Tips on Writing Personal Essays

Think beyond yourself: You must do more than share a personal event, you also need to universalize what you are saying so that other people can relate to it.

Think of what the market is and who your audience is: Find ways to make your story meaningful to others. Don't talk about yourself unless you have found a way to let the reader in...

Ask yourself these questions:
-What are the readers thinking?
-What are the readers feeling?
-What can the readers identify with?

Your writing will be successful when it touches a nerve or feeling in order to elicit an emotional reaction from the reader. Your audience has to identify with you and your story, and see a part of themselves in the picture.

Anchor the reader in the scenes that you are painting. Keep your essays tightly focused, in order to maximize the emotional impact.

Market awareness: Go to the newsstand and see who is publishing what. Measure the complexity and the tone. Are these essays that require depth of research, or do they come directly from the author's personal experience?

Consider:
-Women's magazines like Family Circle, Women's Day and Redbook
-Parenting publications
-General interest magazines, such as Newsweek's 'My Turn' column
-Regional and local publications
-Religious publications
-Newspapers: op-ed pieces and essays
-Web sites such as www.salon.com

Books to read:
Bender, Sheila. Writing Personal Essays: How to Shape Your Life Experiences for the Page.
Holmes, Marjorie. Writing Articles from the Heart: How to Write & Sell Your Life Experiences.