet, it is easy to confuse because some narrators do speak in a voice that resembles the author of the story. This confusion can also occur when a story has a first-person point of view or narrative. You need to be aware that the narrator or voice of the story is a construction, a technique used by the writer, to tell the story.
To decide whether to refer to the author or narrator of the story, ask yourself the following questions:
Are you quoting the text of the novel or short story? If so, you are referring to the narrator or voice of the story.
Are you asking questions about writing style, choice of diction, literary devices, such as simile, metaphor, symbolism? Then you are referring to the author’s voice.
The writer’s voice consists of the writing style and writer’s view of the world, such as his/her beliefs, opinions, values, personal experiences. Essentially, the writer’s voice is everything he/she embodies and puts into use to write the story.
Remember: The voice of the story is the voice of the narrator.
Writing Style of a Fiction Writer
What is writing style? It refers to the various literary techniques and stylistic choices the writer puts into use to craft the short story or novel. In particular, the writer’s style focuses on the following:
- Writer’s choice of diction
- Sentence length, sentence variety, syntax
- Paragraph length
Writer’s Choice of Diction
Diction refers to the word choices of the writer. It all depends on the voice and point of view of the story. Here are some types of diction that writers use:
- Profanity and vulgarisms
- Obscenities
- Contractions
- Conversational and colloquial
- Formal language
- Fancy language
Writer’s Sentence Style
A good writer writes a story using different types of sentences and different lengths of sentences. Here are the common styles of sentences writers use:
- Sentence fragment (phrase or dependent clause)
- Simple sentence ( A single independent clause)
- Compound sentence ( Two independent clauses joined by coordinating conjunction )
- Complex sentence (One independent clause joined by one or more dependent clauses. A complex clause always has a subordination such as though, although, since, because…)
- Periodic sentence ( modifiers + modifier +. Modifier…main clause at end)
- Cumulative or loose sentence (main clause + modifier + modifier + modifier…)
- Items in a series ( Main clause that includes series of items. Example: He wrote the first draft, revised it, printed a hard copy, handed it in to the professor.)
Writer’s Paragraph Style
There is no rule about how long or short a paragraph should be. Writers use different lengths, some very short, such as a sentence. Other writer construct long, detailed paragraphs.
Often writer’s craft a new paragraph for any of the following:
- When a different character speaks
- Shift in time
- Shift in place
- Change of action
- New scene
- Writing a summary
Some writers combine shifts in time and place and action, and so on. Other writers construct sparse paragraphs of only a sentence for dramatic effect. A short paragraph of only a single sentence is emphatic. A longer paragraph is has more detail, and so is slower in pace.
In the end, the choice of using short paragraphs or long paragraphs is a stylistic choice that each writer makes on his own, or with the assistance of an editor.
Developing Your Voice and Writing Style
As an aspiring writer of fiction, how can you develop your voice and writing style? In short, it takes time.
Essentially, you must experience life, read lots of short stories and novels, analyze the writing styles of great writer’s such as Hemingway, Chekhov, Atwood, Faulkner, Alice Munro, and many more. Write, write, write. In fact, you must write every day.
Here are a few suggestions for developing your voice and writing style:
- Learn how to write well. Read and learn The Elements of Style by Strunk and White
- Read and great fiction, such as Lolita, 1984, The Wars, Portnoy’s Complaint, The Road, Catcher in the Rye.
- Analyze great fiction. Understand how the writer used the element of fiction to craft the story. Understand how the writer crafted the opening and ending.
- Learn how to tell a story. A short story includes a motive, conflict, climax or turning point, and resolution.
- Read Francine Prose’s book “Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for those Who Want to Write them.”
- Learn the techniques for writing fiction. For instance, how to construct setting, create memorable characters, develop a plot, open and end your story. A good book to help you learn is Janet Burroway’s “Writing Fiction”, the Gotham Writer’s Workshop’s “Writing Fiction”, and Tom Bailey’s “On Writing Short Stories.”
- Read the great short stories in Norton Anthology of Short Stories, and then analyze them, to understand the writer’s style and literary devices used.
- Take a workshops or courses in writing short stories or novels.
- Write, write, write. If you want to become a writer, you must write. You must write every day. You must experiment with your writing. Start by keeping a journal.
In this article, I discussed the concept of voice and writing style. I also explained the difference between the writer’s voice and the narrator’s voice. I concluded by providing you with some useful suggestions on how to develop your voice and writing style.
