Personal Essay Directions and Topics
There are two components to the essay:
1. The personal essay itself
2. Reflection on the essay
Essay will be graded on the following:
· Must create a scene.
Think 70% scene, 30% reflection/analysis in terms of the essay's composition.
Use at least a small amount of dialogue to create a scene
Use concrete, sensory detail to create vivid, clear, directed imagery
Employ three of the senses (if not four or five)
Strong sense of setting (using sensory details)
Must have a clear sense of the relationship with the reader
Write to a specific person (e.g. think of someone specific as your reader, rather than someone anonymous)
Think about how Notes is written to a specfic set of "gentlemen"
This generates a wonderfully strong, angry voice
· Must have some sort of conflict—can be with another person, a situation or with yourself
· Must be honest; don't try to sell yourself to me like you might in a college app. Personal essays are far more compelling when they reveal a person's flaws, uncertainties, misgivings, insecurities, etc.
· Demonstrate a personal investment in the topic (topic concerns your past or present life in some way)
· Something changes or is revealed in the essay
· Mechanics! As always, it’s crucial to spell words properly, get your grammar right, use words correctly, indent the essay properly, etc.
· 900 words for personal essay: NO MORE! (points will be deducted if you exceed the word count)
Please answer the following questions in your reflection on the essay:
Approx. 1 page reflection on essay (250-350 words)
a. Describe the process of writing this essay: How long did it take you to begin the essay? Did you do several freewrites and then edit or edit as you wrote? Did you write in several chunks or all at once? etc
b. What are you proud of in the essay?
c. What was challenging about writing it?
d. How long did this essay take you to write?
e. What questions do you have for me?
·Please include your reflection on the essay when you post your essay on turnitin.com
Put the reflection at the end of your essay
making it clear where your essay ends and your reflection begins
Topic is freedom . . . or the loss thereof.
Here are some subtopics to help you shape/come up with a topic for your essay:
a) Re-work one of your two freewrites on freedom/loss of freedom into an essay.
b) Write about a scene with a childhood enemy. Was having and/or growing out of having a childhood enemy a kind of freedom or loss thereof?
b) Alternatively, you might weave together freewrites into one essay. In the process of weaving freewrites together, the essay will take on a shape of its own; you will need to add/edit/and change the exercises as you combine them.
c) How has school given or taken freedom away from you? What have you unexpectedly gained or lost coming here?
Because personal essays often require some critical distance, you might also consider how your middle or even grade school shaped you instead.
d) Describe a complicated relationship, one which has given and/or taken freedom away from you. (a version of "childhood enemy" topic)
e) Think of two different worlds or communities that you belong to. Could be school friends vs. home friends; family vs. school; two different cultures you belong to.
Are you a different person—do you wear a different identity in these two cultures? How do these two identities conflict/interact? What is the cost or consequence of this conflict/interaction? Have you gained freedom or lost it as a result of being part of these two worlds?
Note: try to be precise about how you define freedom in your essay, since the term can have so many different meanings. You don't need to start with a dictionary definition; just be clear in your own head what you intend by the term.
Length:
3 pages for personal essay (900 words): NO MORE! (points will be deducted if you exceed the word count)
Approx. 1 page reflecting on essay (250-350 words)
Due: October 10th
***Important: Please post your essay on turnitin.com
Class ID #: 16358959
Class password: freedom
*** Please make sure to read and sign a copy of the creative writing contract.
Creative checklist:
Click below for a couple sample essays from published writers. They're a bit longer than the ones you'll be writing, but not much.