Writing a Personal Essay

An essay is a short exposition on a single topic, usually presenting the writer's personal point of view. A personal essay gives the reader an intimate glimpse of the author's experience, thoughts or feelings.

Your "My Turn" essay should be similar in format to the weekly "My Turn" column in Newsweek, in which a member of the public shares an opinion, experience, or personal feeling. In some "My Turn" essays, the writers try to persuade readers to take action or agree with a point of view. Other "My Turn" essayists simply share experiences, feeling, or reflections. The personal experience or observation draws readers into the essay and helps them make a connection with the writer and the ideas.

"My Turn" Essay Contest judges look for direct personal experience and observation with a fresh, original point of view. They want engaging, moving, or thought-provoking essays that appeal to a national readership.

When writing your essay, you should follow a three-part format: the introduction, which includes an engaging lead; the body, which contains the central idea; and a conclusion, which sums up and expands on the main or central idea of the essay.

Within a well-written essay, each paragraph is a group of related sentences that make one major point or express a single idea. Well-written paragraphs share three essential characteristics:

• Unity: An effective paragraph sticks to the topic. All sentences develop one main idea, which should support the central idea of the entire essay.
• Coherence: The sentences are presented in a logical order and are linked together in a way that makes it easy for the reader to follow the writer's train of thought.
• Adequate development: The paragraph includes enough development, such as supporting detail or explanation, for the reader to easily understand its main idea.