If you really want to become a writer of fiction, you must work at it. Great writer’s learned the craft of writing fiction and read widely and deeply. You must do the same.
A Few Techniques For Writing a Personal Essay
In the last post, I discussed how to structure a personal essay. In this post, I identify the important techniques for writing a personal essay.
The techniques that you will use to write a personal essay are the same as other types of creative nonfiction, such as a memoir, travel article, or literary journalistic essay. Two of the most important techniques are storytelling and scene-building. Before you write your personal essay, you will need to choose a topic. There are several techniques that can help you.
If you are writing a personal essay based on a personal experience, you will need to write the story. Your story requires an inciting incident, complications, conflict or obstacles, a climax, and resolution. For more information, see my section on “Fiction” in this blog.
You must also use the techniques of fiction (literary devices), in particular the scene-building technique. Scene building involves showing, not telling. It is not a narrative summary, which collapses events and time. It is not an exposition, which is based on explanation and analysis. A scene includes the following elements:
- Specific time and place
- Action
- Dialogue
- Sensory images
- Specific details
You will want to make your readers aware of the time and place. This is your setting.
If you are writing a personal essay based on a personal experience or milestone, you will want to include important dialogue between you and other people.
You will also want to describe the important action that takes place in the scene or scenes that you include. Remember, you are writing a short personal essay, which is between 500 and 1500 words long, so you are only going to include scenes that are essential to your personal essay.
You also want to use sensory images to make your story come alive. Thus, you will include language that appeals to the reader’s sense of smell, taste, sight, touch.
A good scene also includes vivid descriptions, which helps the reader visualize the story. Vivid descriptions also help to make your essay believable and truthful.
In the conclusion, you can write about the insight, understanding, or lesson that you learned from the experience or milestone. Often your personal experience results in a universal truth about human nature or the human condition.
Techniques for Finding a Topic
Your personal essay can be based on a personal experience or milestone, or a topic or subject that you are passionate about. If you are writing about a true story, your memory will play an important role in uncovering the facts and the truth. Here are a few ways to “mine your memory.”
- Keep a personal journal, and look through it. Use it to remember events and experiences that happened in the past.
- Take photos of events and experiences that are important to you. Use the photos to mine your memory. Or look through old photo albums to find your story.
- Visit the place where the event took place.
- Interview friends or family who also experienced the event or experience.
- Use a time line. Take one year of your life and then list all the events or experiences that took place in that year.
- Use the technique of mindmapping. For more information, check out www.mindtools.com .
- Write about a milestone, anniversary, loss, death, or new experience. Ask yourself: What did you learn? What insight have you gained? Is there a universal truth?
Another way to write a personal essay is to write about topics, social issues, or events making news. Margaret Wente, a writer for the Globe and Mail, often uses this approach. Here are a few ways to find topics to write about:
- Keep a journal. Write in it whenever something of interest or important happens to you. Refer to your journal when you want to write a personal essay.
- Stay informed. Read magazines, newspapers, books, and watch and listen to the news. Browse the Web. When you unearth something interesting, write a personal essay.
- Write about social issues, such as crime, capital punishment, -marriage, racism, gay rights, rape, child abuse, alcoholism, sexual equality, immigration, divorce, and so forth.
- Write about something in the news or public consciousness.
- Write about holidays, tradition, vacations, Christmas, Halloween, anniversaries, and so forth.
Finally, write truthfully and honestly. If something never happened, you cannot write about it as though it were true. This is lying. As well, disclose your views and personal opinions on the event or topic or personal experience. A personal essay is all about your perspective, your thoughts, your views. It doesn’t need to be objective. You don’t have to prove a thesis.
Resources for Writing a Personal Essay
The following books will provide you with the techniques for writing a personal essay:
- Writing Life Stories: How to Make Memories into Memoir, Ideas into Essays, and Life into Literature by Bill Roorbach
- Writing Creative Nonfiction, edited by Philip Gerard
- The Art of Creative Nonfiction by Lee Gutkind
- The Art of the Personal Essay by Phillip Lapote
In the next few posts, I will write about travel writing, a popular form of creative nonfiction.
Organizing a Personal Essay
In the last post, I defined the personal essay. In this post, I explain how to structure your personal essay. Remember that there are two types of personal essays. The first is a personal narrative in which you tell a story about an event or experience that had significant meaning to you, and resulted in a lesson that you learned. The second type is a personal opinion about a topic or issue that is of interest or importance to you.
There is no one method of structuring a personal essay. However, your essay does require a beginning, middle, and end. After you have decided on a topic and determined what you are going to say, you can organize/structure your personal essay. Here is how:
Introduction or Lead
The introduction includes a hook that captures the reader’s attention, tells the reader what your personal essay is about, and why he/she should read your personal essay.
1. The hook: This is a sentence or more that grabs the reader’s attention. It can be a:
- Personal anecdote
- Question
- Quotation
- Controversial statement
- Fact or statistic
2. Your introduction also needs to introduce your personal experience or topic and how it is important to you.
Body
If you are writing a personal narrative, the body of your essay should include several paragraphs that narrate your story. You can include the following:
- Narrative
- Anecdote
- Thoughts, feelings, opinion
- Scene building
If you are writing a personal opinion piece, your body paragraphs will explain the problems or the issue, state the facts provide evidence, and perhaps possible solutions.
Whether you write a personal narrative or a personal opinion piece, each paragraph should include:
- A topical sentence that introduces the paragraph.
- Support for the topical sentence. Each supporting sentence must relate to the topical sentence.
- Transitional words between sentence and paragraphs.
Conclusion or Ending
In On Writing Well, author William Zinsser states that “the perfect ending should take your readers slightly by surprise and yet seem exactly right…For the nonfiction writer, the simplest way of putting this into a rule is: when your ready to stop, stop.”
If you are writing a personal narrative, your conclusion should include the following:
- What you learned from the experience or the personal meaning of the experience
- A main point. It should answer the question “So what?” This makes your personal experience relevant to your reader.
- You personal experience must provide a universal truth. That is why including the lesson that you learned or the insight you gained is important. The universal truth allows your readers to learn from your experience.
Give your readers a reason why your personal essay is relevant to his or her life by providing a universal truth. For instance, “Crime doesn’t pay.”
If you are writing a personal opinion piece, your conclusion can include your recommendations, judgment, prediction, warning, final opinion or final thought. The key is to leave your reader with one final point to ponder.
Zinsser writes in On Writing Well: “It takes just a few sentences to wrap things up. Ideally they should encapsulate the idea of the piece and concludes with a sentence that jolts us with its fitness or unexpectedness.”
In summary, your personal essay must begin with a hook that inspires your readers to read your essay, and you must introduce your topic. In the middle, tell your story or provide support for your views on a topic. You can expand on your personal essay with evidence, action, dialogue, scene-building, and so forth. In your conclusion, you reveal the lesson that you learned from the experience or make your final, important point. Throughout the personal essay, you weave your theme.
In the next post, I will explain the techniques for writing a personal essay.
What is a Personal Essay?
“For more than four hundred years, the personal essay has been one of the richest and most vibrant of all literary forms.” (The Art of the Personal Essay by Phillip Lopate.) The personal essay is also one of the most popular forms of creative nonfiction. A personal essay can be based on a personal experience that results in a lesson that you learn. A personal essay can also be a personal opinion about a topic or issue that is important to you. This article defines the personal essay.
Personal Essay versus a Formal Essay
The personal essay is different than a formal essay. In the personal essay, the writer writes about experience without having to prove the point. The author needs only to introduce the subject and theme. It is based on feeling, emotion, personal opinion, and personal experience. It is autobiographical. On the other hand, in the formal essay, the writer states the thesis, and then attempts to prove or support his point with facts—to provide proof. To do this, the author must do research.
Definition of the Personal Essay
A personal essay is either a personal narrative in which the author writes about a personal incident or experience that provided significant personal meaning or a lesson learned, or it is a personal opinion about some topic or issue that is important to the writer.
The Personal Essay as a Personal Narrative
A personal narrative has the following elements:
- It is based on a personal experience in which you have gained significant meaning, insight, or learned a lesson. It can also be based on a milestone or life-altering event.
- It is personal narrative. The writer tells the story by including dialogue, imagery, characterization, conflict, plot, and setting.
- It is written in the first person. (“I” point-of-view)
- It is an autobiographical story in which the writer describes an incident that resulted in some personal growth or development.
- A personal essay is a glimpse of the writer’s life. The writer describes the personal experience using the scene-building technique, weaves a theme throughout the narrative, and makes an important point. There must be a lesson or meaning. The writer cannot just write an interesting story.
- It does not have to be objective. However, the writer must express his/her feelings, thoughts, and emotions.
- The writer uses self-disclosure and is honest with his/her readers.
- The writer writes about a real life experience. The incident or experience must have occurred. The writer must use fact and truth.
- The writer must dramatize the story by using the scene building technique. A scene includes setting/location, intimate details, concrete and specific descriptions, action, and often dialogue.
The Personal Essay as a Personal Opinion
A personal essay can also be an opinion piece, an opinion that is based on a particular political or social concern or topic of interest. In this type of personal essay, the writer can states the problem, provide solutions, and then write a conclusion—which must state an important point. Whatever the writer discusses, the topic is of interest to the writer. The writer frequently seeks to explain the truth or reality has he/she views it. Sometimes the writer ponders a question. Other times the writer explores a topic from his own perspective. The writer must not lecture, sermonize, or moralize. In other words, the writer must present his/her opinion in such a way that allows the readers decide for themselves.
In Writing Life Stories, author Bill Roorbach provides an excellent definition of the personal essay, one that is based on a personal opinion. He states that the personal essay that is based on a personal opinion has these attributes:
- A personal essay is a conversation with your readers.
- The personal essay is an informed mixture of storytelling, facts, wisdom, and personality.
- The personal essay examines a subject outside of yourself, but through the lens of self.
- The subject of the personal essay may be the self, but the self is treated as evidence for the argument.
- Passages of narrative often appear but generally get used as evidence in the inductive argument.
- The personal essay strives to say what is evident, and to come to a conclusion that the reader may agree or disagree.
- A personal essay can wonder through its subject, circle around it, get the long view and the short, always providing experience, knowledge, book learning, and personal history.
It should also be noted that a personal essay doesn’t need to be objective. It can be purely subjective. You don’t have to prove a point or show both sides of the argument. But you must express your own personal feelings, thoughts, and opinions on a topic or issue in a logical manner.
Subjects for the Personal Essay
Your subject can be about anything that you are passionate about. You can write about a “turning point” in your life, or a milestone, or adversity, such as death, illness, divorce. The subject you choose must have provided you with significant personal meaning or a lesson that you have learned. But, keep in mind, you are not just reflecting or remembering, you are going to make a point, some universal truth that your readers can appreciate. Otherwise, your story is just a story. So, write about the following:
- Personal experience
- Incident
- Anecdote
- Topic
- Issue
- A memory
Your subject can also be a personal opinion on an issue or concern that is important to you, such as the garbage strike, crime, or unemployment.
How to Choose a Topic
Choose a topic in are interested in and passionate about, and that resulted in a lesson that you learned or personal meaning. Here is how:
- Your writing needs to be a process of inquiry. So answer the 5-Ws: Who? What? When? Where? Why?
- Brainstorm your topic. Create a list of topics. Then create subtopics.
- Mind map your topic. For more information on mindmapping, search the Internet. This is a popular form of creative thinking.
- Narrow your topic. Instead of writing about global warming, you can narrow your topic by writing about “going green” or “how you should recycle in your home”.
- Think of a milestone, or something memorable, or a turning point in your life. What were your impressions? What did you learn? What meaning came from the personal experience?
- Be sure that your topic has a universal theme—such as hard work, love, death, bravery, wisdom.
- Your goal is to make others laugh, learn, hope, empathize, sympathize with what you have written. Your readers must be able to identify with what you have written.
- If something happened to you that was interesting, humorous, sad, and so forth, you can write about it.
- Write about personal experiences that have taught you a lesson.
Make the Most of Life Experiences
- Your goal is to make others laugh, learn, hope, empathize, sympathize with what you have written. Your readers must be able to identify with what you have written.
- If something happened to you that was interesting, humorous, sad, and so forth, you can write about it.
- Write about personal experiences that have taught you a lesson.
- Include your opinions, point of view, feelings and thoughts.
- Be truthful and honest. In other words, state the facts and evidence.
Resources for Writing Personal Essays
There are some fantastic books available to help you learn to write a personal essay. Here are the books I recommend:
- Writing Life Stories: How to Make Memories into Memoir, Ideas into Essays, and Life into Literature by Bill Roorbach
- Writing Creative Nonfiction, edited by Philip Gerard
- The Art of Creative Nonfiction by Lee Gutkind
- The Art of the Personal Essay by Phillip Lapote
The personal essay has loose structure and conversational tone. It is usually written in the first person. The writer uses self-disclosure, honesty, and truth. The writer can write about any subject, topic, or personal experience. But the personal essay must have a universal theme and conclude with a major point. Otherwise, the reader says, “So what?” It was a nice story, but so what is the point?
In the next post, I will explain how to structure/organize your personal essay and what to include.
Find Your Creative Muse 